9 Best Catfish Bait - Ultimate [Secret] Guide for Anglers

Catfish is one of those species that are frequently misunderstood, especially by beginners. Large part of that is their diet.

It is true that catfish are not picky eaters, and that they will eat almost anything, however, it is important to know when and where to present it.

The best catfish bait can be described as the one that works in given conditions. This is a complex topic and that is why I decided to write this extensive guide, and list every single bait that can be used for your fishing adventures.

You can use almost anything that has stronger smell and taste, including chicken, liver, hotdogs, dog food, and many other things that can seem very strange if you are new to this.

What to use for catfish bait depends on yeartime and specific conditions in your area, as well as the catfish species you are trying to catch.

I have tried and tested all of these catfish baits, and here is what I discovered!

What is the Best Catfish Bait? [Really Good]

Good catfish bait will not only make a catfish bite, but it will attract it from a distance!

As an angler, you have endless options to achieve this goal, and don’t be afraid to experiment and try out different baits to see what works the best in your area. It would be wise that you check out What Does Catfish Eat so that you can understand their natural behaviors better.

Here is a list of simple, affordable, and very effective catfish baits.

#1: Hot Dog for Catfish Bait

Let’s start with one simple and popular catfish bait that may seem surprising to you. When talking about what is the best catfish bait, I have to mention hotdogs.

Hot dog for catfish bait is simple, cheap, easy to use, and widely available. And here I am talking about the cheapest, smellies, and the most disgusting ones you can find in a store. The ones you wouldn’t give to your dog, let alone you.

Hotdogs will not catch the biggest catfish, and you should target smaller ones, or maybe medium sized fish.

Use them alone, or even mix them with other ingredients to increase efficiency. Garlic is one of the ingredients that goes well with hotdogs. You can even soak them in flavored juice like KoolAid. This method will add extra flavor (strawberry works well) and it will make them stronger, and they will stay on a hook better.

#2: Shrimp for Catfish Bait

Another good option is using shrimp for catfish bait. Channel and Bullhead catfish love it, and this bait can be used both dead and alive.

Even better option is garlic shrimp for catfish bait. You can use dead saltwater shrimp if you don’t have access to live freshwater ones. While I have to admit that live fish works better, this bait is frequently very effective for smaller catfish who will eat prey that is easier to get.

When it comes to dead shrimp as bait, same as with hotdogs (and many other catfish baits) you can add flavoring to increase smell and taste. Catfish have excellent sense of smell, and it will guide them to your hook.

Because this bait is not the smelliest one, it will work better in summer than in winter. Cold water slows down the spread of smell.

#3: Chicken for Catfish Bait [Liver, Gizzards and Meat]

Chicken, including meat and some organs too, can be very effective. Chicken liver catfish bait is one of the best baits due to its strong scent. If something smells horrible to you, it is great for catfish. However, you should not use rotten meat as catfish won’t eat that.

Chicken liver is one of the most effective parts of chicken, however you can use other parts too. Chicken for catfish bait can be prepared in various ways, including spicing it up with garlic. Using parts of chicken that you will not use for your lunch is both cheap and simple. This even includes greasy skin.

Chicken gizzards for catfish bait, and even the chicken hearts, make a good alternative to more expensive chicken meat. But, if you want, you can use meat too.

Chicken breast catfish bait recipe I like to use is a simple one. I make a marinade from two packs of KoolAid and garlic. The amount of garlic powder should be similar to amount of KoolAid. Then you should cut the breast into bait sized pieces and roll them in this marinade. Put it in a plastic box with a lid and leave overnight. Chicken breasts are only good if you spice them up, otherwise they are not effective.

#4: Liver for Catfish Bait

As I already mentioned when talking about chicken, liver is a great catfish bait. And you can use liver from almost any kind of animal. Beef liver for catfish bait works great, although it is very soft. Same as chicken or roster liver, it can fall of a hook easily, so you have to be careful, or even use bait thread. Channel catfish reacts the best on this bait.

Among other liver, you can try to use rooster liver for catfish bait. It is similar to chicken liver when it comes to smell of it. But, rooster liver is a bit darker and harder, so it stays on a hook better. Scent of it also traveles further because it is a bit bloodier.

