I’ve been told that soap can be used as bait for Catfish - does it really work?

Actually, folks started using soap as bait for Catfish during the depression. The soap used back then, however, was usually homemade and consisted basically of lye, which seemed to be the ingredient that did the most to attract the catfish. These days, however, commercially available soap contains too many chemicals to do the job. At one time, Ivory soap, manufactured by Proctor and Gamble worked extremely well, however over the years, lye has virtually been eliminated from most commercial bar soap products. If you want to try soap as a bait for Catfish, you can either make your own using a lye recipe or try Rednecks Catfish Bait Soap. This product is available online and is made using a 65 year old family recipe. A lot of catfishers swear by it. The bait soap is softer than traditional bar soap and easily slips onto the hook without breaking. The animal fat that makes up lye soap is the ingredient that seems to attract the catfish. When the bait soap hits the water, the fat begins to dissolve and leaves a scent trail that draws the catfish. Bait soap is most effective when fishing for Channel and Blue Catfish and can be used on juglines, trotlines, and limblines. It’s also been proven effective as a bait for simply rod and reel fishing.