Hematite Beads

[canoeman]

Catfish love to eat injured baitfish. They respond to the scent produced by the injury; the vibration that an injured baitfish makes; and the electric field that the still-living fish creates in the water. I like to clip the tail fin off of the baitfish right before I toss them in the water. The fish flounders frantically trying to re-learn how to swim; the wound adds an unmistakable scent trail downstream; and it makes a very attractive offering for any catfish cruising nearby. Unfortunately, wounding the fish in this way does shorten its life span; (and when you factor in the hook that you stuck somewhere through its body, he's not going to last very long). This means that the electric field that a live fish produces will soon be diminished in your heroic little baitfish. I like to put a hematite bead just above the large-gapped circle hook that I use on my catfish rig. Hematite is a strong, natural magnet, and produces its own electric field. That way if I leave the fish on just a little too long, and he dies, there is still an electic field of sorts for the catfish to pick up on. It might just be an old fisherman's superstition, but I believe this little trick has landed me more cats. If you're interested in giving it a try, they sell hematite beads in the arts and crafts section of JoAnne's Fabrics, at the Southgate Mall; (only a stone's throw away from some truely manly shops like Sportsman's Hideaway and Sports Authority). Take your wife shopping for fabric or something, and get the heck out of there as soon as you get the hematite!

[cjpower]

hmmmm that sounds kinda wierd. never heard that before.

[bosshogg1000]

It's true that predators such as catfish and hammerhead sharks can detect small amounts of electricity. I would give this a shot.

[Bob La Londe]

I had heard something like that before. I was wondering if you might not go one further and put a couple of them with a non ferrous spacer that holds them just inside the attraction zone so they seperate and slam back together as your bait moves around causing a clacking noise similiar to a glass bead under the weight on a Carolina rig.

[plumbertom]

You know the same thought crossed my mind, I was just wondering how many beads you would need, and wouldn't the hematite tend to stick to the hook?

[saltcraw]

Did the Hideaway move to the Southgate Mall?

[BlueDodgeGuy]

No the hidaway is located on Engler Ave. off of 16th in the Storage facility there. Definitely lives up to its name....

[canoeman]

I just use them for my catfish rig. It might be good for other species of fish too. The Carolina rig is what first got me started going into Joanne's fabrics looking for beads. When I found the hematite beads, I stopped looking for brass or glass ones.