Channel Catfish Baits

There are many different types of proven channel catfish baits used all across the United States. Some folks love chicken livers as their number one bait. Another favorite is pork rinds or cracklings. They soak the pork rinds over night until they soften enough to hook.

Many folks along the Rio Grande River in south Texas use a Mexican bar soap called Zote. The reason this soap works so well is that it contains lard. Raw biscuit dough is also known to be an effective bait. I have even heard of using marshmallows as bait.

Others use scented candles as their favorite bait, but warn don’t use red or yellow candles as they don’t work as well. Spam is also an effective channel catfish bait. Chicken breast soaked with anise is reported to work excellent according to some folks. One guy reports that he uses a Slim Jim Meat Stick as his bait. He swears he caught a twenty pound channel catfish using this method.

From hotdogs soaked in WD-40 to garlic, there are lots of catfishing bait recipes out there containing some crazy ingredients.

Good old stink baits from the store work well also, but it’s tons of fun to make your own concoction and see what you catch. There are as many different ways to catch a channel cat as you can dream up. Next time you’re out on the water try one of these methods or make up one of you’re own.

If you have a great catfish bait recipe you want to share or some great ingredients that have worked for you please let us know.

Good Luck and Happy Fishing, Gary