The Best Catfish Bait for Monster Cats
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The next time you go catfish fishing be sure to take a casting net. It is how I get the best catfish bait for big cats. If you don’t know how to throw one don’t worry about. You can pick it up in an hour or two of practice. Once you have it down you won’t forget it.
Why do you need a casting net to get the best catfish bait for big cats? Because you want fresh live bait. Just about any species will do but be sure to check your states regulations on live bait. My favorites are bluegill and shad but bluegill are illegal in some states. Both are abundant in just about any waterway. Also don’t rule out bullhead catfish as Flatheads and Blues don’t seem to have a problem eating their own species. In fact, Flatheads will often times prefer Bullhead over Shad.
Now that you have your live bait let’s make sure that your rig is set up right. You should have a medium to heavy rod with at least 20# test line, I use 50# spider wire, with a 20# leader and numbers 2 – 6 circle hooks depending on how big a cat you are after. Slip a slip sinker on the line, and then tie on a good swivel, a 12-18 inch leader and your hook. Don’t go cheap on the swivel. Cats like to roll when hooked and a big cat will tear a cheap brass swivel up. Fish your bait on the bottom with an open bail. Be sure to set the hook hard when the cat makes a run with your bait.
The big cats Flathead and Blue when mature prefer live bait. They will occasionally go after cut baits but if you want the best bait for big cats you will want live bait. Live bait can be hooked behind the dorsal fin below the spine, at the end of the tail, or up through the lower jaw and up through the nostrils. Don’t be afraid to choose a bait fish 6-12 inches in length if you want that monster cat.
You may be thinking you won’t catch many fish with bait that size and your right. But if you are looking for the big catfish I am assuming you don’t care about the 1 and 2 pounders you can catch with chicken liver then live bait is the way to go. You can always use smaller baitfish or even cut bait if you run out of patience but your chances of landing a 20 plus pound cat are less. The best bait for big cats will always be live bait.
For a great catfish bait recipe book designed mainly to catch channel catfish visit Easy Catfish Bait Recipes
Need Catfish Bait Fast?
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Last weekend at about 10PM on Sunday night my wife told me she wanted to take the kids and head for the lake in the morning. Furthermore I was told that we were going to take the jet ski. No problem I love to have my family with me at the lake but….NO BOAT and NO CATFISH BAIT. I decided not to worry about it I would make something in the morning. After all I did publish a catfish bait book.
We got up at 7am and I got the truck loaded with all the accessories, chairs, gazebo, water toys, fishing gear etc.. I thought I was in good shape time wise but Marlen told me we had to go pick up her niece. I had 15 minutes to put together my bait. Now I had a choice to make.
Take the ingredients to make baits at the lake or make something easy right then. I figured i wouldn’t have more than a couple of hours fishing before the kids wanted me to take them on the jet ski so I decided to make something quick now. Here is the recipe for what I made and how I put it together.
Ingredients
- Wheaties (you can use any corn flake type cereal, I just have always used Wheaties)
Garlic Salt
Get a large bowl and pur the wheaties in. Add a liberal amount of garlic salt and then crush the Wheaties. Add a little bit of water at a time until you have a paste. it should be very sticky. If done right you can put it on any type of hook and it will stay there. Put in a plastic bag and your ready to go.
Now I am going to brag a little bit. When we got to the lake and after everything was unloaded it was 9am and I was ready to get a couple of lines in the water. We had a picnic table not more than 30 feet from the water and I took my gear to the shore. I baited the first pole and cast it out. Before I could even get the other pole baited and in the water I had a hit on the first pole and I got him. A 2-3 pound channel, but a very good omen.
To make a long story short I caught 3 more all in the first 45 minutes I was fishing. I spent about an hour and a half fishing and did not catch any more but we had more than enough to grill for lunch. I also to be honest with you. I have fished the same spot many times and wheaties always seems to perform well so choosing the right catfish bait to make was easier than it would have been in a new location.
Had I been planning to spend more time fishing I would have taken more baits with me or ingrediets to make more if needed. You increase your chances of having the bait they are looking for if you have some variety.
Good luck on your next outing. Visit Catfish Bait Recipes to get more great homemade catfish baits.
Best Catfish Baits 1 – Chicken Liver
Click Here To Get 80 Time Tested, Easy to Prepare, Catfish Bait Recipes
One of the best catfish baits available at you’re your local grocery store is chicken liver. The blood in a chicken liver gradually seeps into the water providing an excellent scent trail for the catfish to find. Channel catfish and young (small) Blue catfish both will eat this bait up.
As with most catfish baits, they should be fished on the bottom with a slip sinker. One of the drawbacks to using liver for catfish bait is that it is difficult to keep on the hook when casting. This can be frustrating when you think you have a good cast but you see the bait fly off.
There are three things that you can do to keep fresh livers on the hook. Keep in mind that I use # 6 treble hooks for all of these methods.
1. When placing the liver onto your hook try to work it so that you only puncture it once with each barb. The more you try to get it hooked the mushier you make it. You will still lose your bait at times this way.
2. Put your liver on the hook as above but now take about ten inches of thread and wrap around the bait and the hook. Make it firm but not hard enough to cut into the bait. This stays on pretty good.
3. Take some old panty-hose or potato netting (from a sack of potatoes) and cut a circle out of it the size you want to put your bait in. I make mine about three inches. Wrap it around the chicken liver and use a small rubber band to tie it up. You can cast a mile with this setup and it will not come off of the hook.
Chicken livers are one of the best catfish baits available and with these tips you will be able to spend more time fishing and less time casting. With catfish the best catfish baits are the ones the catfish want. This can change day to day or hour to hour so always take three or four baits with you.
Good luck on your next outing. Visit Catfish Bait Recipes to get more great homemade catfish baits.