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Just wanted to see what bait everyone prefered for the big blues this time of year... I prefer to use whole or cut shad and some times I even use cut crappie. I have also had luck with chicken breast. I know that some states can't use live bait and just wanted to see what others are using.
Blake
chicken hearts really do the trick for me.
nothing better than whole or cut shad
IMHO, the best bait around here is a piece of cut pikeminnow or sucker. The skin is so tough, it never comes off the hook. It's really oily, so it gives off a lot of scent in the water. We mainly have channels here, and they just go ga-ga over it.
If I have to use store bought bait, I either use fresh shrimp or chicken livers.
Mullet
i agree on the fresh cut bait preferably the shad from the water you are fishing
Shad!
Lots of shad and blueback herring here. Lots gets killed at the pumpbacks at the dam. I've had luck using the herring for cutbait. Hadnt tried catching any shad and they dont sell 'em around here. I'd rather be fishing instead of catching bait.:o
Not really a big fish bait but I dont normally try to catch big cats, I prefer Sonny's or Cat tracker Sewer bait. Just about unpossible to not bring home a mess of fryin models.
right now this time of year is is cut bait. almost anytime for blues is cut bait....shad or skipjack work the best in WV
Going tonight on lake chicot but later in summer CATALPA WORMS
Fresh shad = Blues ever time if the river is up and running. (and yes I mean Every Time)
i like live bait best. try to catch my own but if i dont have time ill buy some big bass minnows the bigger the better.
Live gills or shad or cutbait !
depends on what size cat your wanting..
BEEF MELT :eek: :confused:
It's called Beef Melt, but it's actually beef pancreas. Basically it is blood, fat & gristle in between the tough outer layers of skin.
Childhood fishing buddy of mine showed me about it, and we used it. He fileted the tough skin off both sides, then cut it into chunks. I never caught anything on it, but I know he did ... or else he'd never have bothered to prepare it and use it :p (it's bloody messy ;) ) It doesn't last very long, in heavy flowage ... and ends up being a glob of greasy gristle on your hook, that's pretty tough to pull off. But, that's what pocket knives are for ;)
I don't target Catfish, per se .... so I mostly catch them by accident, using minnows, jigs, Roadrunners, crankbaits, & Shad. When I did fish for them, specifically, I'd take the cast net along ... net up some Gizzard or Threadfin Shad, and use them whole or cut in half (depending on size). Wasn't specifically targeting Blues, though, as the lake I fished then didn't have Blues (at the time) ... but, the Channels would readily take the Shad offering.
Back in my youth, I fished the KY River for Catfish, with the same buddy. Pocket money was used for pop & snacks :D ... so we didn't "buy" bait. We'd dig up "green worms", from the banks of the river, & use them. Caught Catfish, Freshwater Drum (out the ying yang :rolleyes: ) and even an Eel :eek: But, it was free bait, and it worked, plus it didn't take any of our pocket change to get it !!
... cp :cool: