Modify the standard flour-and-water mixture to produce a bream bait that is irresistible.
We’ve all had our light-bulb moments. A challenge, dilemma or otherwise perplexing situation spurs our imagination and dips deep into the gravy bowl of creativity to bring up the tasty nuggets that make us shout, “I’ve got it!” My moment came one adolescent summer when the local lakefront drew my attention. I had spotted a bunch of bluegill darting in and out of the shadows of a floating dock, so I figured it was time to load a stringer.
Unfortunately, my enthusiasm took a hit when the day’s economic reality halted my plans. I still had another week until allowance day, and with several neighbors saving for vacations, my lawn-mowing business had slowed to a crawl. I probably could’ve rounded up a dozen or so soft drink bottles and collected the deposits, but that would’ve burned valuable fishing time.
Bottom line was that I had no bait money. I did, however, have an option — bread balls. Pinching a dime-sized piece of white bread, rolling it into a sphere and dropping it in front of a bluegill is an easy sell.
However, Mom had only a few slices left, and those were reserved for dinner, pending the weekend’s grocery store visit.
O.K., what now? Mom reminded me that one of my uncles had showed me how to combine flour and water into a simple dough mixture that panfish enjoy. So, with half a cup of flour, a little tap water and some diligent spoon action, I proudly whipped up a palm-sized portion of bluegill bait.
Now, if you’re wondering if this little stroll down memory lane has a point, it does — actually two. First, even the best solutions can always stand a little tweaking. Particularly with fishing, the annoying details bristling from any objective can either frustrate us or inspire us.
Secondly, no matter how fancy any of us gets with our grown-up angling accomplishments, most of us began our fishing careers tugging on something small and sporty — something like a bluegill. So, the real story here is not so much the adolescent adventures of a verbose scribe; rather, it’s about developing a homemade bait formula that provides a simple and convenient option for light-duty fishing.
This is an activity you can undertake with kids or enjoy on a solo mission. Whatever the case, there’s a pleasantly old-school vibe about doughballs and bluegill, something endearingly rustic in a Tom Sawyer kind of way.
Back to the action. With dough complete, I wrapped it in a plastic sandwich bag, stuffed the bait into my T-shirt pocket, balanced my Zebco 202 spincast rod on the handlebars of my trusty 10-speed and raced back to the bluegill dock. As expected, the fish found the dough irresistible, but the adverse combination of my unrefined angling skills and the larcenous work of bait-stealing juveniles left me reeling up a bare hook far too often.
Disappointed, but not dissuaded, I went back to the kitchen and tinkered around until I came up with something that forever changed my panfish pursuits.
New and improved
Like store-bought bread, raw dough loosens when submerged. Hence, undersized fish and cautious keepers have little trouble picking you clean. However, when I tried cooking the dough in a microwave, the bait transformed into a soft, resilient consistency that I instantly recognized as the tool I needed to beat those bream at their own game.
Here’s the skinny: Mix half a cup of flour with just enough water to congeal it into a lumpy ball. Dust the outside of the dough with excess flour, plop it on a doubled square of waxed paper, and microwave on medium power for 30 seconds. The dough will cook more evenly when flattened into a patty about a half-inch thick.
To test the results, pinch the edge of the dough after nuking and roll it around on your fingertips. If the bait smears or sticks, cook it another 10-15 seconds.
Complementing the expediency factor, the microwave is superior to a conventional oven because, at moderate heating times, it cooks without making food dry and crusty. The resulting flakiness of baked dough bait mirrors the water-wear limitations of store-bought bread — both fall apart too easily.
Ideally, the finished product will have a rubber-like texture that molds firmly into dough balls that tightly cling to a hook. This forces fish to grab both bait and hook without pecking the dough off the barb. This bait is so tough you can often catch more than one fish on the same piece. Just remold it on the hook after each catch, and drop it again.
