Minnows have worked well for me with cats...but produce mostly small channels. This is great if that's what you're targeting, the small ones are the best eaters. If you're after the big'uns...try fresh cutbait. Suckers or skip jacks(herring) work great, or shad, whichever you have in your waters.

Thanks! I'm going after average size Channels. Those are my favorite to eat. Right around 2 pounds. My friend has a bunch of frozen, un-filleted Bluegill in the bottom of his freezer that he forgot about from last year. They are all 5-7 inches long and he gave me a bag of 11. Since they are old I figured I would just thaw em', chop em' into small chunks, and then freeze em' again for when I go catfishing. I'm making a chicken dinner tonight so I figured I would save the blood from the thawing chicken and the day before I wanna go fishing, thaw out the bait and soak it in chicken blood overnight. How effective would this be? I have heard from many people that catfish will bite on pretty much anything that is stinky.

When you hear guys talking about cutbait...they always say "use fresh cutbait"...the key word here is fresh. They will keep the baitfish for the cutbait fresh(not frozen) and cut it up as it is being used. This has all the juices and blood intact, which is what the cats sniff out. I use fresh cut bluegill all the time, but I must admit, I've tried frozen and it doesn't work as good as fresh. Since you mentioned the chicken blood, I would try soaking the cut 'gill in it. Blood is the key ingredient in most stink baits. It is a powerful attractant for cats. And yes...catfish are taken all the time on stinky concoctions...but my best success has come with fresh cutbait.
                                                                                                                                     

Alrighty, works for me, I will take whatever excuse I can to get out on the water haha. I guess it's time to bust out a all my closed faced reels, slap on some tiny artificial spiders, and cast super shallow for some gills. I figure 3-4 inch will work.

If you are targeting 2# channels, a large fathead will work just fine and they have the benefit of working for the walleye also. However, if you are seeking larger, say 5#, channels, think about some fresh cutbait.

Hey guys...don't know why I didn't think of this one earlier...Maybe since Pegsguy posted I thought of it...he and I both have used this bait successfully. It is actually my favorite for those 2 pounders you mentioned. Cut some hot dogs into one inch long pieces. Now drop them into a quart canning jar, along with a packet of cherry Koolaid and a tablespoon of powdered garlic. Put the lid on and shake up the whole mess. Not only are cats crazy about this concoction, but it has other advantages too...like it's easy to transport....doesn't really need to stay cool...and my favorite feature...it don't stink!! Worst damage might be pink fingers!
                                                                                                                                             
Now for the coolest part...the rigging. Put an egg sinker on your line(only as big as you need for your conditions) and then tie on a snapswivel. Now take a hotdog nugget and press a treble hook into it. Push the eye of the hook in and slide down the shank until the three points rest in the nugget. Now just clip it on the snapswivel! You can experiment with other Koolaid flavors...but after trying them all...I have to report that cherry is the runaway best.
                                                                             

Hmmm and just a few weeks ago it was strawberry you said was the best (I haven't tried it yet), I do have the dogs and some Kool-Aid, just haven't put them together. Interesting note, strawberry dogs were mentioned in a Field and Stream Article a few months ago.

Sounds interesting. I will deffinitely have more fun experimenting with catfishing than I have in the past fishing things such as Pike, Walleye, and Bass. Usually i just slap on the right Rapala and have a good fishing day every time, sometimes minnows. But I have never been a Catfisher, after going on a trip with a buddy of mine out to Holloway Reservoir(where I'm fishing for Cats now) we were fishing along the bank for gills and he hooked a 4lb channel cat. After watching him fight that fish on 6lb test line and seeing him fight the hell out of it, every fishing bone in my body is telling me I HAVE to go fishing for these things. Looking around online it looks like its not just your average fishing trip, and that it'll be a very fun spring and summer for me!

Posted By AZAllen on 28 May 2012 01:37 PM
Hmmm and just a few weeks ago it was strawberry you said was the best

You must be thinking of someone else...I always use cherry. If you look through the Catfish forum, I posted this bait tip a year or two ago. Field & Stream is late to the party!

What size treble do you use? I have a few trebles but I don't usually use them, I think their about size 6 if I'm not mistaken. If I bait fish I usually use standard baitholders not trebles. Most all the ones I'll use are on my Rapalas haha.

I think they are 2/0...just use what fits the hotdogs.

I'll keep that in mind! Now I just gotta find my pair of waders... I'll definitely be trying both FRESH cut bluegill and that little hotdog recipe, I already got some sitting in a pickle jar soaking right now haha. I was just kinda bummed because last time I went out everything completely ignored the Crawlers I was using.

minnows are sufficient catfish bait. HOWEVER!! ...ive had my best luck using perch as bait! ..i catch perch around 4:30 to 6:30 in the evening, then use the caught perch as catfish bait at around 10:00pm. ...the absolutely go crazy for the perch! good luck!