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Chicken liver is an effective catfish bait that can be purchased cheaply from a grocery store. To prevent the liver from falling off the hook, it can be cured with garlic salt or garlic powder and non-iodized salt. To do this, cut the liver into bait-sized pieces, spread them out on cookie sheets lined with aluminum foil, and sprinkle with garlic salt. The liver can then be cured in the sun, in a hot car, or in a garage for 2-3 weeks. Curing the liver makes it less messy and easier to handle when baiting your hook.
Characteristics and Values Table for Curing Chicken Liver for Catfish Bait
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Chicken Liver | Fresh or frozen |
| Curing Method | Sun curing or indoor curing |
| Curing Time | 2-3 weeks |
| Curing Agent | Garlic salt, garlic powder, or non-iodized salt |
| Additional Ingredients | Kool-Aid, cherry or berry, water |
| Bait Size | Larger than intended due to shrinkage |
| Storage | Refrigerated with a shelf life of up to 8 months |
| Hook Method | Wrapping with extra line or using treble hooks |
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What You'll Learn
Using garlic salt to cure chicken livers
Chicken liver is an effective catfish bait that can be purchased cheaply from a grocery store. However, chicken liver can be messy and is prone to tearing off the hook. One way to overcome this is to cure the chicken liver with garlic salt.
To cure chicken livers with garlic salt, you will need two cookie sheets lined with aluminium foil. The foil makes clean-up easier as it collects the blood and salt paste that forms during the curing process. You can use either frozen chicken livers from the supermarket or fresh livers from a poultry house. Cut the livers into bait-sized pieces, bearing in mind that the liver will shrink by about 25 to 30% as it cures. Allow the juice from the liver to drain, as more juice will be released as the salt pulls moisture out of the liver.
Spread the liver pieces on the cookie sheets, ensuring they do not overlap. Sprinkle a generous amount of garlic salt over the liver. One source recommends coating the liver until there is no liver showing through the seasoning. Sun curing is the preferred method, but curing inside a garage or another enclosed space will also work.
The curing process can take anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks, depending on the temperature. The liver may start to get dry and mealy after too much time, so it is important not to over-cure the liver. After curing, the liver can be stored in the fridge or another cold place for up to eight months. When it is time to fish, simply bait your hook with the cured liver, and you're ready to go!
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Freezing chicken livers before curing
Freezing Chicken Livers:
Before freezing, it is recommended to cut the chicken livers into smaller pieces suitable for baiting your hook. This will make it easier to thaw and use only what you need, reducing waste. Place the cut liver pieces in a container or freezer bag, ensuring they are well-sealed and protected from moisture to prevent freezer burn. Label the container with the date and contents before transferring it to your freezer.
Benefits of Freezing:
Freezing chicken livers can help to improve their durability when used as bait. Frozen livers are less messy and tend to stay on the hook better than fresh or thawed livers. This is because freezing can make the liver slightly tougher and easier to work with. Additionally, freezing your chicken livers allows you to buy in bulk and store them for future fishing trips, saving you time and money.
Thawing and Curing:
When you're ready to go fishing, take the frozen chicken livers out of the freezer and let them thaw. You can do this by placing them in the refrigerator overnight or by using the microwave's defrost setting. Once thawed, you can cure the livers to further enhance their durability. Curing methods can include wrapping the liver with elastic thread, using an egg loop knot to create leathery medallions, or experimenting with other curing techniques.
Combining with Other Ingredients:
Some anglers choose to combine their chicken livers with other ingredients to create an even more attractive bait for catfish. This can include adding garlic powder, cherry or berry Kool-Aid, and a bit of water to create a marinade. You can also include chunks of hot dogs or other types of meat. These additional ingredients can enhance the scent and flavor, making your bait even more enticing to catfish.
