I googled using rice, but didn't reallt find anything. Found a mention of using Wheaties cereal and Karo syrup to make bait balls, that was claimed to work great. I used to use canned dog food and canned cat food, poking small, tiny holes in the sides of the cans, and sinking the cans in the morning, then fishing them that afternoon - always had good results from that. I have even caught catfish using uncooked peanuts in the shell, using wild grapes, using uncooked corn kernals. I think a catfish will bite anything, you just have to get them there first.
