# Best Catfish Bait and time for smaller lakes???



## deer_turkey328 (Feb 27, 2008)

Ok Folks,

Here is a good question for all those experts out there, because I am definately not an expert by any means. I just thought it would give me some info and a little help. What is the best bait for a smaller lake, 9-10 acres. There is no shad in this one just bait fish and some crayfish. I have caught some 6-7 pound channel catfish in there fishing for walleyes in the past using a crawler harness, but Ive never actually fished for them and there are some bigguns in there. Thanks for the help. Tony


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## neocats1 (Oct 14, 2006)

Shad is my choice anywhere, but in a smaller lake or pond, chicken liver also works great.


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## seapro (Sep 25, 2007)

Shrimp works really well in that situation also.


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## ajangsta04 (Aug 7, 2007)

CHICKEN BREAST STRIPS work pretty good


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## flattiesinohio (Sep 30, 2007)

i stick with chicken livers and some times i will throw in some chicken gizzerds when it comes to small lakes


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## fisherman (Jun 3, 2005)

go find someplace to catch creek chub thats what i use for all my catfish. last year i caught a 25lber using creek chubs


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## I_WALL_I (Apr 27, 2006)

:B large goldfish under a bobber...


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## bassattacker (Mar 14, 2007)

if its full of gills, use gill heads and bodies, curled creek chubs work great too, and always on small lakes like that chicken livers will work all day long.


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## warden (Jun 14, 2007)

Shrimp,chicken liver, 1/2 half blue gill in that order.


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## deer_turkey328 (Feb 27, 2008)

Ive had had some friends catch them on chicken livers in the summer. Should they be hitting when ice is out?


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## neocats1 (Oct 14, 2006)

deer_turkey328 said:


> Ive had had some friends catch them on chicken livers in the summer. Should they be hitting when ice is out?


Oh Yeah! As soon as ice is clear, channels will be feeding wildly on the dead shad and other fish. Great fishing time.


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## spidey (Mar 19, 2007)

The past couple of years my biggest channels have come on Gulp leeches or black 4" worms on jigs. They love those things, especially in the spring and late fall. That setup has worked on 3 different lakes so far. I don't fish for the monsters with this. The average size is 4-5 pounds. The largest has been 9ish. Very few dinks.


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## fear_no_fish (Dec 17, 2006)

Hey guy,

I believe these guy's have caught some catfish , all great tips ! I have one for you, you won't believe this one ? Take a bar of Zest soap , cut into 1" squares, shove it on a hook and fish it on the bottom ! Throw a few chunks out to bait the area and hold on, no I am not smoking anything ! Seen it work with my own two eyes, what are you out , a bar of soap ?
Keep fishin,


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## PeteZ (Oct 22, 2007)

Gulp! chicken livers seem to work better than real livers and are not messy and last forever if you keep the baggie sealed. I keep a bag in my tackle box at all times.


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## deer_turkey328 (Feb 27, 2008)

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I will try all of the suggestions, not sure about the bar of soap, but what the hay, why not, like you said what are you out. Unless of course your messing with me. Now I just need the very thin sheet of ice to get off the lake. I am really sick of this winter weather. tony


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## flattiesinohio (Sep 30, 2007)

hahaha....i'm with you on the winter weather.but i made it out a few time already this yea and only produced a few nice cats i been out just about ever day this week and nothing but a few small hits......and i use every thing from chicken liver to jigs maybe its just where im fishing being new to where i am i dont know no grand spots.....if that soap thing works i'll be tring it but that guy isnt the only person i heard that from!when i was in cleveland i seen ppl put the blue dawn dish soap on night crawlers and catch some nice cats some even injected into them with a surreng


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## Pike56 (Mar 17, 2008)

deer_turkey328 said:


> Ok Folks,
> 
> Here is a good question for all those experts out there, because I am definately not an expert by any means. I just thought it would give me some info and a little help. What is the best bait for a smaller lake, 9-10 acres. There is no shad in this one just bait fish and some crayfish. I have caught some 6-7 pound channel catfish in there fishing for walleyes in the past using a crawler harness, but Ive never actually fished for them and there are some bigguns in there. Thanks for the help. Tony


Ok give this a try, go buy some of them cheap frozen bugers and thaw a few out. Then mix it with some flour until it's firm enough to stay on your hook while you cast. Some people like to add starwberry cool aid to the mix but you can add anything you want to try and mix with it.


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## hunted (Dec 10, 2006)

i would catch some bluegills outta there,fish one rig with one live one either on bottom or under an 8 inch bobber,and one rig,opposite of the other either on bottom or on a bobber with a bluegill head.i would use bluegills from 2-4 inches long.i have caught a lot of channels on live bluegills,yeah,they like blood,but they won't pass up a live one either.


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