Marshmallows as Fishing Bait: Are Marshmallows Good Bait?

Leave a comment after this article and let’s talk more about fishing. I’d love to read your feedback.

Marshmallows have many uses and functions. I saw a bunch of anglers online asking if marshmallows could be used as fishing bait. They were genuinely curious if marshmallows could catch as much fish as some other baits like corn, PowerBait, and bread will. I had never used marshmallows before so I didn’t know the answer. So I decided to not only research the topic, but also test marshmallows out myself at the local canal.

Are marshmallows good fishing bait? While you can catch trout, carp, bluegill, and even small channel catfish, I think marshmallows are a mediocre bait compared to much better options like corn, live bait, PowerBait, and bread.

That said, you can catch fish with marshmallows and there are many anglers to attest to that. In this article, I will attack this question head-on and explain how I fared fishing with marshmallows for the first time.

Will it be my last time or did it make me a believer? I will also explain how to rig marshmallows to give you the best chance possible to catch fish.

Click here to learn all the fish that eat and bite worms. If you use worms as bait, you’ll want to learn what you can catch on worms.

Can You Catch Fish with Marshmallows

My Own Experiment with Marshmallows

I decided to test this out for myself. Since I had never considered marshmallows as fishing bait, I could not write from experience before doing it myself. I tried two different methods.

I used torn off pieces of big camping marshmallows plain and also soaked pieces of marshmallow in a solution of water and Kokanee Killer attractant.

The latter was a bad idea as the water and potentially the seasoning made the marshmallow disintegrate off the hook. Kokanee Killer works amazingly well for carp when applied to corn but not so much to marshmallows.

Since the Kokanee Killer mallows were a fail, let’s talk about the plain marshmallows. They held onto the hook pretty well and actually sunk beneath the surface. I assumed they would float but they did not.

I did get a few bites which I assume where bluegills. I was unable to catch any though. I was a bit surprised they even got bites but I don’t think I’ll be using marshmallows anymore. I ended up eating too many of them myself and got mediocre at best fishing results.

Shrimp as fishing bait can be a fantastic option. Check out the helpful article I wrote. You may also like this article I wrote on using herring as fishing bait.

What Fish Can You Catch with Marshmallows

Trout
I admit, most of the videos online of people using marshmallows were fishing for trout. Granted they were fishing in stocked ponds where trout are used to feeding on feed and pellets in a hatchery. So naturally, they are used to feeding on artificial baits at or near the surface.

You can definitely catch trout with marshmallows. I just wouldn’t choose marshmallows when I could try fly fishing or use worms, minnows, or grasshoppers.

Panfish
Bluegills and yellow perch can be caught with marshmallows. I think you could have a lot of luck fishing for these panfish assuming you are using a small enough hook. Don’t waste your time trying to catch crappie or rock bass. I don’t think they will show any interest in marshmallows.

Catfish
You won’t catch flathead or blue catfish on marshmallows. These fish prefer baitfish and clams. You might catch small channel cats as they are not picky eaters.

You could forget about big channel cats though. You actually may have a lot of luck fishing for bullheads with marshmallows. I bet they would bite them.

Carp
I think you could have a lot of success fishing for carp with marshmallows. Carp love gelatinous materials like JellO and collagen. I’m sure they would like marshmallows.

You could fish a marshmallow at the surface using a light-weight hook or under the water by increasing the hook size.

Bass
I suppose you may catch some small bass eager to eat anything. I don’t think you will ever catch a medium-to-large bass using a marshmallow in a manner of bait fishing.

These bigger bass want live, fleeing food. They want fish, frogs, and mice. They don’t want weird marshmallows that look nothing like anything they naturally eat.

How-to Fish with Marshmallows

Whole Small Marshmallows

I’m talking about the kind you drop into hot chocolate. These small marshmallows are perfect-sized for trout, panfish, and carp.

You could run anything from a size 5 hook all the way up to a size 1/0 hook through the marshmallow. Make sure you leave a fair amount of hook point exposed to prevent gut-hooked fish.

The drawback to using these fully-intact marshmallows is the outer walls of the marshmallow actually lock in scent and flavor.