Fresh vs. Frozen Debate:
It's worth noting that there are differing opinions among anglers regarding the effectiveness of frozen chicken livers compared to fresh or thawed ones. Some claim that frozen livers are significantly better, while others argue that fresh bait is the best option. Ultimately, the decision to freeze or not depends on personal preference and your specific fishing needs. Experimentation with both methods can help you determine what works best for your catfish bait.
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Curing chicken livers in a car
Using either frozen chicken livers from the supermarket or fresh livers from a poultry house, cut the livers into bait-sized pieces. The liver will shrink by about 25 to 30% as it cures, so the pieces should be a little larger than the final bait size. Let as much juice run off as possible, as more juice will be generated as the salt pulls moisture out of the liver.
Spread the liver pieces on the cookie sheets so they don't overlap, and sprinkle garlic salt or garlic powder and non-iodized salt over them. Coat the livers generously until no liver is visible.
Leave the cookie sheets in the car for two to three weeks, or until the liver has cured. The curing process will be slower if you use fresh liver, as freezing ruptures the cells in the liver, making it mushy and allowing water to escape. During the curing process, the sun will help, so if you can park your car in a sunny spot, that may speed things up.
Once the liver is cured, it can be stored in the fridge or another cold place for up to eight months. When you're ready to go fishing, simply cut the liver into appropriately sized chunks for your hooks. If you want to make your bait last longer, try wrapping elastic thread around the hooked liver to keep it in place.
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Using cheap chicken meat instead of chicken livers
Chicken livers are an effective catfish bait and can be bought cheaply from the grocery store. However, they have a major drawback: they fall off the hook easily. While there are ways to prevent this, such as wrapping elastic thread around the hooked liver, many anglers find these methods time-consuming and ineffective.
Cheap chicken meat, such as nearly expired thighs or breast boneless meat, can be used as a more durable alternative. To prepare this bait, combine the chicken with garlic powder and cherry or berry Kool-Aid in a Ziplock bag with a bit of water. This bait attracts blue catfish and channel catfish, can be prepared in under 10 minutes, and will keep in the fridge for at least a week. As with chicken liver bait, it is important to cut the chicken into chunks that are appropriately sized for the hooks you are using. If desired, you can also add chunks of old hot dogs to the marinade.
Chicken breast, in particular, is a popular choice for catfish bait. It can be purchased cheaply from any grocery store and used without any preparation or alteration. Some anglers have reported catching large catfish with plain chicken breast, including a 53-inch blue catfish caught on the Tennessee River. Another angler claimed the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame 10 lb. test line class record with a "3-man catfish" caught using chicken breast.
While some people choose to use raw chicken breast, others have found success with chicken marinated in red Kool-Aid and garlic. This can be left to spoil for several days before use, but it is important to take anti-bacterial hand sanitizer with you when fishing with this type of bait. Additionally, chicken breast can be frozen and stored for future trips.
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Keeping cured chicken livers in the fridge
Chicken livers are a cheap and effective catfish bait. They can be purchased from a grocery store and used to catch catfish. However, storing chicken livers can be a tricky affair. If not stored properly, they can get spoiled and become unfit for consumption.
When storing chicken livers in the fridge, it is important to maintain a temperature of 40°F (4°C) or lower. Raw chicken livers can be stored in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours. If the chicken liver has been in the fridge for more than two days, it has likely gone bad. A sniff test can be used to confirm this. If the liver emits an ammonia-like scent, it should be discarded.
Cooked chicken livers can be stored in the fridge for three to four days. It is recommended to cook only the amount that will be consumed within this timeframe. Freezing cooked chicken livers can alter their taste and texture, and they may not be as edible as when freshly cooked.
To extend the shelf life of chicken livers, they can be frozen. Freezing chicken livers at 0°F (-18°C) or colder helps prevent bacterial growth and preserves their nutrients and texture. It is essential to clean the livers, removing any leftover blood, fat, or gunk, and patting them dry before freezing. Portioning the livers into sensible amounts for future meals is also recommended. These portions can then be placed in airtight freezer bags or containers, with as much air removed as possible, clearly labelled, and stored in the freezer.
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