Catfish: Fresh or Stink Bait?

[stocktondunkley]

I am just somewhat curious of everyone’s opinion. I know that stink bait has been labeled the “go-to” catfish bait. I have never had luck on stink bait, and have always used fresh. Whether that be sucker or chub meat from Sportsmans, or a carp I caught earlier. I have found it works best for me.

What is everyone else’s opinion?

[Gone Forever]

Or? You ask...

[Mr. J]

I am just somewhat curious of everyone’s opinion. I know that stink bait has been labeled the “go-to” catfish bait. I have never had luck on stink bait, and have always used fresh. Whether that be sucker or chub meat from Sportsmans, or a carp I caught earlier. I have found it works best for me.

What is everyone else’s opinion?

I'm with you. Fresher the better!

[catdaddygar]

I use fresh shrimp I was at Smith s the other day and I have been paying 6 to 8 dollars a pound .Looked in the seafood case same shrimp 19.95 a pound. Told catfishing buddy the price to go has just gone up.

[TubeDude]

I have fished for catfish all over the country.  And I have seen and used just about everything imaginable for catfish bait.  And just like all the fancy lures the manufacturers make to catch fishermen...almost anything will work to catch at least a few fish...some of the time. 

In Utah I have fished for cats since the early 1960s.  The older and wiser anglers who first tutored me in catching cats fished mainly nightcrawlers or some cheap bait shrimp you could buy at most markets.  Also caught a lot of cats on a gob of cheese.  And later learned about cutting pieces out of the sides of carp or suckers (legal then in Utah Lake).  Was also shown how to catch baby white bass and either use them whole or chunked...along with chub minnows when we could get them. 

As my catfishing education progressed, I was introduced to chicken livers and even just chunked up chicken that had "soured" a bit in the refrigerator.  Even got to try some "aged" deer and elk parts.  It all caught fish to some extent.

As life and business interests took me around the country I saw lots of new things being used successfully for catkind.  Hot dogs and other processed meats were popular on quite a few waters.  Even saw some folks using small pieces of Ivory soap.  Most interesting was the use of big ugly catalpa worms (caterpillars) wherever they showed up in the summer.  And of course there many species of bait fish being fished for catfish...whole, strips or chunks.  Most species of small sunfish are great cat bait.  And in areas of the country where there are threadfin or gizzard shad they are popular baits.  Plus, all kinds of insects will catch cats...like grasshoppers, crickets and the like.  Even saw some cataholics fishing with big snails out of the garden.

In earlier days our use of seafood was largely restricted to the frozen bait shrimp we could buy cheaply in many markets.  As seafood catches expanded and refrigeration improved there were more ocean tidbits available for bait.  Today we can fish squid, mackerel, smelt and other ocean fishes...as well as clams and mussels. 

"Stank baits"?  Some places in the USA you won't find many cat tanglers fishing with anything else.  On waters that are typically slow moving and murky the catfish feed primarily by smell and vibration.  They have smell receptors all over their bodies and can taste with not only their barbels but with their exterior skin surface.  So strongly odoriferous baits WILL catch a lot of fish.  Some of this stuff is sold as preformed nuggets you just pin on your hook.  Others are a thick heavy dough that you mold onto the hook.  Still others are more liquid and are smeared on specially formed hook rigs that hold the stuff on longer.  Many cat fans make their own special recipes of that smelly stuff.  When going fishing with them you would be well advised to wear a hazmat suit.

My experience in Utah is that our local kitties WILL occasionally slurp up one of the prepared stink baits.  But overall you will catch more and bigger fish...most of the time...by using more "natural" baits.  And, in most cases you will do better with fresh bait rather than some that has spent time in the freezer.

I am attaching one of my PDF writeups on Catfish Baits.  It probably does not include every possible thing that will catch catfish, but I think it covers the most common.

[SkunkedAgain]

Hard to follow Pat's comments, but i'd second, third or forth the notion that fresher bait works better for me... Like Pat mentioned the freezer seems to reduce the effectiveness of my carp chunks, but they still work.. not as good as fresh from the same trip or the day before never frozen.. I used to use the nasty stinky crap and I just hated catfishing, or at least baiting up... With fresh bait it's just like fishing worms, so I enjoy it again... One other thing Pat was probably thinking but forgot to mention, is mice work pretty well for catfish as well... I have a bunch of mice that like to raid my chicken coop feeder, so I can set a bucket full of water so the mice can get up to get a drink and quite often they fall in and drown... I may or may not have used these in the past, and they may have caught some of my bigger fish of the season... possibly... But then again they aren't very fun to put on a hook... Later J

[TubeDude]

Hard to follow Pat's comments, but i'd second, third or forth the notion that fresher bait works better for me... Like Pat mentioned the freezer seems to reduce the effectiveness of my carp chunks, but they still work.. not as good as fresh from the same trip or the day before never frozen..  I used to use the nasty stinky crap and I just hated catfishing, or at least baiting up... With fresh bait it's just like fishing worms, so I enjoy it again...  One other thing Pat was probably thinking but forgot to mention, is mice work pretty well for catfish as well... I have a bunch of mice that like to raid my chicken coop feeder, so I can set a bucket full of water so the mice can get up to get a drink and quite often they fall in and drown... I may or may not have used these in the past, and they may have caught some of my bigger fish of the season... possibly... But then again they aren't very fun to put on a hook...  Later J

Yep.  Cats eat mice...and voles...which are kinda mouselike.  Down around Utah Lake a lot of them get in the water and drown during the annual mating frenzy.  And the  local kitties dine well.  There are so many other baits that work well I don't ever feel the need to set a mousetrap just for bait.

[Fritzfishin]

I'll just say this... if you watch any catfishing contest or trophy catfishermen they all use fresh bait. Cut bait, live bait fresh dead bait...

[ELM 71]

I am just somewhat curious of everyone’s opinion. I know that stink bait has been labeled the “go-to” catfish bait. I have never had luck on stink bait, and have always used fresh. Whether that be sucker or chub meat from Sportsmans, or a carp I caught earlier. I have found it works best for me.

What is everyone else’s opinion?

I like fresh chub minnows . But I guess my favorite is marinated chicken with either cherry or strawberry jello mix. Especially Utah Lake.

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I like fresh chub minnows for sure. But I guess my favorite is marinated chicken with either cherry or strawberry Jello mix. Especially for Utah Lake.

[Average at Best]

Another vote for fresh bait. I’m a shrimp and worm die hard. Fresh cut bait 2nd. The cut bait might be a little better overall but I’m pretty simple and have always had such good success with the shrimp and worm combo I feel little need to switch it up.

[Ahi1953]

fresh carp meat and carp guts is my bait for the big boys.

[hook_sets]

I prefer using fresh