What Is the Best Bait For Catfish And Everything Associated
Are you a catfish lover? Facing issues to pick the best bait for them? Anglers are in love with the different kinds of fishes and they tend to become very specific while fishing. Many anglers have their favorite list topped by catfishes and they can go that extra mile to catch them.
This article will let you know what is the best bait for catfish and will help you in your angling sessions.
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What Is A Catfish?
Catfish is a freshwater or marine water dwelling fish. These fishes have barbels around their mouth that look quite similar to whiskers. They are generally found dwelling and resting at the bottom of the water bodies. From small to larger these vary greatly in size and are found in varying species like Blue catfish, Channel catfish, and Flathead catfish.
Other Devices to Go Well With the Best Baits
- Double hook rigs to be used with large or small cut pieces.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Mustad Classic Double Hook (Pack of 100), Nickel, 1 | 18 Reviews | $25.60 | Get on Amazon |
 | Owner American Saltwater Double Hook (4-Pack), 3/0 | 5 Reviews | $12.75 | Get on Amazon |
 | Owner American Toad Hook (2-Pack), 5/0 | 3 Reviews | $5.99 | Get on Amazon |
Last update on 2017-09-08 PST - Details
- Baitcast reels are the most widely used reels for catfish baits, spincast reels are not bad idea.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | KastKing Royale Legend High Speed Profile Baitcasting Fishing Reel | 688 Reviews | $39.98 | Get on Amazon |
 | Abu Garcia BMAX3-C Black Max Low-Profile Baitcast Fishing Reel | 165 Reviews | $49.95 | Get on Amazon |
 | Abu Garcia Revo SX Low-Profile Baitcast Fishing Reel, High Speed, Right Hand | 108 Reviews | $144.99 | Get on Amazon |
 | Abu Garcia RVO3 PRM-HS Revo Premier Low-Profile Baitcast Fishing Reel | 15 Reviews | $229.00 | Get on Amazon |
 | Geila High Speed Low Profile Baitcasting Fishing Reel 6.3:1 Gear Ratio Left/Right Handed (Right... | 4 Reviews | $23.88 | Get on Amazon |
Last update on 2018-08-20 PST - Details
- Sonar fish portable finder while fishing for catfishes will help us a lot.
Last update on 2017-09-08 PST - Details
- A braided or monofilament fishing line can be used while fishing for catfishes.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Spiderwire Ultracast Ultimate-Monofilament Superline | 100 Reviews | from $2.14 | Get on Amazon |
 | KastKing Mega 8 8-Strand Braid Fishing Line 300Yds/275M, 10 LB (4.6KG)(8 Strands) - Black Ops | 141 Reviews | Get on Amazon | |
 | KastKing SuperPower Low-Vis Gray Braided Fishing Line 500M(547 Yard)-12LB | 1128 Reviews | $21.98 | Get on Amazon |
Last update on 2018-08-20 PST - Details
Know the Types and Associated Baits
There are several species of catfishes and each one is extremely different from the other. Therefore, the baits that you choose for them is also different and you must know about each one of them if you intend to catch them.
You have to smartly and differently approach the different space in order to catch them. The following are some species of catfishes and they possess different habits and you need to attack them differently
Blue Catfish
Blue Catfish
The best baits for blue cats are as follows:
- Gizzard Shad
- Skipjack Herring
- Threadfin Shad
- A whole fresh or cut baits like perch, carp, drum or legal baits. These baits work best when they are oily.
Channel Catfish
Channel Catfish
The best baits for channel cats are as follows:
- Dip baits or punch baits work tremendously well for the smaller channel catfishes.
- Freshly died fishes like shad, carp, buffalo, drum etc. You might use a cut piece or whole.
Flathead Catfish
Flathead Catfish
The best baits for flathead cats are as follows:-
- Extremely active live baits like goldfish, pirch, brims.
- Mudcats and black salty.
- Cut baits if there are extreme water movement and turbulence
Fishes to Be Used As Cut Baits
- All carp species
- Drums that dwell in fresh or marine waters
- Gizzard Shads and Threadfin Shads
- Buffalo
- Skipjack Herrings
- Bluegills or Sunfish
Let's Learn To Prepare Cut Baits For Catfish
The size of the bait would depend on the fish that you want to target. You can choose different sizes of bait chunks to lure the target species.
You will need a small sized chunk if you are targeting a small sized fish of around a couple of pounds, whereas, if you go for a larger fish then you just cut out a bigger chunk. Larger baits always work well for the larger targets and smaller ones work similarly with the small target species.
Catfish and Spinning Reels
The bait that you use will also determine the chunk size that you chop off. If you use a gizzard shad as bait then you might be able to easily cut two to three pieces with ease which would help you target the small sized catfishes.
But if you plan to trap one of the larger fishes then you can very well use a huge buffalo or drum. In such cases, you can cut fillets and then chop them into smaller pieces.
To start with the preparation of the cut bait you need to first remove the scales of the fishes. You can use a fillet knife to remove the small scales of small fishes like perch. If the fishes have larger scales then you can start from the tail and run your thumb towards the head of the fish.
The fins of the large fishes are removed next. You need not remove the fins in the smaller fishes but it is important to remove the fins in the larger species. As the larger fins are hard and tough it is necessary to cut and remove them.
Post removing the scales and fins you can use the entire body as it is and attach it to the hook. It is recommended that you keep the chunk of bait as it was detached. You must not clean or wash it. The smell and the originality of the bait piece are lost if you wash or clean it.
The two following ways are generally followed by the anglers:
The Chunking Method
In this method, you chop the bait into smaller pieces and cut them at convenient angles to suit the hook where it needs to be attached.
If the size of the bait is small then you can cut 2 to 4 pieces but if the bait is bigger in size then much more pieces can be easily chopped off. The head is one such piece that the catfish loves and desires the most. Hence, this piece is the most precious and you can expect a huge catch using this piece of bait.
The Filleting Method
This is such a method in which the angler fillets the meat off the body of the bait. But these have attachment problems and they may not stay hooked well enough to the hook for long.
Although the method of getting the cut bait ready is important but all that matters more is the choice of bait and not the preparation method. Most of the anglers prefer the chunking method as it is easy and more practiced. To add on even the size of the bait cut pieces are extremely important no matter if the bait is filleted or cut out into chunks.
Conclusion
To get hold of the very popular catfishes you must know the baits well and must use it with your effective tools and techniques to get best results. This article about what is the best bait for catfish will let you know all about the best baits of catfishes and you can easily pick one to suit your needs.
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