Fresh Bait VS Frozen Bait

[RippinLips]

Which Bait Will Work Better ?
I have been a Bait fisherman all my life and I have learned a thing or two..
LIVE OR FRESH
Live bait works great for flatheads some times I think that's the only bait that will catch the things
Fresh cut bait is the way to go for Blue cats and big Channel cats.
This can be any sort of Fish but oily fish like shad, skip jack,and suckers works best. A shad side is hard to beat when it comes to cat fish. Also cuts seem to be a close second with the middle section of the cut being the best choice followed buy the tail section and the head being last.
FROZEN BAIT
Frozen bait is better in the winter months when bait fish are hard to come bye. But if you are in a hurry a batch of frozen Chubs or Carp will fit the bill. Carp and other course fish that are oily are excellent choice for frozen baits. They will always be 2nd place to fresh bait, but there will always be room in my freezer for some good bait.
So next time you go to catch a monster cat don't use a worm use fresh Bait and make sure your bait came from the water not from a jar...

[Schoe]

I think you are right on all counts. But this last spring in the Ohio river the only bait that consistantly caught Flats for us was fresh Bluegill heads and middle gut pockets.

[Schoe]

I cant say enough about using live bluegills for the bigger flats here in the Rock River in ILL. I have been taking a bunch of large flatheads fairly consistently here in the river. If I cut the bluegills and use them that way I am catching some nice Channels and blues but no monsters. I will post a story about the Flats real soon. Schoe

[PiOFi]

I go for frozen because the ice initially floats, when it melts your bait and hook are seperate and you get better bait presentation, that goes I use lucky number seven squid per hook!!! whole squid about 10 - 12 inches long

[Sharon]

I use as much fresh bait as possible, there are times though that I have gotten frozen. I agree that small live bluegills do the trick here too for catching the bigger ones. If I go out salt water fishing, they sell lots of frozen squid which I tend to use, or buy the live shrimps. The closer in nature they appear the more strikes you get, in my opinion.

[bwob]

same here sharon, I like to use live baits...them little bluegills work great! whats the biggest fish ya ever caught on a bluegill?

[Sharon]

some catfish, not really sure the weight but was about 14" long.. good eatin too! :)

[Kermit]

I like fresh gills with their tails cut almost off. They will swim in circles and it drives the cats and flats crazy.

[wewamohawk]

for me live gills work good on flatheads cut bait works real good for blue cats;;;maurice

[arkansasmike]

I think that nothing in the world can beat a small black perch for the flatheads. In Florida I think you call them warmouths. When I am fishing for whites it seems either live or cut works equally well. Once when I came home on leave I brought a cooler full of frozen squid and finger mullet and it was the best catfishing I have ever had. I wish we could get it here in Arkansas.

[Stump Bumper]

I agree, nothing beat's fresh bait when you can get it. Down here fresh cut bait (golden shiners fished on the bottom) or 3 inch live shiners (fished under a cork near weed lines) are tops for big channel cats....Ray

[cattracker16]

I gotta go with fresh "Bait" I always heard bigger bait catches bigger fish. Am a firm believer now

[blackhorse]

Fresh is the way to go here, gills and live shad on the lake, and if I go to the big river I like skip jack, flatheads prefer live bait and the gills seem to last the longest, also bull head if you can get em. For Blues I like fresh cut bait. I usualy cut the tail off and throw it away cut the head and the split the body into 2 or 3 peices depending on the size of the bait. Some times I will cut the sides off and then divide the fish, On cut bait the best peice is the head, at least for the bigger fish.

[Timotha7]

I don't fish much cut bait mostly all live bait, big old creek chub or gills
if I can't get the chubs

For channels have always had best luck with Leechs or small chubs,
though of late have been experimenting with bait I got from Stephen Buss
(PiOFI)
(same thing he uses for those monster wels cats, only smaller version)
and they have worked great for the channels as well

Believe he has new forumula out, hoping to get my hands on some more of that would like to continue field testing it

Tim

[whiskerbiscuit]

Has anyone ever tried using hamburger :confused:. I believe the channel cat's are supposed to like it. How the heck would you even keep it on a hook:confused0082:. Thank's....... Mike

[Sharon]

you would probably have to use the panty hose trick to keep in on.. cut out the toe of panty hose forming a pocket, stuff in meat, tie onto line and bury hook into the meat through panty hose... least thats how I do it with chicken livers at times.

[gofish]

make a cheesbait oughtta it.

[ho_shi]

shad hard to keep alive but perch is alright i got frozen shad for the kitties but try to use whatever i can catch and what i dont use i freeze i got frozen perch too