Catfish Bait: Tips and Tricks
John E. Phillips 06.14.12
Successful catfish catchers know where the cats are, what they want to eat, and which method of angling will put the catfish on their tables.
The best bait to bag buckets full of no-scales depends on several things – the water temperature; the price, smell and availability of the bait; the catfish’s mood; and the catfish’s available food source. Baits that work well in the winter may not produce cats in the summer. Since a catfish’s number-one sensory organ is smell, rancid baits are the most preferred by the catfish. But in the wintertime, cold water will preserve the bait and keep it from deteriorating and giving off as strong an odor.
Baits that have an odor – no matter what the odor – are the most productive for catching catfish. Many commercial and sport fishermen have turned to bars of soap for bait for their jugs and trotlines. Heat up the bars in the oven, so the soap will become pliable, and then cut the bar into 1/4 inch squares. Put these squares on hook as bait. The cold water retards the rate at which the soap will melt, providing a long-life stink bait. Strangely enough, catfish have their favorite types of soap. Octagon and Ivory usually work best nationwide. However, try several varieties, until you determine which type of soap draws catfish in your area. Although inexpensive, soap does have one drawback. The lye in the soap will deteriorate the point of the hook. An angler needs to test all his points after six to 10 baitings with soap. As effective as soap is in the winter, it’s virtually useless in the late spring and summer. Warm water causes it to melt at such a rate that it doesn’t stay on the hook long enough to catch a cat.
A productive summertime bait in many regions of the country are yellow raisins that swell and become rancid when they come into contact with warm water. The strong odor, tough skin and yellow color combine to provide just the right ingredients for a catfish’s dinner. Raisins are inexpensive when an angler considers the cost per bait and are readily available and easy to store. Catfish attack yellow raisins much more than black ones, but no one knows why.
Of course the outdoorsman who uses the natural food of the cat can’t miss either. Freshwater mussels will take stringers of catfish during the spring and the summer. However, these mussels can be hard to get and difficult to open. Night crawlers, fiddle worms, cut shad and shad gut are also productive catfish baits. Some anglers take catfish on grasshoppers, doughnuts and marshmallows. Recently a man called me to describe “the best kept secret in catfish bait in America today.” His secret was cheap wieners or hotdogs. “I bait my hooks every night with wieners, and in the mornings, I have all the catfish I need,” the man told me. But for the best information on what cats are biting in your area, check with the boat dock owner wherever you plan to fish or ask a commercial fisherman from that region.
For more catfishing tips, check out last week’s post on fishing swift-moving water for cat’s or this guide on using trotlines and jugs for reeling in cats.
John, the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors.
Phillips has been a contributor to many national magazines, has been affiliated with 27 radio stations across Alabama serving as their outdoor editor and wrote for a weekly syndicated column, "Alabama Outdoors," for 38-Alabama newspapers for more than 13 years. Phillips was Outdoor Editor for the "Birmingham Post-Herald" for 24 years. Phillips was also the executive editor for "Great Days Outdoors" magazine for 3 years.
The author of almost 30 books on the outdoors, Phillips is a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and an active member of the Southeastern Outdoors Press Association (SEOPA). Phillips also is the owner of Night Hawk Publications, a marketing and publishing firm, and president of Creative Concepts, an outdoor consulting group.
Phillips conducts seminars across the nation at colleges in freelance writing, photography and outdoor education besides teaching courses in how to sell what you write to writers' groups. Phillips received his photography training as a still-lab photo specialist for six years in the Air Force. He was the chief photographer for Mannequins, Inc., a Birmingham modeling agency, for 11 years.
While serving as 2nd Vice President of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Phillips was in charge of all press releases for the organization as well as serving as Chairman of Alabama's Big Buck Contest, which he founded more than 30 years ago. He also was president of the Alabama Sportsman's Association for three years.
Phillips is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the Governor of Alabama and the Department of Conservation for his work in the outdoor field. Phillips is vitally interested in the outdoors and travels the nation collecting personalities, stories and how-to information for his articles and features.
EDUCATION: B.S. degree from the University of West Alabama with a physical education major and a history minor.
EXPERIENCE: 10 years parttime and fulltime physical director for YMCAs and 34 years as a freelance writer, photographer, editor, book author, lecturer and daily-content provider for websites. Currently, Phillips is a field editor for Game and Fish Publications; serves on the editorial board of Grandview Media; is a regular contributor to 12 internet magazines and a daily content provider for 8 websites.
WRITING AWARDS: Runnerup - Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - 1981 - SEOPA; Certificate of Merit - Awarded by Alabama's Governor for writings on conservation; Most Outstanding Sports Writer in Southeast - 1983 & 1984; Best Outdoor Feature in Alabama, 1987 - Alabama Sportswriters' Association 3rd Place; Best Book of the Year - 1989 - SEOPA; 2007 - inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator; 2008 - received award naming him 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the Year from the Crossbow Manufacturers' Association; 2009 - GAMMA Honorable Mention for Consumer/Paid Best Essay for July/August 2008 in "Southern Sporting Journal."
