Paul asks "Are worms good catfish bait?"
Are worms good catfish bait? The simple answer is yes. Many catfish anglers use live worms for catfish bait. Whenever I have a youngster with me I will have a tub of worms. The good and bad with worms is that just about any fish will eat them. You might get a catfish or you might get a bluegill or some other fish.
I like them whenever I have a youngster along just for that reason. Catfish fishing can be a waiting game and kids don’t have a lot of patience. Having the worms gives them more opportunities for bites and to catch a fish even if it is only six inches long. This allows me to concentrate on my fishing.
There are many ways to rig them. The way I generally rig a worm is to cram as much of it as I can on a number 2 bait hook. You can drift or bottom fish this rig. Others cram several worms on the same hook to give it a lively look. If I am serious about using the worm I will rig 2 hooks in tandem and stretch the worm out. I like to drift fish this rig.
If you are really looking just for catfish there are a lot of other baits that will produce more catfish than worms on most occasions. A good source for what the catfish are biting in your area is your locale bait shop. Don’t be afraid to ask.
A couple of good baits that you can buy at the grocery store are shrimp and chicken livers. There is also a large selection of stink baits and dip bait available wherever you can purchase fishing tackle.
Homemade Catfish Bait Recipe vs. Catfish Power Bait
Many of you either use homemade catfish bait recipes or purchase catfish power bait when angling for Mr. Whiskers. Which is better will depend on where you fish and what you are trying to catch, (channel, flathead, or blue). Catfish will eat almost anything that smells and you can do well with both of the above.
It has been my experience that once you find the catfish bait recipe for your local you will have more luck and your stinger will fill faster than with prepared bait. The problem is this can take a lot of experimentation and have you coming home with little or no fish until you find that combination. Catfish bait recipes can be found all over the internet and I am pretty sure they work for that person in that local. If making your own bait is something you want to do you can research the internet, prepare and test the recipes or you can purchase Marc Simms “Catfish Bait Recipes” for $19.95. He has 20 recipes that he believes are sure to catch that cat. I have had some success with one of the recipes but to be honest I rarely make my own bait.
Catfish power baits or prepared baits have never seemed to work that well for me. Sure I have caught some small cats and a carp or two using the prepared baits but have never seen consistent action. With that said, they are easy to use and stay on the hook pretty well. When I have the kids with me a lot of times this is what they have on their hooks. If you do decide to use prepared bait I like Berkley’s catfish power bait.
What I really have success with is something I wasn’t going to mention in this post but would feel guilty if I did not. LIVE BAIT WORKS BEST FOR BIG CATS. Ok I said it. More on this another time.
Good Luck and may your stringer always be full.