Before we get into catfish bait, let’s take a look at what catfish like to eat. Let’s try to think like a catfish. If you offer it something so delicious and irresistible, that fish will shoot out of its hole and drool on your hook all the way.
Catfish are omnivorous and will eat almost anything. But with that said, you do have some preferences and if we offer those delicacies as bait for catfishing, we’re on a winning streak. They can be bottom feeders and like to search for whatever they can find, be it a plant or small freshwater creatures, as they prefer their food to be alive.
Catfish have poor eyesight in murky water (who wouldn’t?) and rely on their strong sense of smell, so our bait must satisfy that important element as they find their food using the “barbels” on either side of the catfish. the mouth to “taste”. “Whatever you offer. Stinky bait is right at the top of the preferred list and here are a few more delicacies that will tempt your catfish’s taste buds: baby frogs, live perch, tarpon, crayfish, earthworms , minnows, grasshoppers, night crawlers, chicken livers, and earthworms… you think – marshmallows!
Worms are easy to find and most anglers use them as bait as they are readily available – try pouring warm soapy water on your grass. When the worms emerge, rinse them and place them in a container with fresh soil with small holes in the lid; you can store them in the fridge so they’re ready when you need them. They wriggle, of course, and when used as catfishing bait, they are irresistible. You will find mini-crawlers in the bait shop as well as other types of bait, but you have to pay for them. Why do that, when worms are free?
Just like humans, catfish love shrimp and prawns. If they are large, try cutting the shrimp in half, as long as they are large enough to be perceived as bait by the fish. They are more appealing to our catfish without the shells and if you read your grocery store flyers, you probably won’t have a hard time finding shellfish on sale – save yourself a few bucks. And if you soak them in fish oil before use, your catfish will think they’re in catfish heaven.
You can make your own catfish bait at home, and it is inexpensive and effective. Here’s a custom-made bait you can make, using breakfast cornflakes. Mash them in a bowl, add a couple tablespoons of peanut butter, and roll everything into bait-sized balls. You can dry them in the oven with the light on so they’re firm enough to stick on the hook, and you can freeze them too! The oil in the peanut butter will attract catfish because of the wonderful smell and smaller fish (which you don’t want anyway) won’t be able to steal the bait off your hook.
Sweet corn is also a good bait for cat fishing: glue a few pieces of corn to each end of your treble hook and wrap a small piece of bread around them to hide the hooks. It has a sweet scent which is exactly what your catfish like and you’ll be able to catch all those smart (and much bigger) fish that have learned to avoid you due to their previous “catch and release” experiences.
Now if you really want a boat full of catfish try this; cheese. The oily smell in the cheese will force your catfish to hunt it down ruthlessly, and you don’t have to use any of those fancy cheeses either, mousetrap cheese is cheap, and the intensely smelly Limburger is even better.
So if you plan to make your own catfish bait, be sure to mix in something that has a strong odor to tickle your catfish’s taste buds: cat or dog food is good, canned salmon or tuna juice is delicious And here’s a gourmet bait that will make your angler friends lure you and your huge catfish out of the river.
Put about a pound of chicken livers in the blender and add a pound of cheap beef liver. Add one of those pre-shredded cheese packets and mix until smooth. Now mix in a couple of tablespoons of garlic powder. If it’s too thick add a little vegetable oil, like Crisco to thin it out, and if it’s too thin add a shredded paper towel and mix everything together. Roll into one-inch balls and store in an airtight container, or freeze (clearly labeled “catfishing bait” otherwise they may be served to you for dinner one night).
Good fishing!