Best bait for Channel Catfish???

[finnman]

We are headed to Hells Canyon reservoir next week. We will be there with a big group camping on the Idaho side. I am hoping to catch some whisker fish!!
What is your go to bait? I hear night crawlers work. What about chicken livers? Prawns?
Any suggestions are appreciated!
Thanks!

[92xj]

Cut bait from whatever you catch when you get down there on a night crawler from the bank. 

[asmith]

Back when I hunted the elusive whisker fish, the best baits I ever used where frozen chicken livers or old clams.  I would hit the grocery stores that had the fresh seafood counter and ask for all the old clams, or ones that had opened up.  Use some thread to wrap it on your hook.

Worms always worked, but my experience it was always the smaller fish that liked the worms.

[CP]

Live frogs, if you can get them ... and if they are legal. 

[finnman]

Okay we can do the cut bait thing. Maybe perch heads or pieces? Bass carcasses? We will try it.

Anyone use scent at all? Shrimp or anchovy?

[NRA4LIFE]

When we lived back in MO, I would take chicken livers and enclose them in a chunk of my wife's old panty hoses.  They stay on the hook better than just on their own.

[PointBlank]

Catch a few crappie and cut them up into bait sizes… makes great natural bait as there are a lot of crappie in those reservoirs. No need to bring sand to the beach

[Fletch]

I second what 92XJ and PointBlank are saying... Crawlers will work for catfish but you will also catch a variety of everything else which is what I would use.  Good Luck.

[jjhunter]

Nothing better than sucker meat (cut bait).   They devour it.   

But, you gotta catch/shoot a sucker.   We used to shoot them with our bows in the creeks/off the train trestles.

Always had luck with chicken liver as well.  I miss catfishing on the Snake.

[duckmen1]

Cutbait and chicken liver. 3rd choice is last resort worms.

[Smokeploe]

My best bait for large channel cats was a whole anchovies threaded on a 2/0 hook with a slider weight set up.  This worked in the Calif delta during the nighttime during the summer months

Smokeploe

[Kola16]

It depends on the place really. Some waters worms outfish liver. Other waters liver outfishes worms. Others minnows. Bring multiple rods and baits. I have never fished Idaho for catfish so I couldn't tell you about that spot, but you are aloud multiple rods there so try a few different things.

[Timberstalker]

Nothing better than sucker meat (cut bait).   They devour it.   

But, you gotta catch/shoot a sucker.   We used to shoot them with our bows in the creeks/off the train trestles.

Always had luck with chicken liver as well.  I miss catfishing on the Snake.

Cutbait for the win. We’ve done well with sucker meat and squawfish meat.

[finnman]

It depends on the place really. Some waters worms outfish liver. Other waters liver outfishes worms. Others minnows. Bring multiple rods and baits. I have never fished Idaho for catfish so I couldn't tell you about that spot, but you are aloud multiple rods there so try a few different things.

It appears that Idaho does have the same two pole endorsement that WA has, so yes that will be the plan, try two baits see who gets bit.
Thanks for all the pointers guys. We will report back on how it goes.

Now the question is…..how do you cook them for the best outcome? Cornmeal, Flour, Panko?
😁

[fast60eddie]

Frozen Mackerel on a size 1 bait holder if possible no weight