Some anglers are also hunters, so you should think about deer liver for catfish bait. It attracts mostly smaller channel catfish, however, it is even better for chumming than it is for bait. For some reason, deer liver works better for prebaiting.

On the other hand, deer meat for catfish bait can be used, but in my opinion, it is a waste of good meat. Unless your freezer broke down and you have a lot of spoiled meat that smells bad.

#5: Soap for Catfish Bait

You have probably heard that catfish will bite on anything, so what about using some soap for catfish bait?

Ivory soap catfish bait is actually quite popular among DIY baits, but of course, combined with other ingredients. You will have to add bacon grease, water, powdered cheese, and some strong scented oil, like Anis.

Idea: Melt 3 pounds of ivory soap, add 6 ounces of bacon grease, ¼ pounds of powdered cheese, and 2 cups of water. Add a bit more water, or more powdered cheese, to get a desired consistency. It should be like pudding. When all ingredients are blended together, remove it from heat and add a teaspoon of oil. Pour in in a large and shallow pan and let it cool down for one day. Cut into pieces and you are ready to go!

The only “problem” is that oils in this bait, that are smell carriers through the water, dissolve very slowly, so you have to be patient.

#6: Live Fish for Catfish Bait [Goldfish, Carp, etc.]

To know if using live fish is efficient you must know do catfish eat other fish. And the answer is YES, they do, especially larger specimens.

Live fish is one of the best baits of you are targeting large catfish, especially flathead! And don’t be afraid to increase the live bait size if you want to prevent smear catfish from biting it.

Live fish for catfish bait can be various, including perch, shad, bluegill, sunfish, and even small carp. And some people will use goldfish too.

Goldfish for catfish bait is actually very effective although it is not naturally present in waters where catfish live. Unlike many other fish that prefer natural baits, catfish will eat live organisms that are not living in their waters. Hook them with suitable hooks behind a doral fin and make sure that you don’t injure their backbone.

If using carp for catfish bait, you will most likely use the dead one. Carp is a large fish, and although catfish can occasionally eat baby carp, you can use pieces of larger carp. Cut the fillets, remove scales, and cut into pieces of desired size. If you remove scales, it will release more scent.

#7: Dog Food for Catfish Bait

If you have a dog, there is a high chance that you already have some suitable dog food for catfish bait.

Choose canned food that comes in solid chunks. The smellier, the better. It can also be used for chumming. A lot of these foods come already spiced up with gravy or some smelly sauces.

You can use dried dog food for chumming, but canned chunks are suitable to be mounted on a hook too. If the chunks are too soft, you can secure them with bait thread.

All catfish species can be caught with it, but channel catfish likes it the most. And the best part when it comes to dog food is that it is easily accessible, cheap, easy to transport, and has a very long shelf life.

#8: Cheese for Catfish Bait

Everyone loves cheese, and catfish are no exception! Cheese for catfish bait can be used if it is smelly enough and dense enough to stay on a hook. Mildly flavored ones are not the best options. Also, soft cheese can be added to some DIY baits, but it is not good as a single bait.

Limburger cheese for catfish bait is one of the best options. It is extremely smelly, and if you want, you can add it to any kind of home-made mix for chumming too. This cheese is soft when mature, so keeping it on a hook may be a nightmare. To make it firm, melt it a bit, and add a bit of flour, and even vanilla extract or garlic. Then let it cool and form balls.

Velveeta cheese for catfish bait is another option. Limburger is sold only in larger supermarkets, so Velveeta is a good substitute. It is cheap, widely available, and it is a form of processed cheese that is harder than Limburger. Although it can be used alone, it is much more efficient as an ingredient of home-made dough balls or similar baits.

#9: Boilies for Catfish Bait

And lastly, we have boilies. You may have wondered do catfish eat boilies, and as you can already assume, YES, they do. Process of making them at home is the same as for carp, but they are smellier.

Many anglers really like them because boilies are far less disgusting than many other baits for catfish. Fish flavored ones work the best because they have much stronger scent. Also, I would advise you to make your own because you can customize them completely. Here you can check how I fish for carp with boilies ...

