14 Strange But Real Fishing Baits: Gummy Worms, Marshmallows, Hot Dogs, and More That Actually Work
We've all heard exaggerated fishing tales but the items anglers have used to catch "the big one" are even harder to believe! See the list.
Quick Reference: Strange Fishing Baits
- Top 3 surprising baits: gummy worms (catfish), marshmallows (trout in hatcheries), and chicken liver (catfish).
- Why they work: scent, color, or buoyancy match what target fish respond to.
- Best for catfish: any high-scent option (chicken liver, hot dogs, soap).
- Best for stocked trout: miniature, high-contrast options (marshmallows, corn, salmon eggs).
- Tool: the Almanac’s Best Days for fishing.
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Sources cited in this guide
Most anglers stick to worms, minnows, and commercial dough baits, but plenty of unconventional kitchen items have proven catches under the right conditions. Catfish will hit a gummy worm or a soap chunk. Hatchery-raised trout will jump on a marshmallow. SPAM is a serious catfish bait in the Mississippi and Missouri drainages. This guide is 14 strange baits that actually work, with the species and reasoning for each.
Why These Strange Baits Work (the Science)
Per Penn State Extension freshwater fishing research, fish respond to baits through four sensory channels.
- Scent. Catfish have one of the most sensitive olfactory systems in nature. Any strong scent (chicken liver, hot dog, soap, SPAM) draws them.
- Color and visual contrast. Trout in hatcheries have been conditioned to associate certain colors and shapes with food. Marshmallows are bright, buoyant, and rise to the right height in the water column.
- Texture. Many fish strike based on what feels alive. Soft chewy baits (gummy worms, marshmallows) trigger strike response.
- Buoyancy. Floating baits (marshmallows on a sinker rig) suspend at the height where target species feed.
14 Strange Fishing Baits (Detail)
Below are the original 14 detail sections on each unconventional bait.
1. Gummy Worms
When it’s time to go fishing, you may pack these candies as a snack. But, bring enough for the fish too. Fish go for bright, colorful lures. Gummy candies look like artificial worms or minnows.
2. Marshmallows
Here’s another snack you can easily share with the fish. Trout, bluegill, and sunfish are known to take marshmallow bait. Use mini or regular marshmallows depending on the size fish you want to catch. Any leftovers can go to making s’mores!
3. Soap
Grandma’s homemade lye soap has been used for centuries for bathing, laundry, and . . . to catch fish? It’s true! It seems that catfish bite pure bar soap. If you don’t have lye soap on hand, no problem. You can catch catfish by using small chunks of “pure” bar soap, such as Ivory or pink Zote laundry soap bar. Catfish apparently love the beef tallow fat in Zote.
4. Peanut Butter
If you fish for carp or catfish often, you’ve probably run across numerous ways of making bait balls. No need to use a complicated recipe. Simply mix peanut butter with cornmeal or pieces of sliced bread. Shape into balls to fit your fishing hook.
5. Hot Dogs
Cut a pack of the cheapest hot dogs you can find into chunks when fishing for bluegills, catfish, crappie, or bass. Hot dogs are easier to use than nightcrawlers or crickets. And if the fish aren’t biting, you can always eat the bait.
6. Bubble Gum
Chew a nice wad of bubble gum for a few minutes, until its soft enough to ball up, and bait your hook. We’re not sure exactly why fish are attracted to chewed bubble gum, but freshwater and saltwater anglers report catching red fish, bass, and catfish with it. Fruit flavors seem to be a favorite.
7. Canned Dog Food
Cats love dog food . . . catfish, that is! Simply slide a small chunk of meat onto your fishing hook and voila, it’s baited and ready. You can pour a little of the gravy into the water as chum. It’ll lure catfish to your fishing spot and help them find your baited hook faster.
8. Bottle Caps
Turn disposable bottle tops into lures you can use multiple times. Repurpose those popped tops and go bass fishing. Catch Joshua Taylor’s easy DIY tutorial video here.
9. Zucchini or Cucumber
Fish and zucchini? Sounds like a yummy recipe! But those garden cukes and zukes make great bait. One gardener who also loves to fish shares one of her favorite fishing tips with us: Cut the vegetable in half, so the flesh is exposed. Then cut into chunks and use a small treble fishing hook. She uses this method often to catch carp and catfish.
10. Shoelaces
Turns out, some anglers took a challenge to see if they could catch fish with a shoelace, and surprise, surprise! They did. The proof is in their Youtube videos. Ladyfish and bass were caught with a a piece of shoelace hooked right into a fishing hook. We wish we could say you can catch “sole” with this technique, but the truth is, it’s just a corny joke!
