Dealing with stink bait mess

So you're done fishing, packing up, and still on your poles, you have 2-3 messy tubes, sponges, misc dip bait holders, full of your favorite sticky stink bait clinging to them. Any ideas for transporting, cleaning, and storing this mess until next time?

I spend between $600 and $800 per year just on suckers. that doesn't count all the other stuff I buy sometimes.

I even went out and bought a bunch of heavy duty combos for flatheads. After years of non-use, they now have three ways rigs with Rouges for Muskies on them. That doesn't surprise me at all that your clients want big fish. I don't see the point of traveling to ND and hiring a guide to catch eater fish. Big fish...Yes. I'll admit the stinkbait prices are getting ridiculous around here. Fortunately, I have friends in the right places and the only ingredient I have to buy cost me $56 last year and should be enough to get me through this year.

Only 1 person wanted big fish? By the time people get to me that is all they want is big fish. One two times have I had people prefer to catch eater fish in the nation's best trophy river. For the record I use cut bait almost exclusively. My bait bill is usually about the same as the gas bill.

A pike on a catfish worm. I haven't had that. A few carp and drum and quite a few smallmouth are caught on the retrieve. I also seem to snag my fair share of turtles. I'm in the same boat with Svitreum with baits. People around here just want catfish and numbers of them. I bought my first boat on Presidents day of 98 and have had 1 person request to fish for big channels/flatheads in all these years.

The stretch of river I fish is polluted with rough fish, especially drum. If I fish with cut-bait I wait MUCH LONGER for bites and invariably catch drum and sometimes carp. If I use crawlers it is even worse. Dip bait is my way of eliminating all other species other than channels. In 10 years of using dip bait I have caught 1 carp, 1 flathead (a baby one that must've had brain damage) and 2 pike. The pike hit on the retrieve and must've been attracted to the motion, profile and color of the tube. The only other bait I have used that seems to yield a slightly better cats to drum ratio is shrimp. When I go cat-fishing I want to catch cats and only cats. The few times I fished the Wisconsin River for cats I used cut bait and caught only cats, big ones at that. It depends on the body of water I suppose, and whether or not you wish to be "entertained" with other undesirable species.

If you make it right, maintain it right, and use it right, there WILL NOT be any mess. As much as I like my bait, I would never just use it. The cut bait, live bait, shrimp, frogs, hoppers, and crawler guys all have their days where they come out on top.

The best way is to quit using it and use fresh cut bait. I generally prefer 6-10" suckers cut into pieces on a CIRCLE hook appropriate to the size fish I anticipate catching. There is no need to use any other kind of bait for channel cats as far as I'm concerned.

I just smack off as much as I can on the river surface and hook the tube/treble to the hook keeper. I have dedicated ugly stik rods for cats so if a little is still there so what.

Land O Lakes containers are almost as good as duct tape. So many uses for them.

I have been working on an answer to this question for years and have finally come up with a solution. I like sprays and additives more then dough and dips baits. I use Land O Lakes dip containers. When using liquid it runs to the bottom. Then I just put a snap swivel in the line and unhook set the messy stuff in it and put the lid on. These containers would work well even with a paste or dough bait to keep it out of the way.

If you use a cheese based bait, you can lick your fingers clean. Crackers are not needed.

I mostly use snap swivels as my slip sinker stopper & pre-tied leaders on my dip tubes.hot thermos wafter at night,or during the day i'll just leave some water in an old soda bottle in the sun.unsnap my tubes,drop'em in the bottle,shake it up real good,dump & it out.put my clean tubes in there own box,& and hook my swivel on the hook ring on the pole.ready to roll....scream'en drags to ya.

Thanks Carp King Best solution yet

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