cut up blue gill is definately first choice: its free and it makes the cat fish go crazy!!

Yeah, cut up Bluegill isn't bad.

cut perch,danny kings bait,homemade baits,shad,carp,chicken liver.but none of this works gotta be where there is catfish when fishing from shore.catalpa “worms

Posted By dgrimsley on 21 Aug 2012 03:20 PM
cut perch,danny kings bait,homemade baits,shad,carp,chicken liver.but none of this works gotta be where there is catfish when fishing from shore.catalpa “worms

Are catalpa worms just a southern thing or do they have them up north as well?  How do you get them?  I've heard in the past that they bite.  Is that true?  If so, do I need gloves while harvesting them?

Sorry about all the questions.  This is a topic that I've heard little about.

From what i'm reading "Catalpa Worms" are a caterpillar, specifically a type of sphinx moth caterpillar that seems to like Catalpa Trees.  

Posted By sang_vo on 21 Aug 2012 03:37 PM
From what i'm reading "Catalpa Worms" are a caterpillar, specifically a type of sphinx moth caterpillar that seems to like Catalpa Trees.  

I've never used caterpillars to fish before so i don't know if there's something special about this kind of caterpillar or if you could go with any of them. You could probably use any kind of caterpillar that is having a boom on the trees near the water.

Most normal caterpillars are too fragile to use as bait, so there must be something special about the catalpa worm.

Catalpas are larger than your average catapiller and aparently very tasty to catfish. I've never used them as they are not very common around here. From what I've heard your are to turn  them inside out before you put them on the hook so the inards are exposed.

I have seen catfish in a stocked pond come and feed on sour chicken from the owner of a grocery store

I got the book Catfishing Strategies from the NAFC and it says that the Channel cat's like stinkbaits better then flatheads or blues. They will eat live fish as well as dead or rotting ones and will eat larval aquatic insects, terrestrial insects, crayfish, crabs, snails, and clams. And will feed any time of day or night. Then for flatheads it says there diet consists mainly of LIVE fish, but also eats crayfish and clams. but unlike channels they rarely consume rotten food. Use suckers, carp, large shiners and sunfish or cut bait rather than stinkbait or other prepared bait.

If u need a little more info i might be able to help. u can just message me. Hope this helps.

I got the book Catfishing Strategies from the NAFC and it says that the Channel cat's like stinkbaits better then flatheads or blues. They will eat live fish as well as dead or rotting ones and will eat larval aquatic insects, terrestrial insects, crayfish, crabs, snails, and clams. And will feed any time of day or night. Then for flatheads it says there diet consists mainly of LIVE fish, but also eats crayfish and clams. but unlike channels they rarely consume rotten food. Use suckers, carp, large shiners and sunfish or cut bait rather than stinkbait or other prepared bait.

If u need a little more info i might be able to help. u can just message me. Hope this helps.

Posted By bass or bass? on 29 Apr 2012 02:05 PM
I've posted this before but I'll do it again here.

 For flathead cats I use the largest sunfish I can catch on an 8/0 Gamakatsu octopus circle hook. My rig is a standard slip rig, 4 ounce sinker,  on a 7' Offshore Angler Power Plus Trophy Class heavy boat rod , a Penn Peer 209 reel, 80 pound test Offshore Angler Spectra Braid line with 50 pound test Berkley Big Game monofiliment leader.

For channel cats I now use only frozen squid for bait. Frozen squid can be purchased at any Asian supermarket for @ $2 a pound. It is VERY tough and stays on the hook until you remove it, difficult for fish to steal, won't cast off. I consistantly outfish those around me using any other baits and I caught my personal best channel cat last year on squid. I use s standard slip rig, 1 ounce sinker,  on a 6'6" Rhino Kevlar medium heavy rod, a BPS Mega Cast MCM2000 baitcast reel, 17 pound test Berkley Trilene XT line, and 4/0 Gamakatsu octopus circle hooks.

I know many of you swear by chicken liver, and I don't want to rub anyone's fur backwards, but I have NEVER caught any catfish using chicken liver.

Happy Fishing!

Mr. bass - I loves me sum cats!  But yous know whut?  I have found that if i use sunfishs or blugills, I steps on them with mines boots on to get sum off there guts to pop out.  and I has never used squids.  I might hafta try it.  And I know whut you mean abouts rubbin peoples fur backwards!  I have dun that on the tackle boxs thread.  BUT I loves me sum chicken livers!  Not the ones yous buys in a bag dun up allready.  But the fresh ones frum the store meat counter.  But I will definatley hafta trys the squids!  I will let yous know how I do.

Hey Jonesy, my fishing partner does very well catching channel cats using cheese filled hot dogs. Give them a try. And you can even eat your bait!!!

Mr. bass...I apreciate that. I might hafta try that. I likes cheese filled hot dogs to! Thank you.

Wow!got to try cheese dogs !! I love using dipbaits too.

going try that thanks

shad cut up

 Well my best baits have been live bluegill for the big ones , good o Earth Warms OR Nightcrawlers with a Baitmate Spray, and the MagicBait Chicken Liver. And allso hotdogs , they seem to love them more than me,.. Thats been my best over all, I have made up my own with old chicken and garlic , it did well in some places but not everywere . THATS MY BEST,,,,,,,,,,

Which bait I use really depends on where I am fishing and what I am fishing for. If I am after tournament size blue cats, then you definitely can't beat live bait; such as bluegill, suckers, shad or the local game fish. Occasionally, I use frozen bait fish and frozen eel, but thaw in warm water before I go fishing. Good thing about fresh bait is that it is free to gather, you just need a throw, gill, or tow net to get this bait, but keep it alive. If I am just going for eating size blue cats, then I might use the good ole earth worm/red worm. I occasionally use stink bait, but typically make my own, which does seem to work better (cheese, shad, shrimp, garlic). If I am going after channel cats, then I taking chicken livers, chicken gizzards or beef liver. Channels seem to eat that stuff up, as well as worms. Flatheads, you are going to need to use live bait (or your hand for some fishermen). Not too sure where you are fishing but what I would recommend is that you make a visit to your local bait shop and talk fish with them, or other customers hanging out at the shop. Any true fisherman will talk your ear off about what they fish for, where they fish and what they use. Might even volunteer to take you and show you around.

Live gill, cut gill, shad, and last but not least Shrimp.

Live and cut bait work really well here in central Indiana.