est Catfish Bait For Channel Catfis

est Catfish Bait For Channel Catfish
channel catfish illustrationWhen I’m fishing for channel catfish i’m after numbers. I catch some bigger channels using these techniques but my goal is shear numbers of keeper sized catfish because we simply don’t have good populations of large channel catfish in Texas.

Channel catfish are scavengers. They’ll feed on live (or fresh dead) bait they like easy meals that they don’t have to work for and they’re driven by their strong sense of smell and “taste”. They’ll feed from sight and sound also and have keen senses that are above and beyond many other species of fish.

For catching numbers of channel catfish the best catfish baits are prepared baits, like dip and punch baits.

Dip baits are a thin consistently and you’ll use a small tube, worm or sponge to hold the bait on the hook.

Punch baits are much thicker and get their name from the process used to bait the hook. You take a bare treble hook and “punch” the hook into the bait and then pull the hook from the bucket with a loaded hook.

Both will work for catching numbers of channel catfish but I’ve always preferred punch baits as they’re much cleaner to fish with and eliminate the need for using the tubes, sponges and worms to hold bait.

There’s a number of good brands available including:

CJ’s Catfish Punch Bait
Sure Shot Catfish Punch Bait2
Sudden Impact Fiber Bait from Team Catfish
If you can’t catch channel catfish with a good punch or dip bait then you’re fishing in the wrong place or they’re just not biting. Most often rigging with a slip bobber or the Secret Catfish Rig and fishing with some lightweight gear and finesse techniques you’ll have no problem catching some big numbers of channel cats.

These stinky concoctions accomplish two things.

First they have a very strong smell that attracts catfish almost immediately but they also break down in the water and that scent carries throughout the water and attracts more catfish into the area.

They’re absolutely deadly for producing numbers of channel cats and are hands down the best catfish baits for catching numbers of channel catfish.

Baits For Big Channel Cats
Channel cats will also bite fresh dead shad, perch, bluegill used whole or in chunks as well as minnows and a variety of other dead and live baits.

Natural baits are going to be a better option if your goal is to catch larger channel catfish. The right bait for catching bigger channel cats is just like that you’ll use for blue cats, just typically used in smaller sizes.

For day in and day out effectiveness and truly being successful catching lots of numbers of smaller channel cats on a regular basis the stinky concoctions are my preference. I rarely see a need to use anything else.

Grocery Store Baits
Many anglers that target channel catfish use what I call “grocery store baits”, things like chicken livers, turkey livers, hot dogs, shrimp and a variety of other items.

While there’s times these can be good baits, I steer people away from them. The simple reason for this is if you’re after numbers if they won’t hit a good prepared concoction you’re in the wrong area. If you’re after size natural baits will typically prove much more effective.

Buffet Of Channel Cat Baits
You don’t have to carry a buffet with you, don’t over think it. The numbers of people that are carrying along a half dozen different channel catfish baits always amazes me.

If you’re investing that much time and energy into trying all of these different baits and you’re not catching fish, you’re wasting a lot of energy, time and money.

Invest your energy in locating the catfish and learning how to pattern them. In the end you’ll catch far more fish putting one bait in the right area than you will putting a half dozen baits in the wrong area.

Good “Stink” Baits (Prepared Baits)
I hate the term “stink bait”. These manufactured baits stink to the person using them but to a channel cat they’re a strong trail of sensory overload.

There’s a lot of really great prepared baits in stores and some really bad ones also. The mass marketed baits that aren’t so good give people the impression that none of these types of baits work.

I’ve used just about everything on the market over the years and found that the following baits work best and consistently produce catfish for me.

CJ’s Catfish Punch Bait (every flavor I’ve tried has worked)
Sure Shot Catfish Punch Bait
Sudden Impact Fiber Bait
I’m not saying that others don’t work.

I’m not saying that there are not other good products out there.

I’m saying that when rod and reel fishing if I can’t catch channel cats with one of these products they’re not biting. Just pick one, learn to use it and when the confidence develops the rest will fall into place.

