Catfish. SECRETS whats the best baite for river catfish?

Question

give me the best way to cath a bige river catfish seems they only hit at paylake's. i need some help here im taken some friends out tonight after the raine . what are some cat fish secrets

Answer 1

try this recipe: 1cup cornmeal mixed with water,bring to boil,let stand till water is absorbed,cool,add 1/2cup flour and 1to 2 Tablespoon vanilla and mix into a batter,knead if needed to mix well,place in plastic bag refrigerate till ready to use. pinch off a hunk and roll into a ball,place around hook,or in piece of pantyhose,cast into river and wait,catfish love doughballs.Also try casting up river and letting bait float down stream. catfish eat just about anything if they are hungry. P.S. shshshsh don't tell my dad,it's his secret.

Answer 2

It depends what species of cats you have there.
Channel cats are scavengers, and they'll eat almost anything.
Try fresh chicken livers, worms, sliced hot dogs, dead minnows, doughballs or dip baits from the bait shop.

All other species of cats are predators and will bite much better on live baits. Crayfish, minnows, worms and bluegills or sunfish up to about 3 or 4 inches long will work really well.
You can get special crayfish hooks at the bait shop that slide up under it's shell. For the minnows, or 'gills & sunnies, use a very small live bait or octopus hook tied to the lowest part of the bend of a larger kale hook. This allows the bait to be hooked easily without killing it or impairing its swimming, since the large hook is trailing an inch or so behind it and not through it. Hook your bait low, behind the anal fin if bottom fishing, and high, just behind the dorsal if hanging it under a bobber. Either way, be careful not to sever the bait's spine.
Oh yea, if shore fishing, do not just leave your rod propped up on a forked stick. Attach a cheap stringer to it and tie it to something sustantial. Big cats are very strong and will pull that little stick right over and take your rod with them as they leave.
Another way that I've caught cats is to put a big leech on a floating jig head, about 2 feet below a slip sinker. You can cast this out and slowly retrieve it past suspect catfish holes. It works well, like the minnow under bobber rig, where there is a lot of weeds and algae on the bottom.
Dip baits have been pretty good for me too. Buy a jar full and some of the little 'worms' that go with it. The worm is made from surgical tubing with holes punched in it, prerigged with a treble hook. You push it into the jar of stinky bait untill its all coated, then cast it out and wait. If you get this stuff on your clothes, you'll stink for the rest of the night, but it doesn't seem to bother the cats.

Answer 3

natural baits...................
shad and bluegill are the best as far as i am concerned.

if u want big fish,40 or bigger,u need to use big baits.i use shad that are atleast 6" long,and i use the whole shad,hooked through the mouth and head.

when i am just fishing for good eating size,3-10lbs,i cut the bait up.use the heads or tails only.

i actually caught 4 catfish this morning in the ohio river.the biggest is about 10 and the smallest about 4.
caught them all on cut shad.

be sure and use heavy line and tackle for the big fish.i recomend no line smaller than 50lb,hooks no smaller than 8/0,and good heavy action rod.reels i use penn 209 for big fish fishing.

check out this link,it gives feeding habits of catfish..........


anytime u have a current break in the water their usually is fish on the downstream side of it,also u might want to try the mouths of creeks that empty in the river,this is usually a good place to catch catfish

Answer 4

The best bait is Mullet Guts or Cut Bream bait . If you want ot catch Channel Cats use nNightcrawlers and fish where the current is most in the river.

I fished at night in Lakeharding, Gerogia, and hooked into a Catfish that was so big I could put my head in his mouth.
He snalled my line at the dock, but we got to see him. It took me 29 minutes to bring him in only to lose him.

I also seen a World record Bass feeding on the surface at Lake Harding one morning at 3:30 Am. A sight never forgotten. His mouth was wide open scooping up shads. You could of put a bowling ball in his mouth.

Answer 5

Chicken Liver but put cheese cloth around it to help keep it on the hook. I also cut a night crawler in half and float it. But I know people who use mackerel. And as a kid I used clams and anchovies.

Answer 6

Dirt simple - cut up some hotdogs and put them on your hooks. They will be jumping into your lap. I have seen kids become expert anglers instantly with this secret.

Answer 7

They will eat anything. So it is more important to know where their nests are. They will go crazy.

Answer 8

Try worms.

Answer 9

live bluegill is the best.

Answer 10

cut carp!!!