Best Bait?

[crowkiller]

One important thing to remember is that channels in particular like to move around alot according to the surrounding conditions. If you're not getting any fish, keep looking for different structures.

log jams or a steep drop off

[Skipper]

One important thing to remember is that channels in particular like to move around alot according to the surrounding conditions. If you're not getting any fish, keep looking for different structures.

You betcha, if you dont get a cat in 20 min, get outa there!

[stickyfingerdpuppeteer]

every year i go channle cat fishn in the catt.fresh frozen shrimp out fish everything else my friends try.and they try everythng.but by the endof the nght their fshn shrimp.cats go nuts over it.And when i say fresh i mean not pre steamed or cooked.gota b raw. sticky

[crowkiller]

every year i go channle cat fishn in the catt.fresh frozen shrimp out fish everything else my friends try.and they try everythng.but by the endof the nght their fshn shrimp.cats go nuts over it.And when i say fresh i mean not pre steamed or cooked.gota b raw. sticky

not last weekend the people next to us used shrimp n got 1 we landed 5 lost 2 big ones on worms

[pikeman]

I do best with live creek chubs and suckers and really well with cut bait (herring)

[arleyp]

live shiners on 1 med shot on the bottom work at my honey hole at Pinchot state park. bites are spaced out however.

[Skipper]

live shiners on 1 med shot on the bottom work at my honey hole at Pinchot state park. bites are spaced out however.

Try smashing their poor little bodies with a pliers so they bleed and juice in the water. This works especially good on freshly killed baitfish, it seems if you kill/ freeze them before hand they just don't work as well.

[BAZOOKAJOE]

Def fresh native cutbait or dead (i use white perch) fished on the bottom. 

[Eye Hunter]

Here on the river. Chicken liver works for me. 

[Zorros shack]

  Use chicken gizzards. Ohh or catfish bait from the bait store!

[powdiddy]

cut gizzard shad works better than anything i have ever used

[fishmaster2004z]

my favorite baits for cats are live creek chubs or large crayfish with there pinchers
broke off and the back shell ripped off

[jjmoser]

I have used frozen squid up north in MI with good results on channel and flatheads, I would imagine that it would work elsewhere too.  During Ice fishing I ripped the tenticals off and tiped my genz worm jig with it so it looked like zooplankton and it did wonders for jumbo perch.  Was fishing the James river in richmond for blues on the 14th road bridge and the spiced vets. said that bloodworms work the best in the day and cut brim (sunfish) work near dusk and in to the night. 

[Reel Wet Ride]

I use  a 4-5" Live Bluegill. Early in the spring I might use frozen Smelt, but after it warms up a little it seems everything else or dead bait is for the turtles.

[Shrek]

Channels
Flatheads
Yellows
Use fresh cut bait, catfish Charlie or other prepaired stink bait, chicken livers, shrimp, or crawlers.

Blues
Live bait , shad ,minnows , shiners, or big old live gill or sunfish, some use goldfish