Lets hear some of your best homemade coon bait/lure recipes.. and what works best for you and the types of sets you use that lure/ bait in?

Fish - use whatever lure you like,more imporant set on sign, i dont think a lure will call many coon very far. I use fish,any fish, and a sweet food scent. I set on sign, if you see tracks put a baited set on them! last fall i took 938 coon in 4 weeks at the waters edge.

All you need to know is fish, fish fish fish fish fish.

I haved used fish and it seems to work for a period of time like they look for it when its just a certain temp. I have found on a more warm night that marshmellows work wonders and on a slightly colder night I use my homade fish oil outta carp either way I am a true believer in fish and fish oil , but anything that smells different from time to time can really get the interested ...

Everyone says fish, but my question is it just plain fish cut up or a ground prepaired fish with other attractents added? Thanks ringtail

the 55cent cans of sardines pack in oil work great for cage traps

I use just plain bullheads. Last year I used bullheads and gizzard shad. NO LURE. I have not used lure for years. Like Jim said, sign, location and animal populations are more important..
I also take hundreds of coon, and have not noticed and drop or increase in catches with using no lure.

Oh yeah I use all pocket sets, and a few Grizz's mixed in..

I do know a guy who uses molasses and ground fish and does well.

Once i catch a fish i felit and put the rest of it in a jar and let it sit in the sun all day. When trapping season comes aroud that stuff smells bad but works great! I use it in a dirt hole set and a pvc set.

I like to use apples or corn and a sweeter lure if its warmer out. This will take muskrats also, but pretty well eliminates the chance of getting mink unless you're just lucky. This is also good for avoiding housecats, they lack the ability to taste or smell sweet.

sweet lure: half and half honey and corn syrup, then add a generous swig of imitation vanilla (the vanilla will carry better than the rest). If you like it thick thats about it, to thin it down add simple sugar (water with sugar dissolved in it until no more will dissolve) until is it as thin as you want.

its also very good in tea and on biscuits ha-ha.

some other things I have considered adding but havent experimented with yet are cherry flavor (using grenadine or maybe a kool-aid packet) because I think it carries fairly well and should increase the appeal to rats, and peppermint (dissolved starlight mints, peppermint tea packets, or peppermint schnapps) because it should carry very well and add something else that appeals to coons

peanut butter

fish

Fish oil or shell fish oil works good, so does anise oil, grape extract, marshmallows, etc. along the waters edge. But you can catch the big old boars on dry ground with a scent post and some fox urine.

Here is my recipe for coon bait.

1.Find landing net.
2.Put net in truck.
3.Put bucket in truck.
4.Put hip boots on.
5.Get in truck.
6.Drive to the dam.
7.Get out of truck.
8.Take net and bucket to edge of water.
9.Place bucket on ground while keeping net in my hand.
10.Walk out into water and put net under school of bullheads.
11.Lift net.
12.Carry fish laden net to shore and pour bullheads into bucket.
13.Repeat steps 10-12 only this time the buckets belong to visiting Iowans.
14.Carry all equipment to truck and leave.

Are those bullheads at said dam now??

bacon grease

You must be a Poor Fisherman!

Remember theres a limit on bullheads.

jacmac and bacon grease works best for me

Just about anything you would eat a coon would eat. Why do people make coon bait so complicated?

maby, maby not?