Freshly caught bait like this skipjack herring will often outfish
frozen or commercial baits by a significant margin.
Catfish Basics: The Bait Equation
Story and photo by Keith “Catfish” Sutton
Fresh bait + proper presentation = big cats. That’s the bait equation. Without fresh bait (either live or freshly killed), you might find it difficult to catch trophy catfish consistently. In fact, the trophy cat enthusiast must learn first to catch bait, second to catch fish.
Begin by determining what baits work best when and where you’re fishing. Local anglers, fisheries biologists and bait shop proprietors can help in this regard, so seek their advice. Test the baits they recommend, and refine your presentations until you’re able to catch cats more often than not.
The thing to remember is, the best bait choice depends on a variety of factors, particularly the species and size of catfish you’re targeting, the season and the availability of particular forage animals in the body of water you’re fishing. The possibilities may seem endless, but if you study the situation thoroughly, you’ll narrow the selection to a few choice baits.
The bait you want may be available from bait dealers or fish farms. If so, rejoice. You can spend more time fishing, less time finding bait. If the bait you need can’t be purchased, however, you’ll have to learn ways to obtain your own and allot some time for bait-catching before every trip.
If fresh shad rank high on the local bait list, invest in a good cast net, and learn to use it properly. Some excellent baits—skipjacks, sunfish and bullheads, for example—can be caught on small lures or baited hooks. Special traps may be required to catch crayfish, creek chubs and other favored baits. But some bait animals, such as frogs, can be caught by hand. Check local regulations to determine what’s legal, then learn the best methods to catch what you need.
Sometimes catching bait is quick and simple; you can do it on site just before fishing. Other times, you may spend hours trying to find fresh bait, with or without success. It’s important to prepare for all possibilities.
Most expert anglers try to catch what they need in advance of their fishing trip, and do what’s necessary to keep it lively or fresh. This may be as simple as icing down skipjacks in a cooler or keeping frogs in a wet burlap bag, or as elaborate as constructing special aerated tanks for housing live baitfish. If the bait of preference is unobtainable, a substitute can be found before the trip is made.
Anglers who expect to catch all their bait at the fishing site may come up empty handed. Shad may be plentiful one day and gone the next. Skipjacks may have migrated to parts unknown. To keep such outings from being ruined, always carry backup baits such as chicken liver or night crawlers. You may not catch a trophy cat, but perhaps you’ll catch some smaller ones and still enjoy the day.
Frozen baits rarely work as well as fresh-caught baits, but when bait such as herring is plentiful, consider freezing some for times of need. Vacuum-sealer units like those made by FoodSaver, Bosenkitchen and Vakumar can maintain surplus baits in near-fresh condition for months and are well worth the meager investment.
The bottom line is this: if big cats are your quarry, use the freshest bait possible to improve your odds for success. Try to catch some bait on site before you start fishing, for this is the freshest of all. But be prepared in case your efforts fail.
(Keith “Catfish” Sutton is a veteran outdoor writer based in Arkansas who has spent a lifetime fishing the waters of the Natural State and beyond. Through his work with CatfishNOW, he shares time-tested tips and fresh ideas aimed at helping anglers find more success—and enjoyment—on every trip.)