You can always make your own catfish bait also but I’ve always preferred to just buy something that I know works.

Best Catfish Bait For Flathead Catfish
Flathead Catfish IllustrationFlatheads feed primarily on live baits. Good hearty and lively baits like live perch, bluegill, sunfish, goldfish or mud cats are the preferred bait for catching flatheads.

If you’re going to target flatheads there’s a couple of simple rules:1

You have to have good hearty and lively bait and learn to keep it alive and healthy.
You have to be willing to spend a lot of time on the water.
Flathead catfishing is not a fast and furious sport for most anglers where you can expect to go out and catch 5, 10, 20 or 30 in a given trip. It just doesn’t work that way because of the populations of these fish and the nature of the fish.

Most anglers that are really hardcore about catching flatheads consider one to two fish in a day or night to be a good trip. Those “good trips” are often the exception as there are often outings without a catch at all. There’s always exceptions though and you’ll have better days (or nights) if you put the time in.

Live bait can be purchased in many bait and tackle shops. To save money and get the best baits build or buy a good perch trap or catch them on rod and reel. Learn to catch your chosen bait, learn to keep them alive and hearty for long periods of time and start catching some flatheads.

Cut Bait For Flathead Catfish
I get called out by “textbook” anglers all the time when I talk about cut bait for flathead catfish. These are the people who’ve ready time and time again that to catch flathead catfish you must use live baits and they won’t eat anything else.

Experience says otherwise. Not only my experience but the experience of a growing number of anglers across the country.

I’ve seen cut bait perform well for flathead catfish many times and the biggest flatheads I catch traditionally come from them.

There’s a direct correlation between moving water and or moving baits and the flathead bite.

If you’re fishing rivers or lakes with moving current that movement alone will often encourage them to bite. Using techniques with some movement to the bait like drift fishing, trolling, controlled drifting or even anchoring using a “drop and drop” technique will often produce flathead catfish bites also.

I’m not discounting the need for live bait and if fishing on anchor in still water. I won’t debate that live bait is typically the best choice either but If you’re fishing current or using techniques that create movement of the baits don’t be afraid to mix in some cut bait with your live baits for flathead cats.

You might be surprised at what happens when you add cut bait to your presentation for flatheads in the right environment.1

There’s Always Exceptions
Typically when I write something like this I get bombarded with questions and comments from the “what about’s” who has a buddy that “wore them out” one day on a piece of bubble gum or some other off the wall concoction.

These are the exceptions and not the rule. If you put something in front of a hungry fish, even a bare hook, chances are you’ll get bit. The best and most consistent results however will come from using a tried and true bait that’s known to work.

Investing time and energy researching the exceptions to find that “magic bullet” is a total waste of time and energy.

You’re much better off spending your time fishing and learning, studying maps or countless other activities that are going to be much more productive.

Match The Hatch
In the end regardless of what you choose to put on your hooks there’s a golden rule to follow, “match the hatch”.1

You may have heard this before from bass anglers or fly fisherman and it’s true for catfishing also.

Whats it mean to “match the hatch”?

Find what they’re feeding on
Use what they are feeding on for bait or use something that mimics what they’re feeding on.
Present it in a manner that looks natural
Regardless of what techniques you’re using or how you’re presenting your baits, these tried and true options provided will usually catch cats.
Just remember the action or technique often has more impact than the bait itself.

Here’s some examples:

Grapevine Cats
I was fishing with clients in a creek with large trees and grapevines hanging over the water. Every once and a while I’d see a large swirl around the area .
I realized it was catfish feeding on the muscadine grapes that would occasionally fall off the vines. I trolled into the area and flipped some punch bait into the area and we caught a few catfish.

I got curious, went across the creek and picked some grapes off a vine and rigged them up weightless on some light line. I flipped them up into the same area, catching a fish almost every time i’d cast.

I was matching the hatch and the action created by the grapes falling off the vines. I’d never go out and fish in the middle of the lake with a bag of grapes however because that’s what the fish were feeding on it worked! I was just in the right place at the right time and thinking on my feet.

Cats On The Fries
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