Catfish Bait

[Atchman2]

So this week I tried something I have never tried before, a prepared catfish bait from Academy. It was in the clearance bin so I tried it. It was garlic pickled shad, only four to a pack. This year I have had a VERY hard time catching catfish in the lake. That is despite watching Catfish Dave haul them in a dozen at a time. The sad thing is I know where he is fishing, but obviously experience matters a lot.

Well with the prepared bait I caught a catfish on every one of them. That just reinforces to me that good bait is the key to catfishing. I mean I have all of the technology, rigs, etc, but haven't had very much success. I guess I need to go down to Lakeshore park with my throw net and load up on shad and pickle them.

Catfish Dave this week was using pork chops for bait! While I don't think I would use pork chops, I wouldn't mind trying some of this wild boar I have in the freezer. It is probably getting near freezer burn status anyway.

I did order a bunch of blank lures this week to make my own Demon Dragons. I don't actually think the lure part matters that much, but I would bet the rattle does.

 

[agelessssone]

So this week I tried something I have never tried before, a prepared catfish bait from Academy. It was in the clearance bin so I tried it. It was garlic pickled shad, only four to a pack. This year I have had a VERY hard time catching catfish in the lake. That is despite watching Catfish Dave haul them in a dozen at a time. The sad thing is I know where he is fishing, but obviously experience matters a lot.

Well with the prepared bait I caught a catfish on every one of them. That just reinforces to me that good bait is the key to catfishing. I mean I have all of the technology, rigs, etc, but haven't had very much success. I guess I need to go down to Lakeshore park with my throw net and load up on shad and pickle them.

Catfish Dave this week was using pork chops for bait! While I don't think I would use pork chops, I wouldn't mind trying some of this wild boar I have in the freezer. It is probably getting near freezer burn status anyway.

I did order a bunch of blank lures this week to make my own Demon Dragons. I don't actually think the lure part matters that much, but I would bet the rattle does.

Strawberry chicken.....
Cut chicken breasts into 3/4" cubes, put in ziplock bag, pour in one packet of Strawberry coolaid, close and marinate over night.
Guaranteed catfish catcher

 

[tellico4x4]

Strawberry chicken.....
Cut chicken breasts into 3/4" cubes, put in ziplock bag, pour in one packet of Strawberry coolaid, close and marinate over night.
Guaranteed catfish catcher

Heard similar using shrimp, strawberry Kool aid, garlic powder & a tad of salt to toughen them. Freeze in vacuum sealed pkg

 

[Sako]

I will say this about the Flavors... I carp fish semi often and I cat as many catfish as I do carp on the carp mixture that has corn, breadcrumbs and Strawberry Jell-o mixed together... Fresh caught skipjack is also another very good choice if you are looking for size instead of numbers... I fish almost exclusively Melton Hill FWIW

 

[redblood]

Heard similar using shrimp, strawberry Kool aid, garlic powder & a tad of salt to toughen them. Freeze in vacuum sealed pkg

Yall making me hungry lol

 

[mike243]

I dont mind catching them in melton hill but I wouldn't eat 1 for no amount of $ lol

 

[C1295]

Strawberry chicken.....
Cut chicken breasts into 3/4" cubes, put in ziplock bag, pour in one packet of Strawberry coolaid, close and marinate over night.
Guaranteed catfish catcher

grape works well too.

 

[C1295]

I dont mind catching them in melton hill but I wouldn't eat 1 for no amount of $ lol

you may glow afterwards

 

[Atchman2]

I will say this about the Flavors... I carp fish semi often and I cat as many catfish as I do carp on the carp mixture that has corn, breadcrumbs and Strawberry Jell-o mixed together... Fresh caught skipjack is also another very good choice if you are looking for size instead of numbers... I fish almost exclusively Melton Hill FWIW

Where do you get the skipjack? I can't ever seem to catch them.

 

[Sako]

Where do you get the skipjack? I can't ever seem to catch them.

I catch them... There are some in Bull Run right now... There is a lot of small minnows in the lake at the moment and you can see the skipjacks breaking the surface when hitting them. Tie a few crappie jigs on in like and cast into where they are hitting... real fast or jerk several times and reel then repeat... White hair grubs work well in addition to other... There is also a popeye jig that is pretty small that works well. Tie a few in line and cast and repeat

 

[Sako]

I dont mind catching them in melton hill but I wouldn't eat 1 for no amount of $ lol

Now I have eaten most fish but I have not gotten enough courage to try a skipjack... bloody things. FWIW, smaller drums fileted and blacken like a red fish are really good but most people are scared to try one...

 

[Sako]

you may glow afterwards

I would say that Watts bar is worse than the hill... but that is just my opinion

 

[poorhunter]

Catfish bait? I think @gasman uses the fish @RUGER catches (calling them "big ones") for bait to catch real fish!

 

[agelessssone]

Where do you get the skipjack? I can't ever seem to catch them.

Below Old Hickory dam

 

[Popcorn]

grape works well too.

There is a guy fishing Barkley who uses this recipe but after letting it marinate he leaves it on a concrete slab for a few hours in the sun then freezes it till needed. Claims it don't miss

 

[C1295]

There is a guy fishing Barkley who uses this recipe but after letting it marinate he leaves it on a concrete slab for a few hours in the sun then freezes it till needed. Claims it don't miss

I always let mine sit out a little while before I freeze it as well it's like magic. Had A friend of mine from Florida teach me this trick and I have never not caught one when I used it. May not be a giant always but I have never not caught one on it.

 

[Snowwolfe]

So this week I tried something I have never tried before, a prepared catfish bait from Academy. It was in the clearance bin so I tried it. It was garlic pickled shad, only four to a pack. This year I have had a VERY hard time catching catfish in the lake. That is despite watching Catfish Dave haul them in a dozen at a time. The sad thing is I know where he is fishing, but obviously experience matters a lot.

Well with the prepared bait I caught a catfish on every one of them. That just reinforces to me that good bait is the key to catfishing. I mean I have all of the technology, rigs, etc, but haven't had very much success. I guess I need to go down to Lakeshore park with my throw net and load up on shad and pickle them.

Catfish Dave this week was using pork chops for bait! While I don't think I would use pork chops, I wouldn't mind trying some of this wild boar I have in the freezer. It is probably getting near freezer burn status anyway.

I did order a bunch of blank lures this week to make my own Demon Dragons. I don't actually think the lure part matters that much, but I would bet the rattle does.

How well did the pickled shad stay on the hook?

 

[RUGER]

Catfish bait? I think @gasman uses the fish @RUGER catches (calling them "big ones") for bait to catch real fish!

LOL Yep !!

 

[Atchman2]

How well did the pickled shad stay on the hook?

It was very firm. They probably added something to it. Stayed on the hook pretty well though. Shad can be squishy I know.

 

[clwg97]

I have some pork chop scraps from dinner last night, I think I will add some koolaid and try it out.