Crayfish, squid, and crab are also excellent flavors. The easiest recipe is the one that I started with, and I will share it here. Of course, you can change some ingredients to make it more suitable for your fishing situation.

IDEA: Use 1/3 lb of powdered milk, 0.4 lb wheat germ, 1/4 lb fish meal, 2 teaspoons of garlic, 5 big eggs, and 6 drops of vanilla extract. First, mix the dry ingredients, and then add beaten eggs and vanilla. Knead it like dough. Add a bit of water if the dough is too hard, or a bit of flour if it is too soft. Form balls of desired size, boil them for 2 minutes, and let them dry on a piece of cloth overnight!

FAQs about Best Catfish Baits:

I listed some of the best catfish bait options, and now I have to answer some questions that are frequently asked by catfish anglers.

If you want to know which baits work in certain parts of the year, or what are the best baits for specific species of catfish, keep on reading!

What is [How to Make] the Best Homemade Catfish Bait? [DIY Recipe]

Homemade catfish baits have a lot of benefits. You can add ingredients you want to increase effectiveness of the bait in your own area. Besides, ingredients are usually very cheap. I already mentioned boilies and spiced up hot dogs, so here is one different diy catfish bait recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of soft/cream cheese, preferably smelly one
• ½ lb of liver (it can be chicken, roster, or any other)
• Garlic powder – one large spoon
• 1-2 baitfish of any kind, preferably oily ones like herrings
• Canned dog/cat food
• Flour (wheat if possible)

Use a blender to mix liver, dog food, and baitfish. Add cheese and garlic and blend again. Remove it from a blender and put it into a bowl. Add wheat flour and knead it like a bread dough. When the consistency is right and you can make firm balls, that’s it. You don’t have to cook this like boilies, and you can use it raw. Make double the quantity if you want to use some for chumming too.

This is the recipe for catfish bait I personally like the most because it is easy and can be customized. You can use any kind of meat instead of chicken liver. You can even replace dog food with cat food or even some smelly and cheap meat spread for human consumption. Add vanilla extract, or even KoolAid if you like to experiment.

What is the Best Channel Catfish Bait?

What is good catfish bait depends on a catfish species. There are many good baits for channel catfish, and I already mentioned some of them before.

However, If I have to list one as the best channel catfish bait, it is chicken liver. This bait is cheap, smelly, easy to use, and works excellent in almost any situation and time of year.

If you prefer something that doesn’t stink as much, go for nightcrawlers. They can work well for channels.

What is the Best Flathead Catfish Bait?

The best flathead catfish bait is a bit different than a bait for channels. Flatheads prefer live bait, and that is something that they will bite on in any situation. Other baits are not as good.

Live baitfish, like goldfish, perch, and bluegill work the best. Hook them behind a dorsal fin and their injured movement and scent will attract flatheads from a distance.

The reason for this is the fact that grown up flatheads stop scavenging for food. They lurk and ambush their prey, so you will have to offer something that suits their natural feeding behavior.

What is the Best Blue Catfish Bait?

Blue catfish can be caught on various baits, but one of the best ones is shad.

The best blue catfish bait has to be fresh. Forget spoiled fish that was accidentally left in your garage for a week as blue catfish won’t eat it.

Freshly cut pieces of shad, or even other fish, will do the best job. Herrings may also work very well. The reason for this is the fact that freshy caught and cut fish can release a lot of scent into the water.

Live bait is not necessary as it will not give better results. Shad and herrings are quite oily, and oils are excellent smell carriers.

What is the Best Catfish Bait for Lakes and Ponds?

Rivers, ponds, and lakes are very different even if you are fishing for the same species of fish. The best catfish bait for lakes is different from the best one for rivers.

When fishing for catfish in a lake you can use worms, like nightcrawlers, for almost any catfish. This bait is highly effective when alive. To make it release more scent with movement, cut of its tail, or cut it into pieces, but make sure that it stays alive.

The best catfish bait for paylakes or ponds can be the same, or you can switch to smelly baits like any kind of cheese-based DIY baits. I already mentioned how to make those in the previous chapters.

