What is the best bait to use for any type of catfish in the spring????

[catfishclark10]

What is the best bait to use for any type of catfish in the spring????

[Del in KS]

My favorite is fresh Chicken livers. Use a very sharp knife to cut each one into 2 or 3 pieces. If you pull or tear them apart it changes the texture and makes it harder to keep on the hook. Turkey livers are better if you can find them because they are tougher. Had good luck with pieces of raw Shrimp also. This stuff doesn't stink like many baits.

[rrmont]

I like to use chicken livers or shad sides. However, if you use shad sides take some rubber gloves because you cann't get the smell off your hands.

[CRAWLIFE]

If you had a good freeze and a good shad kill as soon as the water thaws shad is good.The hits will be very subtle.Sometimes you just notice a little slack in the line.Later when water temp in the main lake is 60 degrees or so start hitting the feeder creeks after heavy rains with nightcrawlers.Look for beaver holes under root systems in the bank or downed tree in the creek.At the right spot at the right time your line will hardly even hit the bottom.And there all spawners so they are all decent size.During times like this I use tiny little nubs of nightcrawler like you would for sunfish.

[pumakitchen]

Shad and Chicken livers seem to produce the best. MOre important than bait choice this time of year is locations choice. Water temperature can tell you alot about where the cats are going to be. Figure that out, cast out two poles(1 chicken liver, 1 shad) and wait for the hit.

[teufelhunden]

Crawfish and perch work really well; as do chicken liver and shad. Some people swear by stink bait and I have caught cats with it, but I would prefer not to deal with it.

[bomberpride]

Liver

[usmcturkey]

I always used stink bait, but that was awhile back. I had a tube of this paste that I put on the sinker, added with a nightcrawler worked amazing.

[Jim in Mo]

pumakitchen has it right, water temperature has alot to do with it early. The cats will be where it's warmest. But as far as bait, smelly stuff is the best ANY time of year.

[jamesti]

look for the first place that the ice is clearing from the lake and start there. look for the bait fish die off and use it. turkey liver is good soaked in chicken blood.

[evspence]

MIX STALE HOT DOG BUNS WITH PEANUT BUTTER AND ADD WATER AS NEEDED, 100% FOOLPROOF!

[dwaynez]

I use shad on a regular basis or shrimp, but also it depends on what they are eating in your local body of water, experiment with a few baits and also try to match some of the baits in your area.

I also have great success with crawfish and freshwater mussels if they are available in the area.

[ETangler]

Stinky cheese and livers that have been in a cooler with no ice for 4 days.

[mdhager115]

Worms and dough.

[Beekeeper]

Worms, cut shad, shrimp.