What is the most effective bait for catching catfish in rivers and natural lakes?

That’s why making bait for catfish isn’t difficult at all. However, you should also familiarise yourself with some tried-and-tested recipes for catfish bait to increase your chances of success when you go fishing.

What bait should you use for catfish?

Don’t worry too much about the question ‘what bait should you use for catfish?’, as catfish are omnivorous. However, you should still make sure to use fresh bait or fermented bait when fishing for catfish.

You should avoid using chemical bait for catfish, as they are quite discerning and generally dislike the ready-made, commercially available chemical baits.

If you’re lure fishing, artificial lures can also be very effective.
To choose the best fishing spot, cast your line where the fish are surfacing, where there are plenty of ripples on the water’s surface.

The most effective ways to make catfish bait

Below, I’ll guide you through the two most effective ways to make catfish bait, which are currently being used by many anglers.

How to make catfish bait from fish guts

To make catfish bait from fish guts, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Fish guts: 200g
• Duck gizzards: 100g

Here’s how to do it:

• Wash the fish guts thoroughly and mince them finely
• Clean the duck gizzards and cut them into pieces approximately 3 cm long.
• Place the fish guts and duck gizzards in an airtight container and leave to ferment for 2 days, after which they are ready for fishing.

The most effective way to use this bait for catfish is as follows:

• Toss a small amount of the mixture into the fishing spot to attract the fish.
• When fishing, attach the duck giblets to the hook and cast it into the fishing spot. Remember to let the bait sink to the riverbed, as catfish are bottom-feeders.

How to make catfish bait from pork liver

The ingredients required to make catfish bait from pork liver are as follows:

• Pork liver: 1.3 kg
• Fishmeal: 500g
• Cold rice: one small bowl
• Foam beads

Method:

• Take 1 kg of pork liver and mince it finely.
• Then mix in the fishmeal and cold rice, one at a time. Mix thoroughly to form a sticky mixture known as ‘bait’.
• Cut the remaining pork liver into small pieces.

To make the bait most effective for catching catfish, follow these steps:

• When you reach the fishing spot, place the bait near the spot where the catfish are likely to be to attract them. After just 5 minutes, you’ll see a huge number of catfish swarming into the area.
• Then attach the chopped pork liver to the hook and cast it into the fishing spot.
• Finally, just sit back, wait for a bite, and lift the rod – that’s it.

Tips for making bait for river catfish

River catfish are generally more difficult to catch than those found in recreational lakes. To catch river catfish, you need to put considerable effort into preparing your bait; only then can you ensure a high success rate when fishing.

River catfish bait made from prawns

The ingredients for making river catfish bait from prawns are as follows:

• Prawns: 1 kg
• Fish meal: 1 kg
• Fish oil: 50ml
• Prawns (slightly smaller than the little finger): 100g

Method:

• Leave the prawns out in the sun for 2–3 hours until they are slightly wilted
• Soak the fish meal in boiling water
• Once the fish meal has fully expanded, mix it thoroughly with the prawns and fish oil.
• Place all the ingredients in a container and leave to ferment for around 8–12 hours to make the bait
• As the prawns are to be used as bait, you should buy them the following day. Then take them home and leave them in the sun for about 1 hour to develop a scent. Afterwards, peel them and cut them in half lengthways.

To successfully catch river catfish with this type of bait, follow the instructions below

• When you reach your fishing spot, scatter a little bait mixture into a patch about 50 cm from the fishing spot to attract the catfish. Catfish are quite aggressive, so as soon as they catch a whiff of food, they’ll swarm in large numbers.
• When you see the catfish gathering and have almost finished the bait, gently hook the prawn onto the hook and cast it in. The catfish will immediately be attracted to the bait and take the hook.

Although this method of making bait for river catfish is a little fiddly, the results are sure not to disappoint you.

River catfish bait made from tilapia

Ingredients include:

• Small tilapia: 500g
• Fish meal: 500g
• Fish oil: 50ml
• Worms (about the size of a thumb): 500g. If you cannot buy this type of worm, you can catch them in the evening in banana or guava orchards. Worm nests are usually found in soft, loose soil where worm castings are visible on the surface.

Method:

• Cut the tilapia into pieces about 2 cm long
• Grind the fish meal into a fine powder
• Mix the rohu fish, fish meal and fish oil together thoroughly.
• Leave the mixture to ferment in an airtight container for about 10–12 hours.

When using this type of bait for catfish, follow these steps:

• Choose a fishing spot and scatter a little of the bait mixture near the spot.
• Wait until the fish arrive and start competing for the bait, then attach a worm to the hook and cast it into the fishing spot.
• The final step is to sit back and watch the catfish take the bait.

Bear in mind that catfish eat very quickly, so as soon as a fish takes the bait, you must give a quick, firm tug.

Bait for river catfish made from sweet potato

Ingredients:

• Rice bran: 500g
• Sesame seeds: 100g
• Sweet potato: 500g
• Pig’s blood: 100g
• Rice wine lees: 100ml
• Red worms: 500g

Method:

• Roast the rice bran evenly until it turns a light brown colour and gives off a strong, fragrant aroma
• Roast the sesame seeds until they are a deep golden brown
• Wash the sweet potatoes, boil until tender, peel and mash until smooth
• Whilst the rice bran is still hot from roasting, pour in the rice wine and mix thoroughly. Next, add the pig’s blood. Heat the mixed red rice bran mixture.
• Add the sesame seeds to the rice bran mixture.
• Finally, add the sweet potato and mix thoroughly.
• Note that the fish bait should be slightly soft, not too dry.

To maximise the effectiveness of this bait for river catfish, follow these steps:

Choose a fishing spot and scatter the bait near it. Be careful not to use too much; just scatter enough to attract the fish. Whilst attracting the fish, avoid disturbing the water so they do not become alarmed.
Once the catfish have arrived in a school, hook a worm onto the hook and cast it into the fishing spot.

Lure fishing for catfish

If you wish to fish for river catfish using lures, you can use artificial lures. These lures are very easy to buy and are not overly expensive.

Here are some tips when choosing catfish lures:

• If you are fishing for catfish in areas with dense undergrowth, weeds or seaweed on the riverbed, you should prioritise artificial catfish lures with snag-resistant hooks. This type of catfish lure will minimise the risk of the lure getting snagged on obstacles whilst retrieving.
• Conversely, when fishing for catfish in open areas with few obstacles, you can use lures with a diving depth of between 50cm and 130cm. As catfish are bottom-feeders, the deeper the lure dives, the better.
• When fishing for catfish in deep water, using sinking lures or deep-diving lures will yield the best results.

 We hope that the useful information on catfish lures we have provided will help you successfully catch plenty of huge catfish.

Buy fishing lures at Tuấn Kiệt’s shop on Shopee: