cutbait, or livebait?

Punchbait

Man that all to what you want to catch.

I'm a cut bait guy.
I usually don't start out catfishing, but with the wind the way it's been, I've been ending up in the shallow protected areas. Since I take only artificial with me, I use a beetle spin or jig to catch some bluegill to cut for bait.
I like the idea of having to work for both bait and fish...

how are you cutting it up or using it?

depending on the bait size if you are using big shad cut the head off leave a little meat on the back of the head from the gut area, that makes one bait, fillet the sides and that makes two more baits or cut across and ust the belly part as one bait and cut off the tail and use the meat for bait, I think the hook-up is better on the fillets, and throw away the tail, you can use perch the same way. I like to use a big hook, I like an 8'0 octupus circle hook. If you have blues there you will find out soon. good luck.

Yes, and yes.

Cut shad is the best, I found the key is the shad must be fresh.
No more than a day after catch( even I put in the refrigerator, still not good after a day). I use live bait only when fishing in fast moving water, which keeps the shad alive longer ,otherwise, I think cat likes the smell better than the movement. lol

I usually cut a medium sized bluegill into 5 pieces. The head, tail and three chunks from the middle. I either fish it on the bottom, or more often with a bobber and splitshot rigged to keep the bait about a foot off the bottom. (a couple of squirts of fish attractant won't hurt either )
I use a 3/0 or 4/0 circle hook and try to find a place where the wind is blowing into a brushpile or lay down. Let the bait drift into the cover and hang on.
These are from Friday morning, all caught on one bluegill. Three of them were caught on the same chunk!

Hotdog wienies and tabasco sauce...

Thespis,
Thanks for the details description ... that really helps me.

Neil

I like to start out with both. Then see which one seem to be getting the most bites or the biggest fish. I then switch over all my ploes to them.

Ive always used live bait. Either worms or minnows.

Cut shad is the ticket for me!