Catfish Baits

[1nstinct]

Im going down to my camp this weekend and i know there is some catfish in the lake but i dont know what bait i should try, i know everyone likes the really stinky 5 gallon bucket baits but i live in an apartment so thats out of the question, what other baits should i try and how to set them up

thanks for the help

tom

[clayton86]

I use fresh chicken liver I don't do that crap bout leaving it in the sun and letting it rot iv noticed I catch more with fresh bought liver. I just run a circle hook any size really depends how big of liver chunks I use. I do a circle hook on a 2ft leader then a barrel swivel and a 1/2 oz or bigger barrel weight. Just becareful when u cast the liver will fly off some times I try to hook it threw the faty tissue it helps hold it. Iv also tried using panty hose or egg sack netting to put the liver in that way it doesn't come off but iv also never caught a fish with that technique.

Catfish are a blast to catch I never hook any big ones most are 3 to 8lb channels but I did catch a 15lb channel when I was 13 it was one of the funnest fish iv ever faught even though I got chewed out when I got home. Long story but it was 1am mom didn't know where I was and I went for a swim after my lantern and pole and got the fish when I caught up to the pole lol.

[Fat-G]

Put the livers in a panty-hoe (is that a word?) and it will stay on the hook better. Chicken liver basically immediately gets bit.

Live or dead gills are also good.

[bass or bass ?]

Catfish like what they normally eat. Do they normally eat chicken liver? No! Catch some bluegill or other type baitfish from the water where you intend to fish and cut them up. Head section is especially desirable. Bait the hook with the point well exposed for a good hook set, catfish don't care about the hook point. For larger channel cats and flatheads use live bluegill/bait fish. Happy catfishing!

[bass or bass ?]

Catfish like what they normally eat. Do they normally eat chicken liver? No! Catch some bluegill or other type baitfish from the water where you intend to fish and cut them up. Head section is especially desirable. Bait the hook with the point well exposed for a good hook set, catfish don't care about the hook point. For larger channel cats and flatheads use live bluegill/bait fish, bullheads are even better. Happy catfishing!

[TerryR]

I just put 2 or 3 big juicy nightcrawlers on a hook and let it sit. If catfish are in the area, they will come to them.

[J Francho]

Night crawler balled up on a hook of a simple drop shot rig.

[Hyrule Bass]

despite what is said, chicken livers do work well for eater size catfish. ive also hooked into a huge probably 30-40lb+ catfish with a single nightcrawler on an abeerdeen hook, i never put a ton of crawlers on my hook for catfishing, one is sufficient. raw shrimp also works well. i have sat there with a live blue gill out for hours and it never get touched, im going to catfish this weekend and give cut bait a try for the first time. lots of people like to use creek chubs, shad, carp, bluegill, white perch, bullheads(yes catfish for catfish) and even....Bass...

[J Francho]

I'm fairly certain he's fishing for bullheads, given his location, and that he said "lake."

[1nstinct]

thanks for the help guys im going for catfish, but will be going for bullhead once i come back from this weekend, durand lake is swarming with bullhead

[clayton86]

What I used as a kid likne when I got that big cat that draged the pole in was shinners I cought earlier in the day I used to have a cast net I would use to catch bait when younger. Just becareful if you do that now in new york the bait fish laws always change and I'm almost certain u can't use live or cut gills in new york. I can't remember the road its on but when I lived in rochester I went for cats in the river turn off lake ave and its by like a trail and this long dock u can fish off and people bike and run there. Its been years sense iv gone there we used to climb the big cement barge tie offs with some lanterns and sit out all night with a case of big boy pops and night crawlers. I got a sturgen last time I was there.

[slonezp]

All the above, plus large roaches cut in half, both halves on the hook(but they can be expensive).

If you know where the cats are and they are actively feeding, I have caught many, many cats while bass fishing on chartruse/white spinnerbaits. Those cats all weighed between 5-10lbs.

[tyrius.]

Catfish like what they normally eat. Do they normally eat chicken liver? No!

They love the stuff though and they'll eat it up!!! Fresh liver is the best catfish bait that I've used. The caveat is that I've never had the stomach to make stink bait.

[clayton86]

Iv read chunks of cheese work as well along with hot dogs

[TerryR]

Iv read chunks of cheese work as well along with hot dogs

I have heard that too. Also, I never tried this or know anyone who did, but catfish will supposedly hammer Ivory soap too.

[dulouz]

I have heard that too. Also, I never tried this or know anyone who did, but catfish will supposedly hammer Ivory soap too.

Last summer I tried some old deer meat, beef liver, beef heart. Just stuff that had been in the freezer for awhile. Didn't work well at all. I even tried putting stinkbait in with the meat as well. Didn't work either. I caught more catfish by accident on bass lures last year than I did on purpose. LOL.

[FL_Sharpshooter]

I have heard that too. Also, I never tried this or know anyone who did, but catfish will supposedly hammer Ivory soap too.

I've heard that Zote soap is supposedly good for cats. It's the animal fat content that is in the soap that causes a reaction. There is some company that actually makes a catfish soap that is supposed to be a little more hook-friendly (latches rather than crumbles). I have heard that type of soap catches fish, but people generally use that type of bait on a trot line.

[fishingkidPA]

any fast food french fries. they love them. caught 4 channel cats from 2-6 pounds