Best Baits for BIG CATFISH fishing: worm vs mackerel! Which one is more effective?

We've used worms for a long time for catfish. After learning mackerel is good from an amigo at lake dixon:emoji_grinning:, we gave it a try.

It indeed worked! But is it better than worm? We compared them in a trip and here is the video: https://youtu.be/AIrP56Hb3Oo

Tight lines

Attachment 52469

It kind of depends on what the fish want. But I have been fishing on numerous occasions when all they wanted was night crawlers. But at the same time i've seen crawdads out fish everything. Shrimp too. But with catfish, you cant go wrong with night crawlers.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dores34

It kind of depends on what the fish want. But I have been fishing on numerous occasions when all they wanted was night crawlers. But at the same time i've seen crawdads out fish everything. Shrimp too. But with catfish, you cant go wrong with night crawlers.

---

Night crawlers have been my favorite for years, as they work for multiple species, including my PB for catfish: https://youtu.be/0KsvAlPQDww :Big Grin:

In the meantime, I'm trying to explore new baits. Thanks for pointing out the shrimp and I'll try that out as well.:Beer Toast:

I use to use half of a mackeral quite a bit when I fished So Calif lakes. That or the head itself produced best. I use skipjack here, and bluegill. Same deal, the head or half of a bait to produce the bigger fish.

On the river by Yuma, best for channel cats is chicken liver, next best is shrimp. The liver works well, but tough to keep on the hook. For flathead, live bluegill, fished after dark.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by muskyman

I use to use half of a mackeral quite a bit when I fished So Calif lakes. That or the head itself produced best. I use skipjack here, and bluegill. Same deal, the head or half of a bait to produce the bigger fish.

---

Thanks for the tips. Will give it a try in march:) A big fish broken my 20lb line there (recorded in my previous video), could be a bigger one!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by eah

On the river by Yuma, best for channel cats is chicken liver, next best is shrimp. The liver works well, but tough to keep on the hook. For flathead, live bluegill, fished after dark.

---

We had no luck with bluegill so far, although we hooked some bluegills there. Weird! Need to give it another try. Chicken liver was my favorite when fishing in China:Big Grin:. I'm jealous you can fish after dark. Many lakes in my area close at sunset, before the dinner time of fish:Envious:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by eah

On the river by Yuma, best for channel cats is chicken liver, next best is shrimp. The liver works well, but tough to keep on the hook. For flathead, live bluegill, fished after dark.

---

Btw, when we fished with razor clams, to keep it on hook, we tried to use gauze pad to wrap multiple in place. Curious whether it also works for chicken liver.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by fishingap

Btw, when we fished with razor clams, to keep it on hook, we tried to use gauze pad to wrap multiple in place. Curious whether it also works for chicken liver.

---

Wrap a little bit of cheese cloth around liver will stay on while casting out. Plus the biggest cats I have caught is on anchovies while fishing for stripers.:LOL:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by drifter023

Wrap a little bit of cheese cloth around liver will stay on while casting out. Plus the biggest cats I have caught is on anchovies while fishing for stripers.:LOL:

---

Couldn't agree more o the cheese cloth. One of my youtube buddies also mentioned anchovies. Will try it out this Spring.