Whew ...




When fishing for catfish remember: “The worse it smells, the better.” When I lived in Oklahoma City, a friend and I would have it all set up to leave from work on Friday afternoons, heading to Ft Cobb Lake in search of catfish. We didn’t fish the main lake, but up in Ft. Cobb Creek that flowed into the lake.

Before heading down the highway we would pick up a gallon bucket of homemade stink bait from some older Indian lady who lived in Oklahoma City. We never knew what she put in there, but I could smell a liberal doze of oil of anise. It had its own kind of fragrant aroma that the Ft. Cobb catfish loved.

We’d launch our aluminum boat equipped with a 10 hp kicker at a ramp close to the mouth of the creek. About four or five miles up the river we had a camping spot we set up for out trips. After settling in, pitching the tent, and getting everything else ready, it was time to rig up rods with treble sponge hooks that we dipped into the magic elixir. Stir it up first with a paint paddle making sure you got a good gob of bait saturated in and around the sponge. You didn’t want to get the stuff on your hands, clothes or boat. If you did it would be there awhile.

John’s favorite way of initiating anybody he invited along would be to “accidently” brush a fully loaded sponge along the unknowing angler’s head or hat. That was my first introduction to using stink bait.

Stubby Stubblefield is a Texas catfish guide, fishes with stink bait for catfish on Lake Fork. He concocts his own cheese catfish stink bait, made of cheese, maise and a secret powdered scent; it doesn’t leave a lingering fragrance on your hands or boat. There’s no need for a paint paddle stick -- just dig into the tub with your fingers and mold the dough around the hook.
It works well soaked on the bottom or suspended using a cork. It stays on the hook extremely well.

He uses the bait in combination with a number four treble hook, spinning gear, and 30- pound test braided line. The bait is heavy enough it doesn’t need a weight to sink to the bottom.
Stubblefield targets underwater ridges, humps, points and creeks in fairly deep water that he pre-baits with range cubes. On Ft. Cobb we were dropping our baited hooks around brush piles that were numerous along the creek. Our stink baits were like lollipops to the catfish. Usually it didn’t take long and we had a bite. Time to rear back and set the hook like you were trying to drag a Mack truck out of the Creek.

Search for Stubblefield Cheese Stink Bait on the Internet, and you will find plenty of good information where you can purchase some. If you’re headed up to Ft. Cobb I don’t remember where that little old lady lived. She made her bait in the garage in the back yard. You might just want to pick up some of Stubblefield’s bait before you get on the road.

 

Photo: Stubby Stubblefield

 




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Lake Fork Current Weather Alerts

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Lake Fork Weather Forecast

Wednesday

Mostly Sunny

Hi: 95

Wednesday Night

Mostly Clear

Lo: 75

Thursday

Mostly Sunny

Hi: 96

Thursday Night

Mostly Clear

Lo: 75

Friday

Partly Sunny

Hi: 95

Friday Night

Partly Cloudy

Lo: 75

Saturday

Partly Sunny

Hi: 95

Saturday Night

Partly Cloudy

Lo: 77


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Lake Fork

Fishing Report from TPWD (Jul. 9)

GOOD. Water Stained; 82 degrees; 0.23 feet above pool. Fork : Top waters early around pond weed and grass with frogs and poppers still working . Mid morning chatter baits on the outside edge of grass in 3-5 ft is good as well as shaky heads . Best bite is Carolina rigs off shore on points , road beds and humps in 12-25 ft . Big worms and flukes are good . Deep Cranks are good over the same area when the fish are suspending 19-23 ft . Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Service. Lily fields are filling in, hydrilla and milfoil are reaching for the surface. Fish this type of cover at mid day when bass are seeking cover. Frog patterns are working in the shallow vegetation early and late. Small fish patterns like a dock knocker are producing bass and crappie shallow near grass. Large bream have moved shallow, wooly buggers are producing good fish. Channel catfish are cruising 2-4 feet biting clousers. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. Lake Fork crappie fishing has been super up and down this past week. The fish are stacked up on brush piles, lay downs, tire reefs and some trees. The bite is the tricky part. Some days the bite is good and the bigger fish show up. Some days the bite is just off and the short fish show up. Seems like the bite may be better on days we have a little breeze. If the winds are calm the bite is very slow. Minnows will get some bites but small 1/32nd ounce hand tied jigs with small bodies and tails are working well on fish that don’t want to bite. Best depths have been 18-13ft with most fish suspended on trees and loaded in the brush. Report by Jacky Wiggins, Jacky Wiggins Guide Service.

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