# Hotdog as bait?



## southangler

I've just started fishing channel catfish about a month ago. I'm having a really hard time getting bites. I've tried chicken liver and stinkbait. Nothing! Except when I used a trot line. I caught them with stink bait. I've only caughten 2 catfish so far. Are hotdogs really a good bait for catfish? Is there a certain way of preparing them? I'm struggling and really want to start catching more cats. Help me out with any advice you can offer. When to fish? What time? Best bait. Anything. THANKS.


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## Gohon

Would really need to know more about the type of water you're fishing and how. Stinkbaits do work but usually the best results are after the water warms up above 75 degrees. Chicken livers are good any time, especially for channel cats but you do need to re-bait about every 30 minutes to keep the blood smell in the water. Contrary to what most people believe, catfish do not like brackish or muddy water but instead prefer clean flowing water. Best areas are where there is a little bit of current to carry the scent in the water. Best baits are cut bait, the oilier the better. If the lake you fish has a shad population that is the best bet as shad or what ever forage fish is in the lake will be the main diet of the catfish. I'm in the Midwest and when I crappie fish I cut a head off a crappie and run the hoot through the lips and throw it out. Between crappie heads and shad I've found nothing better in the lake I fish. Catfish are not hook shy so don't be afraid to use over sized hooks and make sure the hook point is exposed. I very seldom use anything smaller than a 5/0 and generally use a 7/0 circle hook.


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## goosegrinder

If you REALLY want to catch channel or blue catfish, go with CUTBAIT ! Get yourself some bluegills,chubs,goldeye,drum,etc. and cut them up into chunks. Fish the wind blown shorelines in shallow water. Even better if there is some timber nearby. Make sure your pole is either in free-spool or secured in a pole holder while your'e waiting for hits otherwise youmight lose your setup. :wink:

Alex


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## Starky

Be carefull what you use for cut bait. Bluegills are not legal in North Dakota. Neither would crappie heads.
Go to the grocery store and see if they carry frozen smelt. Also, if you let it sit in the sun for half a day it gets even better.


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## Garrett

we have always used crickets for channel catfish. and if u use weeneys make sure you set them out in the sun for awhile to let them harden so they dont fall off the line. and also if you rae trot lining (well i dont know about where u live) make sure u have a license if u dont already cuz in south carolina its illegal


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## mshutt

If you have them in the area. FROGS FROGS FROGS FROGS AND MORE FROGS...they have worked wonders for me, especially if you cut tehre legs off because the cats will nibble on them forever and you dont stand a chance catching them.


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## NightWarrior

Frogs is the way to go if you can get them... I was able to freeze about 50 of them for this spring after the spawn. I also cut the legs off and use them to when needed. I got some legs from some bull frogs in the freezer to that work well.


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## derek.wehrman

No sh*t, frozen frogs work too.


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## honkerslayr

I've never messed with hotdogs, but all i've used is Cut bait. I'll never go back to anything else except maybe a mudd puppy every now and then depending. I use suckers and chubs....the stinkier and messier the better i say. Try this with a lindy type rig. I've always seemed to catch something with it as opposed to other commercial baits thats why I'm so partial to it. Also the bigger the bait the more likely the bigger the fish will be from what I've seen. :beer:


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## FishBlogTV

southangler said:


> I've just started fishing channel catfish about a month ago. I'm having a really hard time getting bites. I've tried chicken liver and stinkbait. Nothing! Except when I used a trot line. I caught them with stink bait. I've only caughten 2 catfish so far. Are hotdogs really a good bait for catfish? Is there a certain way of preparing them? I'm struggling and really want to start catching more cats. Help me out with any advice you can offer. When to fish? What time? Best bait. Anything. THANKS.


I think there are some key questions in this post that must be answered. You've tried chicken liver and stinkbait, ok.. where exactly do you live? Depending on the temperature of the water, there may be other baits that may work well for you. Personally my all time favorite bait for channel cats is cut bluegill or cut crappie(fresh preferred, but i've had just as much success on frozen). With a 6/0-8/0 circle hook. A nice 3-4" chunk of cutbait has always been my go-to-bait. Unless im looking for dinner, I will use livers/stinkbaits, but very rarely. Even the 5lb'rs love cutbait.

The most important thing is, what are the catfish already feeding on? What kind of fish are stocked in the lake? Think like the fish and you will be successful  If the lake is stocked with trout, or bluegill, or sunfish, I would be trying to catch those fish, and cutting them up as bait. I've fished places that were pellet-fed, and caught them on dogfood that resembled the pellets(gotta think outside the box when it comes to fishing sometimes)... Match what the fish are eating, and you will catch the fish, most of the time. I would say a nice fresh cut bluegill head or piece will do just nicely  Even in spring 

Some places I go to fish (from experience) I know WHAT to bring and when to bring it, and when NOT to bring it. You cant expect to be a professional over night or anything. Go out, and go out often, you put in the time, you will catch the fish, and like i said, match your bait to what they are already eating. Most places a cut bluegill, a cut crappie, a perch, a trout, *SHAD*  , etc... will be the ticket.

Good luck out there and post some pics!

Alex


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## catfishking

i have Fished for cats about two years i have tried every thing but if you take hotdogs and chicken blood will have them eating like kings i let the dogs sit over night in the blood that way they are juicy when i put them on the hook

:sniper:


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## coyote_buster

could someone please explain all these different types of riggings.


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## triwithzinger

I was out last night with my son and we were using some old venison loin chops. The fish were nibblin them like crazy, but setting the hook was another matter. I think I'm getting a lot of little ones. What should I do different to get a big one on the end of my hook? The biggest one we did reel in was just over a pound. Good eating, but I'd like to tackle a 1-15 pounder sometime.


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## Large munsterlander1

Shrimp baby SHRIMP!


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## fishunt

it is really works I can help u advice and how to make hot dogs for catfish... here is..

Hotdog bait

ingredients :

six pack of really cheap hotdogs , garlic salt, anise extract , vanilla extract

Other ingredients to try :

teriyaki or vinegar, brown sugar, seasoned salt, parmesan cheese

Direction:

1: cut hotdogs up into alots of small pieces.

2: put all the chopped pieces in a jar or zipper bag and pour some vanilla, anise extract and garlic salt.

3: mix up and let the hotdogs soak for hour or so.

Experiment by adding teriyaki or vinegar, pwered iced tea, brown sugar , seasoned salt or parmesan chesse.

Good Luck and let me know how that will works for you :beer:


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## Fallguy

I have caught my biggest channel cats on frogs, cut goldeye, and cut sucker minnows.


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## Little Bobby

i go cat fishin almost every weekend in the summer and we used hot dogs all the time. just remember that catfish are almost compleletly blind so its all smell and tuch to find thier food try worms but if you cant use worms then hot dogs pork anything that you can smell really strong you can use


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## catfishguy

Chicken liver + shrimp works very well for me i think the real problem
is location ! try a cove or close to a dam :beer:


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