Catfish living in ponds are used to man-made foods so the taste and smell of it can work excellent. Any kind of those baits mentioned above can work well.

What is the Best Catfish Bait for Rivers?

Fishing in moving waters (like catfishing in Ebro river) is a bit different and you have to apply that logic to baits too. The best catfish bait for rivers is not the same as the best catfish bait for ponds or lakes.

In moving waters, you will find wild catfish that may be suspicious towards man-made baits. If that is the case in your waters and it seems that nothing is working, use live shad or live nightcrawlers. You can’t go wrong with that.

Except for those two, river fishing is time to get some shrimp, alive, or even the dead ones too. Natural baits are a key to success.

What is the Best Catfish Bait for Winter?

Summer and winter are quite different and for catfish, water temperature plays a huge role in food finding. In cold waters scent will travel much slower and to shorter distances. To attract catfish in such conditions, use baits with stronger scent. Natural food sources become less available in winter, so catfish has no choice, and it will eventually bite your bait.

Live bait can also work well due to lack of naturally present live fish. The one you present will be very attractive because of that. Shad and nightcrawlers are always a good option.

Catfish can be a bit slower and less interested, so live bait that is well known to catfish may work the best. But as already said, because there is no other food, smelly baits are also a good option. Take both and see which one is better in your specific situation.

What is the Best Catfish Bait for Early Spring?

Best catfish bait for early spring also depends on water and catfish species. Nightcrawlers are quite good for almost any catfish, as well as cut shad for blue catfish.

Smaller catfish will be scavenging for food when spring arrives, so if you offer cut bait of any kind of meat like chicken meat, or the classic liver bait, there is a high chance that you will catch one.

But don’t just think about the baits. I already mentioned importance of chumming, and if that is allowed in your waters, think about it. It can significantly increase your success.

Early spring catfish bait does not differ a lot than winter bait.

What is the Best Quick and Easy Catfish Bait? [When You are in Hurry!]

Making your own catfish bait is easy, but time consuming in some cases. Boilies have to be cooled down; dough has to settle to be formed into balls. If you don’t have time for any of this, here is how to make the best catfish bait that is also a quick catfish bait.

First option are hotdogs! I mentioned them already, and you can simply spice them up, put it in a plastic box and go. It doesn’t matter if they don’t soak all of the spices. It will be a bit less effective, but it is still an excellent bait.

Either keep a few packs of hotdogs at home, or simply make a short stop on your way to the fishing location and buy them in a store.

Another quick and easy catfish bait is cheese, dog food, or basically any meat you can find in your fridge on which you will add a bit of garlic.

What is the Best Catfish Bait for Muddy Water?

Visibility in muddy waters is very bad, so catfish will have to rely on smell only. Stinky baits are the best catfish bait for muddy water. The same goes for cut bait, and any kind of meat and liver.

Scent will travel far away so that catfish can sense it. It will also look less suspicious in darker conditions. Any kind of strong scented bait will work excellent in muddy and moving waters.

These conditions are great to experiment a bit with various bait. Try liver, or maybe some recipe with cheese. Your options are endless here.

What is the Best Catfish Bait from Grocery Store?

The best catfish bait from grocery store is probably hot dogs. These are extremely popular, cheap, and you can buy them in any store, anywhere.

But grocery store catfish bait is not limited only to hotdogs. There are all kinds of meat, canned dog food, cheese, and even soap. Basically, every ingredient of every catfish bait I mentioned here can be bought in a grocery store.

Bread and corn can also be used in various mixtures, especially for chumming. Bread can soak up a lot of various ingredients. It has an excellent texture for dissolving and spreading the smell through water.

You can even buy frozen shrimp and use it as bait.

What is the Best Catfish Bait After Rain?

Rain has a big influence on fishing conditions. Just before the rain you can take advantage of feeding frenzy. After rain, there is short period of time when fish will bite before they calm down, but you have to know how to adjust your approach.

Rain will stir up the water, it will make baitfish move, and various nutrients will be flushed into the water.

