Post your favorite Catfish baits/techniques...

[inssane]

The last several years I have come to enjoy Catfishing. Really the only regular fishing opportunity for me as far as game fish species are concerned.

Here is what works for my on a river off of my dock:
-Egg sinker and 12" leader (because of the nice rocks that snap my lines)
-Octopus hook (don't remember size, but big enough for a cat over 16")
-Bottom half of a nightcrawler, with about an inch or a little less wiggling off the hook - OR corn, as I figured out recently, works really well too.
-I set the drag medium/loose, prop the rod up in a holder I have on a dock post, and put bells on the rod tip (I never leave the rod(s) unattended)
-The "sweet spot" time in my experience is between 11pm and 3am and they seem to be active in spurts - 2 fish on at once, then a 1+ hour lapse of nothing.

Primarily channel cats, the occasional drum bass, and once and a great while a bullhead that must have been on the line for 30 minutes cause they don't move, lol (I HATE bullheads, pirates).

So, I have my technique down to a relative science. What works for you?
Nick

PS - I highly recommend fishing at night with only a lantern, flashlight, rubber net, and tackle. Tough by yourself, but if you have someone with you, it's fun trying to bag a big boy that wants to dock dive and wrap around (on my river 26" is biggest channel cat I have caught yet). Try it just once, you'll be hooked.

 

[mofisher]

ive caught my biggest cats on som sausage or regular catfish bait both heavily powdered with garlic salt

 

[just3542]

Beef Jerky. I've caught 5-7 pounders on a 1"x1" squares of it. Dunno what species.

 

[Dreamsofpeace54]

i prefer to use a carolina rig, basically an egg or no roll sinker (i like 3-4 oz but you might not need that much on a slower river) on your mainline. there is a bead between the swivel and the sinker to help protect the knot on the swivel. on the other side of the swivel i use a 12-24" leader with a gamakatsu octopus circle hook (4/0 to 8/0 in size relative to where im fishing for and the potential size of the fish).



When the fish trys to take the bait the line will move through the sinker and the fish will not feel the weight right away. 90% of the time the fish will acutally set the hook on itself.

I use 50lb mainline with 30 lb mono leaders. because i fish the bottom i like stuff with alot of abrasion resistance. Catfish nation brand mono line or red cajun seems to work well.

For bait i like a variety of things. I fish a tidal river so there is a wide variety of fish. I choose not to use worms because of this reason. Eels, white Perch, and crabs also like worms. The perch arent so bad when the big boys are running but when the little ones constantly steal your bait it sucks. For catfish i prefer fresh raw shrimp, bluegills (live and cutbait) and cut bait shad.

I mainly fish the susquehanna river. We have Channel and flatheads. My biggest channel was 13 lb 12oz and my biggest flathead is 8lb 9oz. Id really like to go to the potomac and find me some big bluecatfish this season.

 

[fish_sauce]

Oscar meyer

 

[NCStateFisher]

Typically i'll set up 2-3 rods, sometimes in holders sometimes just on the ground, loose drag and a watchful eye. though the loose drag has cost me a few monsters, it's also saved a couple fishing poles. lol

bait wise I actually use bottom rigs like you'd just at the beach quite a bit, and the bait i've used the most over my life is just shrimp from the grocery store. another method i use (preparing to get flamed) is take a small blue gill, and with a knife partially cut it's stomach and knock off a bunch of scales, when they struggle combined with the scent its a great way to catch catfish some days. You'd be surprised how long the bream stay alive sometimes too, so you typically don't have to waste an over-abundance of them

 

[FishFreak95]

I always catch more channels when i use bait that is found in that area like frogs and minnows. they worked better than any other bait i have used before. ive used liver, hotdogs, different dough baits, etc..

 

[crnosrce1]

For big Flatheads use big live bait, 7 or 8 inch bluegill. Scrape them up with a knife, it makes the oils in the skin come out more and doesn't kill or seriously injure the baitfish.

For channels, small bluegill or panfish, 2-4 inches long and do the same.

Bullhead are dumb and will eat anything, so anyhthing can work. I mean anything, I've personally used 1 inch squares of plain white soap to catch them.

When I'm fishing for flats I use a big bobber on a carolina style rig. The others I just cast out and wait for the bells to go off.

 

[fisherman1035]

Never new knocking some scales off would let out more scent i have to try that

 

[carterhh]

hot dogs
or

flour and peanut butter

or my favorite

liver left out in the sun for a day