Almost all the pros out there will say that nothing beats live bait when fishing for big catfish. A common misconception is that catfish like the most rotten, smelly concoction you can make up. But the truth is that stink baits catch mainly small channel catfish. If you want to get into big blues, flatheads and even big channel catfish, then you really need to focus on live bait fishing. So Let’s get started!
Live Bait VS Stink Bait
When most new anglers think about catfish bait they think about stink baits. That’s probably because if you go to the catfish section in your local tackle shop you’ll likely see a variety of catfish baits that all smell awful. Blood, chicken liver, cheese and garlic are some of the common flavors.
I’m not saying that stink baits don’t work, they definitely have their place. They work well for catching smaller channel catfish, and by smaller I mean under 10 pounds. They work especially well in streams where the current can carry the scent downstream and reach a lot of fish.
But if you want to catch some truly big catfish, then live bait fishing is the way to go. Big catfish feed almost exclusively on smaller fish. They need a lot of protein and calories to grow that big, and eating fish is the most efficient way of doing that.
Live Bait VS Cut Bait
If you don’t know, cut bait is a dead and cut up fish that you use for bait. It definitely has it’s advantages.
Cut bait is much easier to handle and store than live bait. You can catch a bunch of bait fish one day and freeze them for use whenever you go out. This way when you want to go catfishing, you can just go catfishing and not waste time catching bluegill.
Cut bait works well for all catfish, but if you are going after flatheads it’s almost always better to use live bait. That’s just what flatheads prefer.
If you are out and don’t have live bait to use, then cut bait is definitely a good number two bait.
Types Of Live Bait For Catfish
Catfish will eat pretty much any fish that fits in their mouth. And catfish have fairly big mouths. The important thing when choosing which bait fish to use is to know which one is most common in the lake or river. You also need to make sure you know which fish are legal to use as bait in your area.
Shad
Shad are one of the most popular catfish baits. Many lakes have a good shad population. Shad are smooth and easy for catfish to kill and swallow.
How To Catch Shad
Shad have to be caught using a cast net. Cast nets work best from a boat as there are usually a lot of snags near the shore. You may also want a fish finder to find the schools of shad so you know there to throw your net.
How To Keep Shad Fresh
Shad aren’t very tough fish. They need a well oxygenated live well to stay alive. You can buy additives to pour in your live well which will help.
You can always use dead shad as cut bait. And take left over shad home to store in the freezer.
How to hook Shad For Live Bait Fishing
If you are fishing in current or slow drifting, Hook the shad from up under the chin and out through the top of the mouth. This keeps your bait more hydrodynamic and less likely to spin. It will also look more natural to catfish.
If you are still fishing or using a float, you can hook the shad through the back between the dorsal fin and the tail.
Always make sure you have plenty of hook exposed and that the hook point is clean of any scales. This will ensure the best hook set.
Bluegill (And Other Sunfish)

Bluegill (aka catfish candy) are found in almost all catfish waters. This makes them one of the best live baits for catfish!
How To Catch Bluegill
Catching bluegill can be pretty easy. The key is to find a school of them. You don’t want to spend too much time fishing for bluegill when you’d rather be catching catfish.
To catch bluegill with a rod and reel, use a very small foam bobber. A small bobber will give you a better indication of when to set the hook.
Use a small hook. Use a sharp hook around size 12 or 14. If your hook is too small, you’ll gut hook a lot of bluegill, and if it’s too big, you won’t catch enough. I like to use fly fishing hooks because they are usually sharper.
My favorite bait for bluegill is bread. Microwave a slice for 8 to10 seconds to make it more rubbery, then break off little pieces to put on your hook. I’ll also chum with a few pieces to get the bluegill feeding aggressively.
If you don’t want to deal with re-baiting your hook every time, then try the Crappie-Magnet or Trout Magnet.
I wrote an entire article about how to catch bluegill. Check it out if you’re interested.
How To Keep Bluegill Fresh
Bluegill are hardy fish, much more so than shad. They still need need an aerator in their bucket or live well to keep them alive for long. You can also get bait buckets that are designed to be kept in the lake to allow fresh water to circulate through without the need of an aerator.
How To Hook Bluegill For Live Bait Fishing

