Last week, CatDaddy schooled us all in the art of making beans and establishing your very own bean hole by dumping fermented soybeans into a strategic location. You can then fish over that same hole all summer and refresh the beans as needed. CatDaddy says his bean hole is only a week old and the lake has gotten 4 to 5 inches of rain in the last two days. With influxes of water like that, it makes the location of your bean hole even more important. CatDaddy says the best place to locate your bean hole is near a channel in the lake you are fishing, however dumping directly into the channel can be an issue. Had he dumped his beans right into the channel they all would have washed away. So, CatDaddy says to hone in on a spot that is 8 to 10 feet away from the channel, just far enough that the current won’t drag all the beans away when high water comes in, but close enough that cruising catfish will stop by.
With your bean hole ready to fish, CatDaddy says that a good smelly dip bait is the ticket. Using old hat sponges, he skewers a piece of sponge onto a No. 6 treble hook rigged with 80-pound braided line. Then he smothers that sponge in dip bait and drops it right on top of the bean hole. CatDaddy talks line and says that 80-pound braided line is some heavy-duty stuff, however, when you are fishing for cats you never know if you’ll get a 4-pounder, 40-pounder or more and your equipment needs to be able to handle whatever you may encounter. You also have to be ready for aggressive bites, he says. As soon as you feel a bump on the line, set that hook. Sometimes they hit so hard it will nearly steal the pole from your hands so be on your toes!
The great thing about using beans is that it’s a versatile tactic that can be done from the bank, as well. CatDaddy says if there is a dock nearby, you can dump beans off the end of the dock, wait a few days and then drop some bait down on top of it and the catfish will surely be there.
Tune in as CatDaddy talks about how to refine your bean hole fishing techniques as the water and fishing action both warm up.
Stinky baits and beans,
Trav