Reply by: Stain420      Posted: 6/14/2012 12:05:00 PM     Points: 594    

If you're looking to catch a big cat, then most people will say you want to use cut bait of some kind.

However, McCall's cats aren't that big (which IMO makes for better eating anyway.) And so you can catch them pretty easily on stinkbait.

Lately I have been using sliced hot dogs which I soaked in vanilla extract and have been very successful for cats in the 1-2lb. range.

 Reply by: southern fisher      Posted: 6/14/2012 12:07:09 PM     Points: 10    

thanks for the info! how are you rigging the hot dog?

 Reply by: Stain420      Posted: 6/14/2012 12:30:54 PM     Points: 594    

I usually just use a fairly large circle hook and just hook it through the middle of the hot dog, but if I'm really in the mood for eatin' a catfish and I know I won't be releasing them I will use a big treble hook and hook 2 of the 3 prongs into the hot dog. Stick the hook through the "skin" of the hotdog rather than the meaty part, it will hold better.

 Reply by: southern fisher      Posted: 6/14/2012 3:01:29 PM     Points: 10    

O.K. Thanks for the info!

 Reply by: catstalkn      Posted: 6/14/2012 6:56:44 PM     Points: 69    

fresh cut shad bout an inch or two with at least a 6/0 hook

 Reply by: JKaboom      Posted: 6/14/2012 7:19:47 PM     Points: 892    

Here are 3 excellent links for catfish fishing bait. These are all FxR items that I think are great:

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This covers a particular way to contain bait for catfish

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This covers a good method for bait for catfish

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This is a more general article about bait fishing and has some great techniques for fishing catfish with bait.

Enjoy and tight lines :)

 Reply by: southern fisher      Posted: 6/14/2012 8:06:36 PM     Points: 10    

Thanks for all of the info guys! I will report back tomorrow!

 Reply by: huskertom      Posted: 6/15/2012 4:28:52 AM     Points: 0    

Somebody was telling me to use the skin from fried chicken cut into strips and put on a treable hook they were at lake of the ozarks last week and knocking them down like crazy gonna try this this weekend at cherry creek will let ya know how it works

 Reply by: FISHRANGLER      Posted: 6/15/2012 7:25:02 AM     Points: 4407    

McCall is full of shad and has a big shad problem.
I would use shad or other oil types Mackerel, Herring, Skipjack as bait.
It also has smaller fish, any of the over the counter stuff would be fine to use.

As far as that fried Chicken idea goes I would think it is the oils that are atracting the cats not the chicken skin it self. You should ask what kind of oil was used in the Ozarks.

 Reply by: steveoatm      Posted: 6/15/2012 8:27:15 AM     Points: 244    

Put some STANK on it!!

 Reply by: southern fisher      Posted: 6/15/2012 12:49:32 PM     Points: 10    

Went out this morning and caught my first 3 channel cats! They were 13inches,10 inches, and 15inches. My nephew caught a 16inch large mouth and we caught 2 trout. Didn't know that they had trout in there. All in all it was a great morning.

 Reply by: CACHEM ALL      Posted: 6/15/2012 6:31:14 PM     Points: 43    

I seen this in my InFisherman mag. cheap hot dogs and some strawberry coolade. cut up the dogs put them in a baggie with the strawberry coolade enough water just to cover the dogs let them set for a day or two. Go Fish. Good Luck.