Article Sphere Logo

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

By Expert Author: Doug Burns | View Article Summary
Word Count: 461 words | Views: 134 view(s)
Doug Burns

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.
About the Author/Author Bio

Doug Burns is founder of CatfishAngling.com. A leading source for tips, tricks and information on catfish fishing. Doug has been an avid angler for 35 years and a steady contributor. Have a Question? I will be happy to answer it. CatfishAngling.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/What-Is-The-Best-Bait-For-Channel-Cats--Catfish--/159179

Article Submitted: 2008-08-08 | This Article has been viewed 134 times.

Comments on this Article


More "Fishing" Related Articles

 
 

Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Fishing" article category.

People interested in the above article "What Is The Best Bait For Channel Cats (Catfish)?" are also interested in the related articles listed below:

 
Fishing is one of America’s greatest past times. But it’s a lot more enjoyable when you are prepared. This article will show you the top 5 things to do before you go fishing, to help you enjoy your trip.
Fish finders are the best tool to use so you can find and place your boat on top of the fish. All fish finders use sonar to scan the water. A sound wave is sent from the fish finder through the water forming a cone. When an object is detected, the fish finder measures the amount of time between when the sound wave was sent and when it bounced back to the unit and is displayed on the screen.
In general, when you'll be going on a deep sea fishing trip, you'll be the one to decide on how you want the trip to go through. You can structure it with a charter, or have the trip in a party boat, which is also termed as "head boat" and leave everything else to your captain's orders.
Deep sea fishing is an enjoyed activity by many. The sun, sea and the adrenaline of adventure makes a perfect day for such kind of activity. However, for very experienced fishermen, they would advice you that if you really want to get a good catch, it would be best for you to start fishing 2 hours after sunset or 2 hours even before sunrise.
Deep Sea Fishing is one amazing experience that can be a very memorable one for you and your fishing mates. However, it is an activity that is often not maximized. What most people don't know is that there is much more to deep sea fishing than fishing itself. It's really sad that trips like these are often not maximized.
The sport of fly fishing has been around for years and years. In medieval times, anglers fished for food, but the sport has evolved over the years to become a real test of skills. Anyone who has become involved in the sport of fly fishing knows how addictive in can be - but in a very good way!
One of the best parts about the sport of fly fishing is experiencing the scenery and calmness around you as you are trying to land your big fish. Montana is a great place to find some solitude while fly fishing. In fact, the vast expanses that surround the rivers and streams in Montana can provide you with some of the most relaxing solitude anywhere.
 
Article Directory Home All Categories Recreation And Sports Fishing
 

Can't find what you're looking for? Try Google Search!
 
 
Copyright © 2005 - by Larry Lim, Singapore - Article Search Engine Directory at ArticleSphere.com™
All Rights Reserved Worldwide. All Trademarks and Servicemarks are the property of the respective owners.
French Spanish Bulgarian Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Croation Czech Danish Dutch Finnish German Greek Italian Japanese Korean Norwegian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Serbian Slovak Swedish Arabic Hebrew Hungarian Thai Turkish English US