Catfish Are Biting What?

Channel Catfish Will Eat Basically Anything, Even Home Products

Jun 8, 2009

Catfish are not picky eaters, they tend to feed on natural baits found in any river, pond, lake or stream. If the bait shop is closed try these home products.

Catfish feed mostly by smell and anything with an odor can be used to catch these prized bottom dwellers.

Natural baits found commonly in catfish waters include, but are not limited to, shrimp, crawfish, live and dead minnows, bluegill, shad, leeches, grasshoppers, crickets, insects, worms and any small gamefish. As opportunistic feeders catfish will scour the bottom of the waters they inhabit and feed on anything they can swallow. Catfish often follow schools of gamefish and feed off the spoils of a feeding frenzy by the predators. Shad entrails, cut shad, dip baits and live shad are among the top catfish baits. Even though catfish are classified as bottom feeders they will capitalize on any opportunity to feed with reckless abandon at any depth.

Baits Found Around The Home

There are many products found in the home or campground that can be used to catch catfish when natural baits are hard to find. Perhaps the best bait all-around for catfish is chicken liver. Chicken liver is filled with blood which the catfish can easily find with their super-sensitive whiskers. The whiskers, head, and nostrils of a catfish are finely honed to find even a minimal amount of scent in the water. Chicken liver can be bought at any grocery store and is often a featured bait at tackle shops. Simply let the liver thaw in the sun for a few minutes and add to a small treble hook or even better, make a small thumbnail sack out of nylon hosiery to hold the bait. The blood scent can ooze out of the nylon stocking material and catfish can't easliy strip the bait off the hook.

Whole Kernel Canned CornWhole kernel corn right out of the can is a treat for catfish. Just thread a few few kernels of corn right onto a single or treble hook. Some anglers even "chum" the water with a handful of corn during use. This works especially well on farm ponds where the owner throws chunks of dog food out to feed the catfish. Corn has a unique odor and just enough oil to disperse into the water leaving a scent trail catfish can follow. The bright golden yellow color may also be an attractant when catfish are feeding by sight. The corn will last for several days if kept in a zipper bag and can be reused.

Bacon can be a top-notch bait for catfish. Use only the fat, white part of the bacon strip. These strips are greasy which leaves a vivid oil slick and scent trail. The white coloration looks much like a piece of dead bait fish and floats just enough to keep the bait in the line of sight of even bottom feeding fish. A single or treble hook may be used.

Ivory SoapPerhaps one of the most unique baits anglers have come up with is Ivory Soap. It has to be Ivory because it floats. Anglers pre-cut chunks of Ivory soap into nickle size chunks and thread them onto a single hook. The soap after a short time will begin to dissolve and emits a strong, but pleasant odor. The white coloration is a natural color fish feed on. As the soap dissolves, the scent trail permeates the water and catfish hone in on the scent and take the bait. Another advantage to using Ivory Soap is it can also be used to wash off the catfish slime once a fish is caught.

Even miniature marshmallows can be used for catfish. They are easily seen by the fish, float up off the bottom, have a soft texture and just enough flavor to attract catfish. Anglers like to thread a few of these on small treble hooks. As with the Ivory Soap, marshmallows will dissolve over time, but are still a popular bait especially with kids on a camping trip.

Onions?Onions have a powerful odor and as such are a natural catfish attractant. Either white or yellow may be used. Just unravel a few strips of onion and thread it onto a single or treble hook. The strong, pungent odor will do the rest.

It really doesn't matter to catfish what an angler is presenting as a bait as long as it has some odor and is visible. Channel catfish tend to be more likely to inhale baits that look and feel natural, but any concoction is likely to appeal to a catfish at times.

The copyright of the article Catfish Are Biting What? in Hunting & Fishing is owned by Johnnie Crain. Permission to republish Catfish Are Biting What? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.