As the water cools and winter sets in, blue and channel catfish elevate their feeding intervals. While catfish will eat about anything and everything, sometimes certain baits will produce a a quicker response.
Catfish are opportunistic and omnivorous feeders. When one senses something worth eating, it will usually take it in. Anglers can expect a full day of excitement by using live fish, cut fish, chicken livers, shrimp, earth worms, stink bait and unorthodox options like soap and hotdogs.
For guide Gene Crawford, fresh local fishes are ideal choices.
“Catfish will eat about anything, but I use fresh herring and saltwater mullet,” Crawford said. “Some days, the herring works better, and others, you can’t beat a chunk of mullet.”
Crawford has a steady supply of live herring available, and there are plenty of saltwater mullet just a short drive away at the coast. He always will have plenty of both types of bait available on fall and winter catfish trips.
However, Crawford rigs each fish differently, and he will always have both baits on different rods to see what the fish are keying on that day. He uses one-inch pieces of mullet, but he will use an entire herring threaded on the hook with the hook placed at the rear.
“When using whole herring, the catfish will take the bait by the tail, so I thread the hook beginning at the fish’s nose and then in and out of the fish, finally seating the hook just above the tail,” Crawford said.
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