Hey folks, I have some questions. In planning for next season I have a fish chunk bait recipe I plan on trying. It is a recipe from an article that John posted on Lenon's website. Here is a link to the article (Also several other good articles to read there.) This bait will primarily be used for cubby and pocket sets for raccoon.

The recipe calls to cube fish into 2 to 3 inch chunks, and fill a half of a plastic 5 gallon bucket with the fish chunks. Add, and mix in, 4 lbs of pickling / canning salt, 2 oz. Anise Oil, 8 oz Shellfish Oil, 8 oz corn syrup and 4 oz dried ground beaver castor.

My questions:
1. I would like to add liquid smoke to this. Any problems in combination with anise oil? Bad idea?
2. Which would you use: the canning salt, glycerine, or sodium benzoate?
3. I have heard of guys burying the bucket after making fish bait. Is this for temperature reasons, or fly reasons? Recommend?

I keep a bait tank of sunfish and bluegill throughout the spring for catfishing so I always have a few dead ones that I freeze but will most likely make the bait with carp.

Any input will be appreciated. Thanks

My input is if there are beaver around (pocket sets for coon or mink) stake good enough to hold them too. coons like castor without a doubt but when used where beaver are, even mixed with fish, some beaver will show up and you will front foot catch them. A drown wire and you will skin them even using 1 1/2 size traps.

Thanks Danny.

I found another recipe that calls for 2 cups of sodium benzoate and 1 cup of glycerin per gallon of fish. Would this be better than the salt? I have plenty of time before I make this but will be putting an order in for some other things soon so was curious about the glycerin and SB

I would just use salt

I'd smoke and eat the carp and use the Catfish for bait. Just joking! I go walleye and catfishing each summer and make raccoon bait from the sheephead, carp,etc that I don't feel like eating. Glad you enjoyed the article Rcates. Really missed the smelt we used to get a lot of years ago. I Fished the Gulf of Mexico some this winter and really think some of those fish would make some outstanding baits.

Yes and if you leave the chunks in the sun for about a week before adding the canning salt you might catch a fox or coyote if used in a dirt hole set. Thats when I would add the liquid smoke and use it late in season when the campers are done using the camp sites.

Thanks John!