You want to know what does catfish like to eat? So, go on to find best bait to catch catfish in my post!
Hunting catfish is a long-time hobby of mine. My Dad started taking me to the coastal waters off the southern states of America when I was about ten years old. Back then, he only used one top of bait – shad.
best bait to catch catfish
Usually live, always a bit gross to me as a kid. But I got the hang of it, and over the years have begun trying out other types of baits with much success.
Here is a list of the top best catfish bait you need to know for success.
1.Dips And Blends
Another thing my Dad taught me was to be very specific about the types of dips I put on the rod.
I have a hard time trusting most of the store-bought kinds, except for a few that I’ve seen in stores down in Georgia that I can’t seem to find anywhere else.
The best dips are homemade by expert fisherman. These are one of the top best catfish bait you can find anywhere, because the person who blended the dip most likely did so for their regional fishing spots.
This dip will be effective in luring catfish in those spots because it will be made of local ingredients that the fish is already accustomed to.
In order to find a good local dip, I recommend doing one of three things:
- Stop by a local (I mean truly local, not a chain or corporate shop) fisherman’s store or outdoor outfitter and ask at the counter. The clerk will most likely be able to point you in the right direction.
- Fish with a longtime local. You might get lucky and get to try some of their personal dip or ask for a recommendation
- Do some experimenting and come up with one of your own. If you know the local waters around your home pretty well and have had success with different baits, use your knowledge to create a blend of local products that you suspect will do well in the water. It may take a few fishing trips to do some experimenting and some A/B testing, but with time you’ll come up with a formula that really works.
2. Worm
The old stand-by is the night crawler. Worms are cheap, easy to transport, and easy to bait.
The biggest plus to worms is that they are relatively consistent across the board. Not the highest conversion rate, but you can take them to different streams and bodies of water and pretty much expect the same result each time.
fishing with wroms
You can stop into just about any outdoorsmen store and pick up some bait. Worms are best bait for catfish in rivers
My favorite thing to do when baiting with night crawlers is to stop in some little Podunk gas station or general store in a small town near where I’m heading out to fish, and buy some there.
I’ve heard some of the best stories about fishing and gotten some incredible tips in places like this. A few times I’ve gotten lucky and had a few beers thrown in with my order.
3. Sea Life
I know I talked about shad up above, and I really stand by shad as far as being a reliable bait. Here are a few other fish-based baits that are worth a try:
- Crawfish. I also have used crawfish a few times, and really liked the results. I’ve got a buddy who swears by crawfish.
- Shrimp. Got some rotten shrimp in your freezer? Maybe you can stop by the grocery store and grab some on your way to the water. Rotten shrimp make great catfish bait because they can sense them from far away. The only problem is, so can you. I thinks it's the best bait for catfish!
- Spam. Ok, so this isn’t seafood, but it’s an animal product that works well on the hook. Plus, it’s super cheap and available at any respectable grocery store.
Here is video fishing with Shrimp
4. House Product
There are a number of random things that you probably have sitting around the house that will make perfect catfish bait. Be careful about polluting the water:
I always strongly advise against using WD-40, soap, or any other cleaning product because you’re basically just being an asshole and infecting the water.
It’s one of those situations where you might benefit in the short term, but you’re hurting everyone’s chances (as well as Mother Nature’s) down the line. Part of responsible fishing is conservation.
That said, here are some good household items to try:
- Junk food such as French fries, candy, and fried chicken. Bait these suckers up and toss the line into the water. It’s kind of a guessing game as to whether it’ll work that day, but my overall success with junk food is about 75%. Fries are the best
- Dog food. You’ll need to use the canned variety that is moist and mushy, not the kibble kind. Kibble can’t get on that line. Put a couple pieces of canned dog food on your hook and fish will come swimming right in.
- Random animal parts and garlic. Coat some cow or chicken parts with garlic and have at it. For whatever reason, fish like garlic. I guess that makes me a fish!
· Some other ideas can be found here.
5. Marshmallows
I’m always surprised that more people haven’t tried marshmallows as one of the best top catfish baits. They’re so sweet, that nearly any living creature is attracted to them.
Plus they’re really easy to get on the line and as long as you’re using the big kind, they should last a bit before being swept off the line. Hopefully, long enough to land you a catfish!
Conclusion
Catfish are one of the most desired fish in the sea. These top best catfish baits will give you plenty of things to try and see what works in the areas that you fish.
Do you have some suggestions of good bait that has worked well for you? Please leave a comment and let us know so that we can try them to.
If you enjoyed this article, blast it out on your social channels so that more people will try these things out and we can increase enjoyment in the great sport of fishing. And if you are looking a safe for your gun, check my recent post out!!!
I like how you said that worms are cheap, easy to transport, and easy to bait. I am going fishing next week and need to find fresh bait. Thank you for the tips on the best bait to catch catfish.
That’s good to know that catfish would be attracted to the sweetness of marshmallows. I would think that would be a really cheap way to get some bait. I’ll have to consider getting some of each of these ideas if I decide to go on a fishing trip this summer.