11. Raisins
As this list proves, anglers are known to experiment. Seeing fish gobbling up berries that fall from bushes hanging over the water, they tried dried fruit as bait. They found that golden raisins are especially scrumptious to a variety of fish. When the raisin hits the water, it swells and gives off a fermented scent, more so in warm weather, attracting lots of fish. Serious anglers use the small fish they hook with raisins as bait to catch large catfish.
12. SPAM
This canned meat product by Hormel hit the market in 1937 and became quite popular as an important food ration during World War II. SPAM contains oils that certain fish, like large blue, channel, and flathead catfish find irresistible. Charles Ashley Jr., an Arkansas angler, let the world in on his fishing secret in 2001 when he broke state and world fishing records using SPAM as the bait to catch a 116-pound blue catfish in the Mississippi River. Cut SPAM into cubes and press onto a treble hook.
13. Chicken Liver
Grab a container of raw chicken livers and head for the nearest fishing hole. Chicken livers are great for catching catfish or bass. Farmers do their share of fishing too. They know that rooster liver works best, its tougher and stays on the hook. If you don’t have access to rooster livers, here’s what you can do. We put a container of chicken livers in the freezer for a few hours before we went fishing. It helped keep them from sliding off the hook.
14. Pom Poms
You’ll find this fishing bait where craft supplies are sold. You can make your own yarn balls like die-hard anglers do, (there are DIY tutorials on YouTube), but it’s not a quick process. Ready-made pom poms are a much easier choice. Opt for a bag of colorful mini, fuzzy cotton (or other fabric) pom poms. To doubly attract fish to the colorful bait, soak them in fish sauce for a few hours first. Place pom poms in a zipper-top bag with liquid fish sauce (you’ll find it in the Asian food aisle at your supermarket). Catfish are especially fond of pom poms marinated in fish sauce.
Strange Fishing Baits FAQ
Do gummy worms really work for fishing?
Yes, especially for catfish and some panfish. The bright color and chewy texture mimic strike triggers; sugar content can help in slow-moving water. Less effective on bass and trout. Try in still water where natural movement of worms is not the main cue.
Why do trout bite marshmallows?
Hatchery-raised trout have been fed bright pellets their whole lives and are conditioned to bright buoyant objects. Marshmallows look like oversized pellets. Less effective on wild trout, which have been imprinted by natural insect prey.
What is the best bait for catfish?
High-scent options. Chicken liver, cut bait (small pieces of dead fish), hot dogs, garlic-soaked SPAM, and yes, certain soaps (ivory or Zest in particular). Catfish hunt by scent in murky water; the louder the scent, the better.
Can you use food from your kitchen as fishing bait?
Yes for many species. Bread, hot dogs, marshmallows, corn, raisins, peanut butter, and SPAM all have proven freshwater applications. Always check state regulations; some bodies of water restrict bait types.
Is using soap as bait legal?
In most US states yes, as long as you are not introducing detergent in volumes that would harm the water. A single chunk of bar soap on a hook is fine. Check your state regulations if in doubt.
Deborah Tukua
Deborah Tukua is a natural living, healthy lifestyle writer and author of 7 non-fiction books, including Pearls of Garden Wisdom: Time-Saving Tips and Techniques from a Country Home, Pearls of Country Wisdom: Hints from a Small Town on Keeping Garden and Home, and Naturally Sweet Blender Treats. Tukua has been a writer for the Farmers' Almanac since 2004.
- Deborah Tukua
- Deborah Tukua
- Deborah Tukua
- Deborah Tukua
Twizlers
I like using bread balls (cheap white bread compressed into little balls) to catch breem in fresh water. Other folks use hotdogs, but that makes the water greasy.
I have used spruce gum and also bacon rind as bait and both worked great.
Orange Peels.They work a treat for catfish.
Oh thanks for the tip! We’ll have to give that a try!
Cigarettes,
Cigarette butts
I know the bubble gum works. My oldest did it as a joke & out fished his dad. He was 12 at the time.
I found some turkey liver in one store works for and even caught a couple of walleye, stays on the hook with no problems
The oddest thing I’ve used to date was FATBACK ! It stays on ur hook very well..and have caught several good bass on it!
My grandfather used fried cheese for bait. The fish loved it!
We have fished of the breakwater in Redondo Beach Ca with a new shiny triple hook and caught many ocean fish. No bait at all.