Hook bluegill the same as you would live shad. Through the nose for currents and drifting and through the back for still and float fishing.
Shiners
Shiners are little silver minnows and can sometimes be bought at tackle shops. They are a popular bait for all predator fish. They are the smallest of the bait fish we are talking about here and aren’t really recommended as a live bait when fishing for big catfish. You’ll end up catching catfish of all sizes when using shiners.
How To Catch or Buy Shiners
Shiners can be bought at some bait and tackle shops. But some states have very strict laws about transporting live bait fish. Make sure you know the laws!
If it’s legal, you can use a minnow trap to catch your own. You’ll need to find an area with lots of minnows swimming around. this is usually in shallow water and around vegetation. You can use dog food or bread as bait to lure them into the trap.
How To Keep Shiners Fresh
Shiners can be kept in a bait bucket with an aerator. If the weather is hot, you need to keep them in the shade. Some bait buckets are even insulated.
How To Hook Shiners For Live Bait Fishing
Since shiners are small, you need to be extra careful how you hook them so not to kill them.
Hook the fish through the back just below where the spine would be. This will give you plenty of meat for the hook to hold onto. You also want to avoid puncturing any organs in the stomach.
Here is a great video I found all about minnows, how to keep and hook them.
Bullheads
Now we are getting into the big baits. Bullheads are a live bait what work great when fishing for trophy flathead catfish.
Remember, you’ll need a big powerful rod and reel combo to be able to cast these big fish and sinkers, as well as reel in the monster flatheads you’re going to catch!
How To Catch Bullheads
Bullhead catfish are easy to catch if you find a good population of them. They’ll eat just about anything.
Some popular baits for bullheads are worms, cheese, SlimJims, and bread dough. But there are many other options out there.
Use a size 12 hook and either a sliding sinker or a bobber. I prefer the sliding sinker because bullheads are usually feeding near the bottom.
How To Keep Bullheads Fresh
Like bluegills, bullhead catfish are pretty tough. Just keep them in a bucket of water with an aerator, and don’t let it sit out in the sun for to too long.
How To Hook Bullheads For Live Bait Fishing
Bullheads can be hooked through the back. Since you should be using big wide gap hooks, make sure you hook them well enough to stay on the hook. Leave plenty of hook point and gap to get a hood hook set.
Use a size 9/0 to 10/0 wide gap hook. You can use circle hooks or kahle hooks.
You can fish them on a sliding sinker rig or a live bait sinker rig. Make sure you use a sinker big enough to keep that bullhead pinned down. You don’t want them to swim off and into a snag.
Depending on the size of your bullhead, you may need a sinker in the 2 to 5 oz range.
Carp And Suckers
Carp and suckers can both get pretty big, so remember that you still need a bait that is small enough to fit into a flatheads mouth. Small carp and suckers are great when live bait fishing for catfish.
How To Catch Carp And Suckers

The best way I have found to catch suckers is with a worm on a sliding sinker rig.
Fish for them in back eddies, holes and slower parts of the river. They like to look for worms and other food that gets caught up in these parts of the river. If fishing in a lake, look for muddy bottoms.
You can catch carp the same way, but I’ve had a lot of success catching small carp with bread under a bobber. I recommend Wonder Bread because it’s very moist. Microwave it for 8 to 10 seconds to make it more rubbery.
The problem with using carp and suckers is that they are more difficult to catch in great numbers. especially if you are targeting a specific size. But if you have them, why not use them.
How To Keep Carp Fresh
Carp and suckers are hardy fish. You can keep them in a bucket with an aerator, a live well, or a keep net.
How To Hook Carp For Live Bait Fishing
Since carp and suckers are a fairly large live bait fish, it’s a good idea to use a double hook rig. Put one hook through the nose and a second hook through the back. Make sure both hook points are well exposed.
Live Bait Rigs For Catfish
Now I’ll get into a few live bait fishing rigs that work well on catfish. There are two main types. Sinker rigs and float rigs.
- Sinker rigs – will keep your bait pinned down to the bottom. This works well when you feel confident that there are (or will be) catfish where you are casting. Sinker rigs also allow you to keep your bait real close to cover without getting in it.
- Float rigs – are great when you aren’t sure where exactly the catfish are, and you want your live bait to swim around or be drifted by the wind. This is with the hopes that your bait will pass right across a catfish. Also, if the catfish are feeding in the middle or upper water column then you’ll need a float rig to keep your bait at their level.
Sliding Sinker Rig

The sliding sinker rig is one of the most popular rigs for live bait catfishing. I recommend this rig when using smaller live baits like bluegill, shiners, and shad.
Float Rig

The float rig is the most simple. Just fix your float to the line then have a swivel, leader and hook.
The limit to this rig is that you can only fish up to maybe 4 feet deep max.
Float, Hook And Sinker Rig

This is a bit more complex. But the benefit is that it allows you to control the depth of your live bait so you can dial in to where the catfish are feeding.
Since it utilizes a slip bobber, You are able to fish this as deep as you want. even as deep as 20 or 30 feet.
I would probably only use this for smaller live bait like bluegill and shad. There is a lot to tangle up.
Live Bait Sinker Rig

This rig works well especially with large bait fish like carp, suckers and bullheads. You can easily use a large sinker to keep the bait from swimming off.
The downside is that the sinker gets dragged around when you are fighting a catfish. Try to pull the catfish up off the bottom as soon as you can so that dragging sinker doesn’t get snagged up on anything.
Double Hook Rig

The double hook rig is for large live bait like carp, suckers, and bigger bullheads. You can put one hook through the nose and another through the back.
This just gives you a better chance to hooking the catfish. When using large live bait, sometimes the catfish won’t get the whole baitfish in their mouth on the first bite. So having a hook in both the front and rear half increases your chances of getting a hook in the catfish’s mouth.
Where To Fish Live Bait For Catfish
This can vary depending on the season. But a simple rule is to fish live bait in the same area that you caught the live bait.
If it’s summer time and you caught bluegill in the shallows, then the catfish are probably going to be in or near those shallows waiting for a bluegill to wonder off.
During the winter the shad and bluegill are probably deep, You can expect there will probably be catfish nearby picking shad out of the school.
When it’s warm out and the shad are near the surface, then the catfish will probably be suspended under the school picking them off. This would be a good time to use a float rig.
All in all, the catfish will stay near their food source. If you find bait fish, then that’s a good spot to fish live bait.
If You Want To Learn More
Go to the navigation bar at the top of this page to see other articles on catfishing such as How To Catch Catfish, Choosing a Catfish Rod and Reel, and Best Hooks For Catfish!