In the world of catfishing, the debate for the best bait for catfishing is always open, and everyone has an opinion about what is actually the best bait for catfishing. The most important thing to know when it comes to choosing the best bait for catfishing, is that in order to catch catfish in their naturally murky habitats, you have to let them know you are there in one way or another.
First, you can try to appeal to their sense of sight by fishing with a bait that is easy for them to see. You will need a lure that is brightly colored, glows, or shines to do that.
Even a bright, white miniature marshmallow will work if you are fishing water cool enough to prevent the marshmallow from melting off your hook. Other effective offerings are brightly colored lures or lures that tend to glow in the dark. If your catfish do not notice your bait, they will not hit your bait.
If you are fishing in clear water, the same truths hold for catfish as any other species. Fish using the same natural food sources they would find in their habitats. Minnows, worms, small frogs, etc. will usually provide good catches in water that is clear enough for the fish to see the bait. The trick is to choose bait offerings that closely mimic the natural forage found in the area.
Especially when the catfish are a little bit spooky, they will tend to take the bait better when it resembles what they are used to.
If you want to appeal to another sense other than the sense of sight, consider appealing to the catfishes astute sense of smell. Catfish possess highly developed senses of smell, and are not put off by scents that are particularly pungent. For this reason, there are strong smelling ingredients such as coast deodorant soap that tend to attract the fish. There are also many baits that come from your own kitchen. Sardines, shrimp, or other oily fish tend to work well when fishing for catfish.
Naturally pungent cheeses such as sharp cheddar or limberger cheese works well. Just cube it about a half an inch. Use a snap on your hooks, so you can prebait several and soften the cheese slightly in the microwave, and push your hook through the cube. This will allow the cheese to resolidify on the hook, and not crumble and fall off in the water. Once the Commercial stink bait such as Grandpappy's Home made Catfish Bait, are always popular choices for catfish bait, but there are many recipes to make your own stink bait as well.
Just use any bloody or smelly meat, such as hot dog chunks, pork, fish, beef, etc. Add garlic, salt, and any number of other ingredients such as brown sugar, and allow the mixture to get rancid. The smellier the better. Add enough of a bonding agent (like flour or bread crumbs) to make it into a dough, form balls, and place on a hook.
