In the last article we talked about prepared baits and the one we liked best. This time we switch gears and talk about live bait.
Live Bait For Catfish
To a lot of hardcore catfish guys, live bait is king. The flathead catfish will rarely hit anything but live bait, especially when it is plentiful in their habitat. Some of the favorite live baits include night crawlers, minnows, frogs, bluegill, goldfish, crawdads and leaches. I have even heard rumors of guys using 1-2 lb carp as bait for monster river cats. Check your local laws as to what kinds of live bait you can use because states vary and some states are very particular on what you can and can’t use in the way of live bait.

The nightcrawler. The all around super bait for fish!
When it comes to us, it depends on what kind of fishing we are doing. If we are bank fishing, we like to use nightcrawlers, as they are such a good general choice and it seems like anything will hit them. If we are specifically targeting catfish from the boat, we will switch to minnows or bluegill, and occasionally crawdads if they are available.
The key to picking a live bait is to let your body of water itself tell you what to use. Look around and see what is available.

The crawdad, another fine catfish delicacy!
Are you fishing over rocks? Pick up some rocks and see if there are crawdads under them. Is there an abundance of shad in the lake? Can you see small minnows swimming? Are the frogs beginning to get big? Look for these clues to help you in picking your bait.
Next time we will discuss those “other baits” that neither fall into the prepared or live bait category.
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