The best catfish bait after rain is definitely baitfish if the water is still relatively clear. Smaller fish will naturally come to the banks after rain, and catfish will follow. Present your baitfish there.

If rain caused murky water and flushed a lot of mud into it then go for stinky baits like chicken liver.

What is the Best Catfish Bait to Buy at Walmart or Amazon?

Going to the store may not be convenient for you at all times, but luckily there are various shopping options. You can go to a website of one of the popular stores like Walmart. The best catfish bait at Walmart is literally anything. All baits mentioned here can be bought there, so it is an ideal place to buy everything at once. Except for those, you can buy dough bait, dip bait, chicken liver, blood dough, and similar. And the best of all, it can be delivered to your door.

There are many online stores and one of the best is Amazon. The best catfish bait at amazon is any man-made bait you can think of. You can buy boilies, dough, blood baits, dips, and many variations of similar products. It is one of the best places to buy already prepared baits.

How to Keep Catfish Bait on a Hook for a Long Time?

Keeping catfish bait on a hook is not an easy task, especially if the bait is soft and sensitive. Unfortunately, one of the best catfish baits is also one of the most sensitive ones. I’m talking about liver.

So, how to keep catfish bait on hook if it doesn’t want to stay on it? You can visit any tackle store or Amazon and buy bait thread. It is similar to dental floss, and it is used to tie up the bait on a hook.

You can also use a mesh for the same purpose.

Some baits like soft cheese can be combined with other ingredients to make a harder texture and enable it to sit on a hook longer.

What to Do if Your Dog Ate Catfish Bait?

Unfortunately, many dogs love to steal food, or eat smelly and rotten stuff they find somewhere. Some catfish baits can be very attractive to them.

“My dog ate catfish bait, what to do?” is actually a quite common question. The answer is, don’t panic!

If you can, call a vet and tell them what happened. Most of the baits you can buy in stores are not toxic, and they will result in just a bad diarrhea. Your dog will be ok.

If your dog ate some of your homemade baits, think about the ingredients. If it is freshly cut meat, nothing will happen. If it is rotten, you should call your vet and ask for advice.

If the dog ate soap bait or something that can be toxic, you have to call a vet, even if it is the middle of the night. They will tell you is it necessary to come to the clinic, maybe advise you to induce vomiting (never do that if you were not advised by a vet on how to do it and whether it is necessary or not), or they will tell you not to worry.

And ask yourself why your dog ate catfish bait and how can you prevent that from happening again. Never leave those things around your pets.

Is Garlic Good for Catfish Bait?

There are many ingredients that can be used for spicing up baits. Catfish bait with garlic is very efficient due to strong scent that attracts hungry fish (carp also like the garlic).

The best thing about garlic is that it can be added to almost any bait, it is cheap, and widely available. You can spice up hot dogs, any kind of dough, and even shrimp. Catfish love it!

How much you will use it depends on a bait and other ingredients, but you can’t go wrong by adding one tablespoon of it to any mixture.

Is Vanilla Good for Catfish Bait?

Vanilla is frequently used for cakes, but what about vanilla extract for catfish bait? This strong and sweet scent works great, and you can use it in the same baits you would use garlic.

Soak shrimp in it or add it to home-made catfish dough baits. Usually, I like to use either vanilla or garlic, and I rarely mix them both, but you should try various options to see what will give the best results.

The best catfish bait is the one that works for you, I’m here to give you many ideas, but you have to perfect it.

So, vanilla catfish bait works excellent, especially in conditions where using strong scented baits is advised.

Any catfish bait with vanilla will be more effective than just plain bait without this additional flavor.

Conclusion

It is true that catfish will eat almost anything, but that doesn’t mean that they will eat everything at all times.

Some baits work better in muddy waters, while other ones are better for clear rivers. The same goes for different catfish species. While flathead loves live bait, blue can be caught with cut bait.

The best thing about catfish eating anything is that you have endless options to make your own home-made baits with customized ingredients. From dough to boilies, you can use various smelly ingredients to make a perfect mix!

And there is one last tip. Blend your best catfish bait that is full of very smelly ingredients outside, and make sure that it doesn’t end up on your clothes!