[Happyfisher]

I just got into catfishing a few months ago and have tested pretty much every grocery store bait at a pond and have had good success on shrimp, livers, chicken and so on. But yesterday I wasn't getting bit on the usual stuff so I decided to try cut up bluegill and caught 4 channels and a bullhead, 3 on the heads and 2 on the back end piece. So I have to concur with what a lot of people say, it's hard to beat fresh cut bait for cats. They were bigger than what I usually catch on store bought too. That last sow bit down on my thumb and barrel rolled and shredded it pretty good, need some lip grippers

 

[roundhouse]

Oh yeah, I too am still fairly new to catfishing. Love using cut bluegill. Like you have had good luck with chicken too, both strawberry and plain.

Also recently had good luck with Gulp alive earthworms as I could not catch a bluegill to save my life and had no other bait. Normally I use little pieces of these to catch the bait but they worked in a pinch for cats

 

[metalman]

The cut bait revelation and the shredded thumb. A lesson well learned and a mark of honor as the reward.
You have made good progress Grasshopper!

…W

 

[Jbuck]

Thanks for posting the pictures, I enjoyed them.
When you figure out why catfish want what they want to eat you will indeed be a master. We have encountered days they wanted cut Skip, others when they wanted Shad or live gills. It would be like everyone in town wanting the same thing for dinner.

 

[philly35]

Cut bluegill are my favorite here in Iowa. Especially the head.

 

[Happyfisher]

The cut bait revelation and the shredded thumb. A lesson well learned and a mark of honor as the reward.
You have made good progress Grasshopper!

…W

Thank you! I look forward to hitting my home lake soon to target some blues and flatheads, and of course big channels. One thing I like about cut bluegill is gills dont peck at the bait, if you have a bite its a cat

 

[Happyfisher]

Cut bluegill are my favorite here in Iowa. Especially the head.

Yes, they really seem to like sucking out the eyeballs

 

[Happyfisher]

Thanks for posting the pictures, I enjoyed them.
When you figure out why catfish want what they want to eat you will indeed be a master. We have encountered days they wanted cut Skip, others when they wanted Shad or live gills. It would be like everyone in town wanting the same thing for dinner.

So bring a buffet of cutbait 🤣🤣

 

[River_monster91]

Caught many a flathead on cutbait to.

 

[Happyfisher]

Caught many a flathead on cutbait to.

When I first started catfishing I read where you could only catch em on live baitfish but after reading many comments and watching videos many prefer cutbait for Flatheads

 

[Happyfisher]

Caught many a flathead on cutbait to.

Do you think you get bigger flatheads on live fish? I can use either

 

[cspot]

Do you think you get bigger flatheads on live fish? I can use either

If I had to pick one, I would pick cut bait. I usually try to fish both live and cut when targeting flatheads.

 

[Happyfisher]

If I had to pick one, I would pick cut bait. I usually try to fish both live and cut when targeting flatheads.

I was fishing a dock one day back in October with an old man Bill, I was pitching lures for bass and he was fishing a double jig for crappie. He told me a huge bass was following his blugill he caught on the jig. I thought nothing really of it until I was about to leave and I was bluegill fishing and a huge bass followed my gill. So I threw on a thill big fish slider and a live gill and the bass were chasing it out of the water, up against dock pilings, they were coming out of the water they were so excited. I then realized the power of live bait. I caught a decent one that day but ended up losing a couple of 10+ lbers. I hope to land one this year. Theres also a video of Roland Martin chumming shad and catching bass on dead fresh shad. But I will do the same as well, use live and cut. But most anglers seem to prefer cut for Flatheads. The channel in my pic was from dropshotting a medium emerald shiner for crappie

 

[Happyfisher]

Thanks for posting the pictures, I enjoyed them.
When you figure out why catfish want what they want to eat you will indeed be a master. We have encountered days they wanted cut Skip, others when they wanted Shad or live gills. It would be like everyone in town wanting the same thing for dinner.

I think they might get full on one thing and want another the next day or two

 

[River_monster91]

I catch bigger and more flathead on live bait. Still get big ones on cut once in a while. I use big baits though.

 

[BigRoy]

Starting in early spring I try to keep bluegill in the freezer. Can not transport them live here in Nebraska. When possible I use both cut and live gills. It eliminates the bait pecking little fish. Have caught bass on live bluegill with Channel cats being the target. Most of the bait I use is 3" - 4" long.
Roy

 

[cspot]

Starting in early spring I try to keep bluegill in the freezer. Can not transport them live here in Nebraska. When possible I use both cut and live gills. It eliminates the bait pecking little fish. Have caught bass on live bluegill with Channel cats being the target. Most of the bait I use is 3" - 4" long.
Roy

Whenever I have frozen bluegill, they always seem to get mushy. Do you have that issue? Fortunately for me we can transport them live.

 

[BigRoy]

I freeze them covered in water and it helps keep them fresh. They never sit and get hot before going in the freezer. I keep them in brine.
Roy

 

[cspot]

I freeze them covered in water and it helps keep them fresh. They never sit and get hot before going in the freezer. I keep them in brine.
Roy

Hmm. Maybe I will have to try that. I put them in salt water when I catch them, but I dried them prior to freezing. When you say covered, just how much water are you putting in with them?

 

[BigRoy]

Enough to submerge the fish. I commonly use hefty zip lock bags and put a half dozen in it. I sit the bag in a plastic container for the freezing part. Then file them in the freezer. That way I can thaw them as needed. I still like fresh better but it does not always work that way.
Roy