Skip to main content

Fresh Bait

How to keep live bait lively for the biggest catfish

Fresh Bait
Todd Arbuckle tosses a hand net into an eddy on a small feeder creek. (Don Mulligan photo)

There are two very different schools of thought when it comes to choosing catfish bait.

Some veteran whisker-fish hunters believe the stinkier the better. They come up with concoctions that would make a skunk gag, and they swear by it.

They argue that smelly and gross looking globs of dead bait are responsible for huge stringers of catfish across the country, as well as a bunch of tournament trophies.

My fishing partner, Todd Arbuckle and I fall into another camp. We believe the biggest fish always fall prey to the liveliest, freshest bait available.


Click image to see Fresh Bait photo gallery

GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.