Some of the baits I have used for used for CATFISHing here on the Ohio River are, chicken liver, minnows, shrimp, Spam, French Fries and more.
Fresh chicken liver works better than frozen liver that has thawed out. It does get bites however, cats peck at it so by the time you pick up the rod they have cleaned the bait off the hook. My experience is the fish swallows the bait more often than getting hooked. The biggest drawback is keeping the bait on the hook when casting from the bank. Trying to get a long cast with chicken liver is very difficult. It seems like half the time the liver will just fly off the hook with any forceful cast. This is no problem if you are fishing from a boat, just flip it out and feed it line so the current can take it away from the boat for you.
Spam does get bites but is even harder to cast from the bank. three out of four cast can see the bait go flying in the air before the line hits the water.
Shrimp works well for it does have a scent to it and stays on the hook when casting from the bank. You normally have to get the shrimp when it is on sale and freeze it. Then get it out the night before you fish to let it thaw out.
Minnows are good for there are so many fish that will feed on them beside catfish. So even if the cats are not biting you could get a perch, largemouth bass, stripper or a white bass.
Yes! I did say French Fries as bait! I have caught channel cats up river and right in the downtown Cincinnati area on FRENCH FRIES. I did read posting from a guy that caught a large Flathead on fries by one of the restaurants on the river in Newport Ky. Any fast food place that sells fries works. If possible pick some up when heading to your spot so they are on the warm side. That allows the grease to get into the water to make a scent trail easier.
I had great success in February 2004 using chunks of steak for bait. I caught 8 bluecats with it, largest being 13 pounds. It did not matter if it was raw or grilled with seasoning. So if you have some scrapes left over from a cookout just put it in a small freezer bag. If you have a friend that works in a restaurant that has steak, ask them to make up doggie bag of scraps for you. It stays on the hook very well when casting and the fish have a hard time just pecking it off the hook. All of those eight fish were hooked, none swallowed it. So I was able to released them to grow bigger for the next season.
This past summer I was able to use a casting net to get some gizzard and thinfin shad for bait. These fish die very quickly. So I just cut them up for bait. Skipjack is a great bait if you can get them. Around Cincinnati they can be caught on a rod and reel in the Fall. Other than that the only place I know for skipjack year round is the power plant at Aberdeen Ohio. I have some frozen cut skipjack from last Fall to start off this season.
July 19 2003 I caught two Channel Cats around 2 1/2 lbs. using the skin from fried chicken. It says on the hook for casting O.K. Had 3 other bites but they stripped off the bait. I'm not sure if large cats bite on it. Just started using it today. So when your family is done eating their chicken dinner put the scraps of skin in a small zip lock bag in the freezer till you go fishing.
ALso learnd in July 2003 from another Catfisherman about Chicken nuggets for bait. He had been telling me about it a couple time this summer. The other week I saw him actually catch a 5 lb. channel cat out of the river using chicken nuggets. He turn to me and said that was the smallest one of the day. He had landed 5 other cats earlier that morning and released them. HE had stopped at McDonalds and picked up a 6 nugget serving that morning. He said he has used other companies nuggets in the past.
I hope you get a chance to try out some of these baits this season. Tight lines and plenty of action to all!
Norb Wormald
About The Author
I have fished for Catfish on the Ohio aound the Downtown area of Cincinnati for 40 years. I also enjoy trying my hand at golf. Since retiring have made up 2 main web sites.
Please visit my web sites: nlcatfish@aol.com webmaster for CINCINNATI CATFISHING www.cincinnaticatfishing.com & SHOP WITHOUT DROPPING www.cincinnaticatfishing.com/Shop1.html
--
You have permission to publish this article in it's entirety either, electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be greatly appreciated! Thank You.
Southeast Florida Swordfishing ? "Purple Fever"Once you have your tackle... Read More
Written on the rod blank or handle is a code... Read More
Picking a fly fishing rod is a tricky endeavor. Do... Read More
In night fishing 95% of success is determined before your... Read More
For those of you that don't know, Alaska trout fishing... Read More
A tacklebox or a tackle bag is... Read More
For the most part, I am an advocate for catch... Read More
5 Things To Be Careful of When Night FishingNight fishing... Read More
You knew it would come to this sooner or later....I... Read More
Method 2The second method that works really well for me... Read More
For those who are interested in speckled trout, you will... Read More
Class Is In Session.... Baitfish 101Okay.So you would think that... Read More
As Forrest Gump would say, you never know what you're... Read More
As the owner/operator of a full service boat detailing-yacht maintenance... Read More
The overhead cast is the most basic fly cast. Learn... Read More
One day a friend and I decided to go fishing... Read More
I was watching a TV Show with Bill Dance and... Read More
Rainbow Trout: Few freshwater fish can match the fighting spirit... Read More
Fishing Gem #1 ? When Is Best?If you are in... Read More
When you are going fishing, whether nearby your home or... Read More
I was in Southwest Florida and was asked to go... Read More
Saltwater fly fishing is all the rage these days. This... Read More
For Hunting, fishing, hiking, boating or cycling in all kinds... Read More
Often lake fish will gather in schools and cruise around... Read More
The next few days in Ohio are supposed to be... Read More
Want to see what's really going on under the water... Read More
Cheap SinkersSpark plugs make excellent disposable sinkers. Need some cheap... Read More
Dry fly angling is at the top of any fly... Read More
Originally published in Procats Online MagazineSettin' It UpOnce Jeff has... Read More
Whether it's the peaceful and serene beauty of being on... Read More
Experienced fishermen know all about the cutthroat trout. That is... Read More
We all have used buzz baits and we know why... Read More
Preparation is the Key To Successful Night Fishing, You Better... Read More
Fish Cooking Basics I must admit that I... Read More
For those of you that don't know this, fishermen by... Read More
Brook trout are one of the most popular game fish... Read More
Ah, fishing in the rain. You may not like the... Read More
Originally published in Procats Online MagazineSummertime angling for trophy-sized blue... Read More
I was watching a TV Show with Bill Dance and... Read More
Get Rid Of SharksSharks buggin' you? To get rid of... Read More
Fly fishing is addictive. Once you start, you'll never stop.... Read More
The term stream trout is actually a term used to... Read More
Making fishing lures may be easy for the seasoned do-it-yourself... Read More
IntroductionMany of the people about to take one of my... Read More
The true Angler Fish lives in both shallow and deep... Read More
Have you ever noticed some people have all the luck... Read More
Fly fishing has a history stretching back... Read More
Method 1EquipmentI fish baits at all depths, not just the... Read More
Originally published in Procats Online MagazineSettin' It UpOnce Jeff has... Read More
First of all, we need to look at the word... Read More
River dry fly fishing considered as the purest form of... Read More
Do you have a lucky hat?It was a beautiful warm... Read More
I was watching a TV Show with Bill Dance and... Read More
For many fishermen Alaska is the ultimate "mecca" of fishing.... Read More
Last summer we had an unfortunate incident with a swordfish... Read More
Like all bass fishing, bass fly fishing has exploded in... Read More
Well, we have talked about flippin and now we'll mention... Read More
This aint exactly rocket scientry boys...I picked up a copy... Read More
Method 2The second method that works really well for me... Read More
When looking for information on how to fly fish, fly... Read More
One of the most important steps in getting sponsored to... Read More
All the books written on fly fishing all mention the... Read More
Preparation is the Key To Successful Night Fishing, You Better... Read More
It has always been my private conviction that any man... Read More
When you are going fishing, whether nearby your home or... Read More
Have you ever been on a lake and thought to... Read More
Fishing |