Size Matters

Length of dipworms is another source of discussion for dipbait manufacturers and users. “Some guys cut my worms in half because they want short worms, and others string two worms together because they want the longest worm

possible,” says Bob Hosch.

Everybody agrees that longer worms hold more dipbait, which puts more flavor in the water per cast. And everybody agrees that more flavor attracts more catfish. The argument is in the way catfish bite dipworms of various lengths. Buddy and Eileen Holub prefer a 11⁄2- to 13⁄4-inch dipworm so a catfish can swallow it in one gulp. “If the worm is too big, cats will pick it up by one end and carry it before they swallow it,” Eileen says. “They seem to pick up and gulp shorter worms in one bite, so they’re easier to hook.”

Rick Gebhardt of Glasgow, Missouri, chases catfish for up to 100 days each year on the Missouri River. He agrees that length of dipworms affects how catfish bite, but he swears that longer worms yield better hookups. “Cats tend to take dipworms in a big gulp,” he says. “That means a longer worm puts the hook farther into their mouth when they take it. I’ve noticed that the longer the worm, the deeper in the throat the fish tend to be hooked.”

Color Catches Catfish

Gebhardt also swears that the color of a dipworm makes a difference. He began using dipworms 30 years ago, when Devil Worms first hit the market. “Every package had two colors of worms, red and black,” he recalls. “The black worms always outfished the red worms nine to one. It got to the point that when we got a package of those worms, we’d throw the red worms away.”

He still favors dark dipworms in most situations, but notes that comparatively clear water conditions in the Missouri River last summer allowed white dipworms to outfish darker colors. “The fish were feeding on shad, and I think when the water is clear the fish learn to associate the color white with shad,” he says. “I’ve also done well with chartreuse, and I’ve noticed in catfish tournaments that orange dipworms work better on cloudy days, for some reason I haven’t figured out yet.”

Mark Mihalakis isn’t picky about what color dipworm he uses when he catfishes (and he catfishes frequently as he researches new baits), but offers dipworms to customers in a variety of colors because anglers [like Gebhardt] believe that color counts.

“If a dipbait is working like it should, about 20 percent of the bait washes off the dipworm before it reaches the bottom,” Mihalakis says. “That’s good, because it means that a lot of flavor is dissolved into the water to attract fish. But it also means that some of the dipworm is exposed, so color could become a factor.”

Short versus long. Ribbed versus sponge. Dark versus light. It seems like modern dipbaits catch catfish no matter what configuration, color, or delivery system is used. The difference is what each angler believes works best—confidence remains a key factor for consistent fishing.

Dipworm Tricks

Looking for options, some anglers tinker to make their own blue-ribbon

bait holders.

Stange’s Modification: Years ago, In-Fisherman Editor In Chief Doug Stange proposed a simple modification to commercially available dipworms: Replacing the treble hook with a circle hook. “Dipworms with trebles work well to catch

catfish, but catfish often take trebles deeper into their gullet, which can injure or kill fish, narrowing options for selective harvest,” he says. “Most dipworms come snelled. It’s just a matter of pulling the treble out, clipping it off, tying on a circle hook, and pulling the shank back up into the worm.

“Hookup rates are good with circle hooks,” Stange notes, “and catfish are almost always hooked shallow, making for easier hook removal and greater survival. A 1/0 circle hook, like Eagle Claw’s Lazer Sharp L7228, works well on most worms. I like hooks with a larger gap to handle the bulk of the dipworm and still leave room for hookups.”

Marks’ Bait Holder: Wally Marks, Greendale, Wisconsin, makes his own tubular bait holders with circle hooks. “I prefer tubular bait holders over dipworms,” he says, “and a circle hook substantially reduces gut-hooking. I insert the hook into the lead end of the dipworm instead of on the back end. The hook should barely catch the leading edge. Tapering the end leaves a suitable hook gap without obstruction from the bait holder. “I make bait holders from soft latex tubing—3/8 inch outside diameter and 1/4 inch inside—available at home improvement stores. Pinch the tubing and cut out semicircles to make round holes, or make two straight cuts for diamond-shaped openings.

“I use the Owner #1 Mutu Light Circle hook. My overall experience in small Wisconsin rivers is catching as many 14- to 26-inch channel cats with the circle hook as I used to with trebles on the back end of the rig,” says Marks. “I also catch fewer catfish under 14 inches than before. Catfish are rarely gut-hooked. Aside from the satisfaction of catch-and-release fishing, you also get fewer snags,” he adds.

McKay’s Dipworm: Kirk McKay, Winnetka, California, a contributor to In-Fisherman publications, says he’s tried just about every kind of dipbait rigging out there. “I’ve had great success on a homemade dipbait rig for channel catfish. I save torn-up worms from bass fishing to make it. Ribbed soft-plastic worms tend to work best to hold dipbaits—I’ve found that channel catfish like baits soft and chewy.

“I often use Phenix worms for bass, and they work well on the dipbait rig,” he says. “The worms are soft and salt-impregnated. Threaded on a circle hook as shown (I use a 4/0 Owner Mutu Circle hook), fished on a 3-way rig, and dipped in a nice warm tub of Hog Wild or Bowker’s, it’s the most consistent thing I’ve found for channel cats. A rod in a holder catches just as many cats as when I’m holding the rod.”