So I live in AZ and im headed to a 250 acre reservoir....never been there but it yields big flatheads and nice channels. Going in early may full moon and fishing at night!
   I was thinking about using cut bluegill and shrimp.One leader with two snelled hooks and and slit sinker and a lunker light on swivel.
  Any tips or better options on bait such  as dip bait,worms,liver,shad???     What you guys thinkin    thanks for the help  Devin

I always outfish those around me using frozen squid for channel cats. Get it at Asian supermarkets, @ $2 a pound. For flatheads very heavy gear with live sunfish or bullheads for bait.

Part of catfishing for me is always have some worms just for catching bait.

Flatheads love baby bullheads because the babies run for cover where the Flatheads are hiding. Shad is better then blue gills but should work. Remember to match the hatch!

If going for the flatheads you want heavy gear. Fish down from the current.

Dump the shrimp, dip bait, worms, liver and keep the shad. Use Cut bait or live. Flatheads are hunters and at night.

Look for a depth map for the reservoir. But the locals know where the holes are so if you know where there is a fish finder then you can find them as well.

Go to the nearest bait store and ask for sucker fish, and then cut the sucker fish into 2 inch pieces, flathead and channel catfish kill for this!

Where I live we only have channels. We use Secret 7 dip bait. Last night around dusk we caught 6 in a bout 2 hours, the largest being 9 pounds 14 ounce and 30" in length. The average being 6 pounds. We load up a tube with the bait, have some heavy sinkers on, throw them in and wait for the poles to start bending.

Good luck.

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.

One of the best things you can do is go to your local bait shop/fishing hangout and start talking to the fishermen there, they are always willing to help others.

Yep, what these guys said. Bass or Bass is a "Valley of the Sun" resident so has some experience with local catfishing. Where they are available, anchovies work OK and if you are in a place where there are stripers, they can be a bonus. Chicken liver works well for channels also but can be a pain to keep on the hook. The squid, when you can find it, is tough and well scented.

I have found a few things that tend to work quite well for catfish.

1) chicken livers ( hate to mess with them )
2) Live gills ( check local laws )
3) Cut gills ( check local laws )
4) Cut shad, cut shad, cut shad, cut shad ( check local laws )
5) Shrimp with a can of tuna mixed in

#2, 3, and 4 are always on the boat, I never fish a Tourny without them.