# Keeping dough balls on the hook



## TurtleJugger

Tried using dough balls this week for the first time. I cooked yellow cornmeal and flour with vanilla. I can form it on the hook but later when I pull my line out of the water the ball is gone. Any tips on making dough balls that will stay on a hook longer? Thanks


----------



## RJohnson442

No expert to catfishing by any means but rhey make small nets for stinkbaits that should work well. Its a small mesh screen about an inch long and wide. Place whatever inside and tie it shut with some line or thread. Then punch it through the hook. They usually will never come off.

Sent from my Event using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## Core_d

I use a treb hook with no weight and pitch my line somewhat softly. It should slowly dissolve and become softer so it puts out a scent. Ide change your ball every half hour or so. When first made keep a consistency somewhere between play-bough and cream cheese, you should be fine


----------



## Vince™

I'f you're looking to fish doughballs you can't go wrong with Wheaties. Add a bit of vanilla or anise and it should stay on the hook until you get a take.


----------



## TurtleJugger

I'm gonna try the treble hook. My grandma was telling me her dad used to fish with vinegar mustard dough balls. Think sour is better then sweet?


----------



## Vince™

I've never fished with anything "sour" before. I've chummed with field corn that has "gone off" but I have more confidence in freshly boiled field corn or at least corn that doesn't smell like mash. 

I always had my best luck when fishing Wheaties when it was flavored with anise. Get a handful of Wheaties, dip it in the water and start crunch them together to form a dough ball. Flatten it out and put a little anise in and work it around. 

I'd skip the treble hook and just get a long shank bait holder in size 4 or 6. There's a good chance that you'll absolutely wreck a Carps mouth with a treble, but that's your call. Their mouths are much different than a "game fish."

Good luck!


----------



## BuckeyeFishinNut

I used to make dough bait like that before but I never cooked the cornmeal. I always made mine with cornmeal out of the container, flour, and corn syrup. I would mix it up in a tupper wear container and let it sit in the fridge over night. The key is getting the flour right, too much and it crumbles, too little and its too soft.


----------



## Jfields

Hair rigs aren't that hard to tie up and work a lot better than baiting the hook (unless you're using corn). If you're using corn meal, try microwaving your dough balls. They will harden and slightly float. Then you can put a large sinker, 1 oz. or greater, on it to hold the bait near the bottom, and pack whatever dough ball around the sinker as an attractant.


----------



## Garyoutlaw77

This is a great bait that catches wherever I've fished it in the past & is super sticky also.

I mix Corn flakes with Bran flakes in the blender till it's like powder then add course ground salt & water as needed.

I know a treble hook seems to be the logical choice for dough baits but a larger gap hook will do much better and you'll have less hook pulls than on trebles. Gamakatsu #2 or #1 Octopus hooks were my go to hook before the hair rig changed my life








https://www.facebook.com/media/set/...073741844.100000005267056&type=1&l=c24681cc37


----------



## plumberroy

I use equal parts flour , corn meal and crushed wheaties with a little sugar and vanilla kneaded until it is lake play dough , I will not use treble hooks fishing for fish I don't plan to eat 
Roy


----------



## Dana.Birrell

It could be as simple as using a mixer (kitchen-aids are great, and the wife might be really happy you bought one for her) to form glutens in the dough. This will make it tougher and less prone to being water logged.


----------



## BottomBouncer

See the product on this page...

http://www.tacklebox.co.uk/bait-pre...t/cjt-developments-stay-put-hair-riggers.html


----------



## Buckeye Bob

All the methods/ingredients above are very good and doughballs are all I used for years...plain bisquick and water....it's all I could afford as a young kid..it was free out of mom's cupboard.

My preferred now is just plain Swan's Down cake flour...just add water or egg...it makes a very rubbery dough that last a long time in the water. It's VERY white and takes coloring and flavoring real well too. The rig I like to use is the hair rig...and put a cork, bead, or even a large splitshot on the hair to mold the dough around.


----------



## BottomBouncer

A spring out of a ball point pen on the hair wil hold a dough ball.


----------

