We’ve all faced that little problem of stinky hands after catfishing and using stinky-sticky baits. I remember using Bee-Jay’s catfish dough bait and having that smell on my hands for a couple of days.
It’s definitely one of the best catfish baits ever and it’s because of the long lasting attractants and its ability to stick to your hook and stay on the hook after hitting the water.
The only downside is that it’s difficult to get that smell off your hands. Even after a thorough washing, the smell of Bee-Jay bait will linger for a day or two.
There is nothing like a day of catfishing, and you can’t keep more than a couple of lines in the water because they’re biting.
Now comes the fun part, skinning and cleaning all of those big channel, flathead and blue’s you caught. All of that skinning and cleaning has left your hands smelling like catfish.
How to get catfish smell off hands
No worries, there are a few simple remedies to get rid of the catfish smell from your hands. Using something gritty and porous like lava soap works really well. The orange pumice soap used in auto repair shops will also remove most of the catfish smell.
I usually wash my hands with regular hand soap and then wash with toothpaste. That is the best method to get the catfish smell off your hands.
A regular brand of toothpaste like Colgate with a strong mint flavor and smell will remove the stench of stink baits, catfish blood and guts and just about any other odor.
How to prevent smelly hands from fishing
When I’m baiting hooks with stinky and sticky dip baits, chicken livers or other catfish baits, I wear disposable gloves. There’s always a few pairs in my tackle bag, along with a container of disinfectant wipes. The Clorox wipes and baby wipes work really well to keep your hands clean while fishing.
I keep my hands clean so my rods and reels stay clean and my car doesn’t smell like stink bait. If you fish several days out of the week in the summer heat and don’t clean your hands, your car will eventually start smelling like catfish and bait.
Door handles, steering wheels and other parts of your car will start accumulating bait residue. Clean your hands after baiting your hooks. I actually don’t mind the catfish smell on my hands, but the wife, not so much.