Catfish eat a variety of baits, but probably the 2 most common are nightcrawlers or cutbait. I've been fishing for Cats for a while and usually catch the smaller ones on crawlers and bigger on cut. Last night I took out a newbie to show him how sweet Cats were (before the storm). We soaked crawlers and leeches until dark then were to switch to cutbait for big kitties. 1.5 hours of daylight fishing in a 12 foot hole with crawlers and I caught a Rock Bass, 18" Shorthead, and a small Channie (and no Carp??). The Channie came right at dark, so I dropped the crawlers and went for cutbait to try to up the size. My buddy stayed with crawlers for awhile. About five minutes after I switched to cutbait he caught this.



It weighed 12# on my new scale, a big one for up here. He was hard set on using his (ancient) Cherrywood which was way to light of a action. 10 Min after this fish he hooked a behemoth that made the Cherrywood bend almost to its breaking point, and proptly snapped his line. It seemed like a monster (major power run). Then the down pour and electricity started so we got off the water.

My question is, is when do Cats prefer crawlers to cut and vice versa? He hooked 2 awesome cats on a drowned little crawler, while I had my fresh juicy cut sucker down in the same vacinity sending fresh ooy gooyness through the water. This was the first time for me that crawlers outproduced cutbait.

Here's my little Cat, which actually has me excited because they're doing well and reproducing.



My little Shorty.

I usually always get bigger cats with cutbait too. However, I think there are exceptions if the bait is in the right proximity. The other day with Outdoors4life I caught a 15 lb. Flathead on crawlers in the daytime. Go figure.

I have always had better luck with cutbait for larger cats. I believe it is more a case of opportunism. The fish happened to pass the worm before the cutbait, even if the scent of the cutbait drew them in.

I once caught a 30# flathead on a gamakatsu crappie hook and nightcrawler. I went back to the same spot the next day and caught the same fish on a bullhead.

its nothing new that bigger catfish like bigger fresher bait. Younger channel catfish probably dont really care to make the difference between one bait or another, young channel catfish are probably the most opportunistic fish ive come across. So... I dont know if there is a particular TIME as in time of day, month, or year that fresh cut bait or nightcrawlers are best... I think time wise its just a matter of what size fish you are trying to catch, the older fish will be more accustomed to eating fresh cut bait or live bait that matches the type of fish they are feeding on in that particular area... IE if there are a lot of schools of shad, bluegill, bullheads, crayfish, freshwater clams/mussels... these are the things you want to key in on.

-once channel catfish start to get over 10-15 lbs I would definitely continue to use fresh cut bait over nightcrawlers... but that is probably just because I wouldnt want to be stripped by something smaller.

Crawlers work in the early season. Later on it is cut bait. FRESH!