Catfish Baits

What is the Best Bait for Blue Catfish

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I am going to make this plain and simple; your best bait for Blue catfish is cut bait. That is if you want the big ones, the trophy cat. They can and have been caught with other baits but nothing will perform as well as cut baits for the trophy size blues.

When they are young Blue catfish are very similar to channel catfish. They are not finicky eaters and can be caught on anything you would normally use to fish for channel catfish. Earthworms, shrimp, chicken livers, hot dogs, cheese baits, blood bats and many other varieties of homemade baits all make good choices. You may even catch a few good size blues with these baits.

If you are trying to get that trophy catfish your chances of catching a big blue are slim with the above baits. As blue catfish grow and get older they get more selective in their eating habits. They become much more of a predator and much less of a scavenger. Cut bait and live bait both work but the fluids seeping from the cut bait make for powerful attractants.

If you don’t know what cut bait is the simple definition is a live fish that has been cut into pieces. The size of the catfish you want helps determine the size of the pieces you make. To give you and idea I will cut a bluegill the size of my hand into three pieces not counting the tail fin as I will discard that. My favorite piece is the head. I will put a 6/0 hook though the top part of the fishes mouth and out through the bottom of the head.

Any cut bait will work but the best is from fish native to the waters you are angling in. Also be sure it is legal to do so. I know that in some states you can not use bluegill for bait.

Good luck on your next outing. Visit Catfish Bait Recipes to get more great homemade catfish baits.

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.

What Is The Best Bait For Channel Cats (Catfish)?

To answer the question, there are many good baits for catfish. Let’s be honest the channel catfish is not a finicky eater. They have been known to bite on everything from hot dogs to ivory soap. I know people that will swear shrimp sprayed with WD-40 is the way to go. Trying to identify the best bait for channel cats is difficult and will be different depending on your local, time of day, season or personal preference. Every one of these below has worked for me and every one has left me without a fish. I will list them here in the order I prefer and some of that has to do with ease of use.

CUT BAITS

Cut baits cover a wide variety of fish baits. The most common ones are: shad, bluegill, anchovy, sardines, mackerel and minnows. Make sure it is legal to use them in your area. I know that bluegill is not legal in some states but is ok in others. I cut them into chunks depending on the size of the bait. I believe cut baits to be the best bait for channel cats and all other types of catfish.

SHRIMP

You can purchase shrimp at your local grocery either with or without shell. I leave the shell on but most remove it. Depending on the size of the shrimp and the size of the bait you want you can use them whole or cut them in half. Many also soak them vanilla extract to enhance their appeal. I am particularly found of the cut baits and shrimp because they stay on your hook and can be fished in fast currents when necessary.

CHICKEN LIVERS

These can also be purchased at you local grocery store and are a very good bait. I do suggest you take an old nylon stocking and cut it into small squares. You can use these squares to wrap around the chicken liver and attach it to the hook. They will stay on the hook much better. Fish on the bottom and check your bait every 20-30 minutes. If all the blood is gone replace the bait.

WORMS

Night crawlers, garden worms and Catawba worms are all included here. These are the old standby and will catch catfish but are best used where they are likely to find them. Places where creeks and drainage ditches feed into the lake or river seem to be best.

PREPARED BAITS

These can and have been made out of just about everything you can think of. I have tried many different kinds and have had some success with power baits. I am sure others do but I prefer the more natural baits. I think they are the best bait for channel cats and occasionally you will catch their larger brothers, the flathead and the blue catfish.