You just went out and bought one of the best camping tents on the market. Now you’re going fishing for channel catfish. Channel cats are among the most popular fish in the United States. They are big, sleek and muscular and are lots of fun to catch. People fish for channel cats with crayfish, night crawlers, minnows, chicken livers and many different kinds of homemade bait. I even hooked one on a piece of a red Twizzler once. If one type of bait doesn’t work, simply try another. I suggest carrying at least three kinds of bait with you when you go for channel cats.

If big channel cats are your target, you’d be wise to make sure that cut baits are one of your options. Cut baits are simply pieces of bait fish cut to specific sizes. Body fluids from these fish attract channel cats from long distances. The best cut baits are made of oily fish like herring, shad and even bluegills. You can even catch some bluegills before you start catfishing, cut them up and fish with the freshest possible bait.

Cut bait can be prepared in many ways. Some anglers fillet strips from the belly of the fish and save the carcass and entrails for later. Others cut the bait in pieces using the entire fish including the head. Try out different combinations until you figure out what the catfish want.

I’d suggest that you try matching the bait to the size of the catfish you think you’re going to find. In waters with few cats bigger than five or six pounds, use one to two inch chunks or strips of cut bait. Where bigger cats are plentiful, three to four inch long baits aren’t out of the question.

The catfish won’t be able to resist the temptation of your cut baits. Now, you have to be sure you’re using a hook that will grab them when they sink their teeth into your bait. If you choose too small a hook, your bait will fly off during casting and you’ll have no hope of catching anything. Treble hooks will hold your bait better and reduce the chance of it coming off. If you’re willing to spend a few extra bucks, you can buy treble hooks with springs to hold the bait in place. I think a properly baited number six or eight treble hook is the best for channel catfish.

So, now that you know how to make cut bait for big channel catfish, and you know what kind of hooks to use, you have no more excuses. Pack up your camping gear and your picnic backpack and head for your favorite stream to hook into some monster channel catfish.

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