Bait For Fishing Catfish

As any seasoned fisherman knows, the best bait for fishing catfish is pretty subjective when boiled down to basics. Unlike other, pickier freshwater fish, catfish have a reputation for eating just about anything they come across. This is good and bad for the fisherman. The good is that there’s a variety of baits to choose from and try out. The bad, on the other hand, is that people fishing for catfish for the first time are often overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices they have. Luckily, it’s an entry barrier that’s easily broken with a quick guide to bait for fishing catfish.

1. Live bait. The biggest species of catfish, the blue catfish, is notorious for its fondness of live bait. Affectionately called “blues” by fishermen who pursue them, blue catfish will give chase to anything injured in the water. One of the favorite baits for fishing Blue Catfish is a live sunfish. Don’t be afraid to use bigger ones, as catfish of this species easily grow to 50 pounds or more. There’s no sunfish too big for them to handle.
2. Stinkbait. All species of catfish seem to have a pretty acute sense of smell. The catch is that what smells good to them smells exceptionally bad to us. Enter the stinkbait. When manufactured and sold in retail, it is a soft, pliable dough that is typically brownish in color and smells to high heaven. Many seasoned catfish anglers swear by the stuff. Alternately, you can make your own kind of stinkbait by letting small caught fish rot for a week or two in a jar with a semi-closed lid. But unless you have a garage or shed to keep the nasty stuff, this isn’t highly recommended.
3. Weird food items. If you’re at a loss for which type of bait for fishing catfish to use, it might be worth a try to check the fridge. Catfish are known to nibble on cheese cubes, bread slices, fruit chunks, and even marshmallows. If it gives off an oily scent in the water, odds are it will work to some extent. Just be sure to stop by the grocery store to restock on the way home.
4. Cut bait. Cut bait works well for catfish for the same reason that food does—the scent. Even the best stinkbaits have a hard time matching the effectiveness of a one inch cubed piece of fish flesh. Any species of fish will work, just cube it and leave the skin on so it stays on the hook well.