With a couple of exceptions, I have found that the PERFECT CATFISH BAIT is a natural bait. day in and day out, catfish will bite best on what they normally feed. That would be live bait caught from the waters you are fishing. There will be seasonal variations with baits such as grasshoppers and crawfish, but locally obtained natural baits are consistently best. An exception or close second, is a blood bait. Look in the section below titled “Blood Baits”. There are times, however, when a local bait is not available for one reason or another. You can be quite successful with various commercial or homemade bait formulations .

Create a bait they cannot resist. Because catfish have such a heightened sense of smell (if that is what you call it underwater), they can be called in from some distance and enticed to bite with a so called stink bait. I normally use stink bait when I can not get local live bait or as a switch off, when biting is slow. It also has the advantage of being prepared and kept for considerable time. You can always have bait on hand. My favorite recipe is:

1 lb of chicken livers, chopped
1 lb of limburger cheese, warmed to soft consistency
1/2 box of wheaties, lightly crushed
Water as needed to mix ingrediants
Avoid getting too much water. Mix and allow to sit for a week at room temperature (but not in the house). Dead shad or a large can of sardines can be substituted for the chicken livers.

Catfish Bait Formulas: I am currently compiling a list of catfish bait formulations that I can stand behind. In the meantime, here are 80 formulations that the author claims "are time tested secret catfish bait formulas that hauls in buckets of fish, amazes your buddies, and increases your enjoyment of fishing. Easy step-by-step instructions for turning ordinary kitchen ingredients into your own homemade catfish bait." I looked at these and find most of them to be rediculous and even wierd, but a few are similar to what I have used and are very good. Judge for yourself. Click Here

Blood Bait Blood bait is any bait that releases blood into the water, creating a tantalizing trail to lead the catfish to your hook. Some blood baits are fresh liver (of any kind), fresh cut animal carcass (rabbit, fowl), fresh cut trash fish, or congealed animal blood. The congealed blood does not work well for casting, but is very good for set hook and troutline fishing. Simply cut it into bait sized cubes and lay it out on cardboard or other flat surface and allow it to dry sufficently to create a tough "skin".

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