They won’t put as much scent into the water as bigger ones you tear apart. Furthermore, when a fish grabs one, it won’t taste nearly as flavorful as torn ones.

Tearing Big Ones

I think this would be my preferred option because by tearing off chunks of marshmallow, you will be releasing plenty of scent and flavor into the water. When a fish grabs the mallow, it won’t want to release it.

That extra split second could mean a very solid hook-set as opposed to a miss. Simply rip off a chunk out of a large camping marshmallow (the kind you use for s’mores).

Run a solid hook through that chunk ensuring a good amount of hook point is exposed to prevent fish from swallowing the hook and being gut-hooked.

Fishing with Whole Big Ones

I don’t advise this method. I don’t think there’s a mouth big enough in freshwater for you to reasonably expect to catch a fish using a whole marshmallow. The only fish with a big enough mouth would be a monster flathead catfish but they don’t eat marshmallows.

They eat bluegills and shad. Muskies, northern pike, and monster striped bass could pull it off but they don’t eat marshmallows. They eat fish, birds, and frogs.

That said, I did watch a “challenge” video online where these young bass anglers crafted a lure out of a big marshmallow with a treble hook.

They did catch some largemouth bass but that just shows bass will eat just about anything that moves on the surface. Don’t waste your time using whole marshmallows.

Flavoring Marshmallows

Marshmallows are naturally sweet and chewy on their own but you could make them even more attractive to fish by adding some select ingredients. There is a big movement now among carp, catfish, trout, and panfish anglers of adding garlic flavoring to make baits more attractive.

For whatever reason, the taste and scent of garlic can draw some fish in. Sprinkle a fair amount of garlic salt into a baggy or container filled with marshmallows.

I’m a big fan of using JellO mix as a fish attractant. I love adding it to pack baits I used for carp. It really does well and I have caught a lot of carp using this additive. Jello mix and Kool-Aid juice powder can be excellent additives to marshmallows to make them more enticing.

On a disappointing note, I added some Kokanee Killer powder to some marshmallows submerged in water and they basically disintegrated off the hook.
I guess I could have tried it without adding water. Kokanee Killer works really well over sweet corn to help make it tougher and give it a great scent and flavor that carp and other fish love. So far, no luck on marshmallows though.

Are they good bait?

I did get a couple bites using ripped pieces of big marshmallows but I found the marshmallow falls off the hook fairly easily. I believe you can catch fish with marshmallows if you are in a pinch for bait.

I wouldn’t select marshmallows as my go-to bait by any means but I’ve seen many videos and read plenty of accounts of fishermen catching trout, panfish, catfish, and carp using marshmallows.

I didn’t catch any fish using marshmallows but perhaps I just didn’t give it a fair shot. If you find yourself fishing and the only bait you could use are marshmallows, give them a chance. Maybe you’ll have better luck than me.

Marshmallows VS.

Marshmallows vs. PowerBait: PowerBait for sure. That stuff works pretty well. Hands down the winner over marshmallows.
Marshmallows vs. Corn: No contest. Corn is an amazing bait for carp, channel catfish, trout, bluegills, and yellow perch. Marshmallows are a mediocre bait for all the above-listed fish.
Marshmallows vs. Bread: Draw. Fish love bread but it is very hard to keep on a hook. Marshmallows are less attracted but seem to hold onto a hook much better.
Marshmallows vs. Cheese: Cheese is the winner but by a small margin. Trout and panfish like cheese but it is tough to keep on a hook for long. Slightly better bait than marshmallows.
Marshmallows vs. Live Bait: Come on. Live bait will outfish any lure or artificial bait available 97 times out of a 100. Marshmallows are mediocre baits that can work when fish will bite anything. Live bait is the gold standard. Always pick live bait.

Final Thoughts on Fishing with Marshmallows

Marshmallows can be many things. I think they can be a decent fishing bait under the right circumstances. Marshmallows will never be my go-to bait for any fish but if you are in a pinch, you could catch some fish with them.

Too many anglers have had success with marshmallows for me to discount. I just know there are so many other types of bait out there I do believe in.