White or wheat flour works equally well, but for optimal firmness with minimal air pockets, use all-purpose over self-rising flour. For enhanced scent appeal, add vanilla extract, onion powder or oily salad dressings to your dough before baking. Keep liquid additives minimal, as soggy dough won’t set up well in the microwave.
User-friendly
Dough balls are a natural match for cane poles and 4- to 6-pound monofilament rigged with a small, round bobber, a No. 12 wire hook and just enough weight to maintain a vertical drop.
Cane poles offer superior reach for probing around vegetation, but it’s tough to make a 12-foot twig cooperate when you’re trying to reach into the shadows of overhanging brush or under a dock. A light spinning or spincast outfit is a better choice for tight quarters.
Noe Garcia guides for bream and crappie on Toledo Bend. Although he prefers crickets, Garcia’s presentation strategy also works for dough bait. Looking for summer bluegill along the edges of hydrilla and other aquatic vegetation in 10 to 12 feet of water, Garcia fishes with no float, just a light split shot.
“The bait goes directly to the bottom really fast and drags along the bottom,” he said. “Stirring up the bottom is one way to attract the bream. You also eliminate the smaller bream when you fish right on the bottom. Even when I’m fishing in deep water, I’m straight-lining.”
Of course, for the bare-bones operations, the doughball routine is the ultimate in no-frills angling. Wrap 20 yards of light mono around a block of sanded wood, drop a couple of hooks and split shots in a sandwich bag, and your pocket serves as your tackle box and baitwell.
Despite the microwave’s inherent jelling effect, a tight dough ball is paramount. Best bet is the stout, diamond-shaped configuration created by simultaneously squeezing the bait between the thumb and forefinger of both hands. Squeeze the bait high and then low to form matching hemispheres. This affords two narrow hook entries that blend into an ample midsection for hiding a hook point. When you come tight on a taker, the barb will slide through the dough and into the fish’s mouth.
Maximize your fishing time by preforming several dough balls and skewering them on toothpicks. Think of it as dough ball speed loaders — you’ll capitalize on the action, especially with multiple rods, by leveraging an easily accessible supply of ammunition.
As with all offerings, a myriad of angling variables may occasionally leave your dough mostly ignored. However, magnifying the bait’s low-cost advantage is its recyclable potential. Keep your leftover dough bait wrapped tightly and refrigerated after you’re finished fishing. When you’re ready to use it again, just add a few drops of water and zap it for 10 seconds or until the bait softens enough to mold it on a hook.
Chum time
Serving up a round of appetizers is a good way to test the effectiveness of plain or flavored baits. Dropping freebies into the target zone will A) help you locate bluegill, and B) concentrate the fish for easy pickings. As with any chumming, make sure you don’t quell the fish’s appetite by overfeeding them.
Toss half a dozen free samples into the target area and see if they disappear in a swift shadow. In low-visibility spots, work the surface by flattening your chum bits so they float on top or sink slowly. (Toss a few sinking bits first to grab your quarry’s attention.)
If the fish take a few seconds to hit the chum bits, they’re either spooky or sitting deep. In either case a high bobber or no bobber is the way to go. Conversely, if the fish bust the freebies immediately, you can plan on staying busy for as long as you can stand it.
Once the fish start boiling on chum bits, toss a few more freebies, and then sneak your baited hook amid the chum. Likewise, if your bait sits untouched too long, drop a few chum bits next to the hook. The sudden concentration of food often convinces skeptical fish.
This is a highly productive form of fun fishing that’s perfectly suited for kids as well as adults looking for a fine fish dinner or just a relaxing break from more-intense fishing tactics. Moreover, simplicity and minimal expense make dough bait a good option when you’re fishing on a budget.
Panfish, catfish and softshell turtles are perennial suckers for dough bait. But the white wonder will occasionally tempt yearling bass, choupique and carp.
Surprisingly simple, unquestionably effective, this microwave magic ensures that fishermen always have something to stick on their hooks.
