Hey Y'all,

Good evening! In the seemingly unending endeavor to find the most effective bait for catfish (at least in my neck of the woods, Cypress/Magnolia), I've tried pretty much everything. Hotdogs, chicken liver, chicken gizzards, chicken hearts, cow tongue, fish guts, pre-packaged baits (DON'T USE THOSE), corn, worms, and a few different kinds of animal fats. For the most part, catfish will eat pretty much anything they can fit in their mouths, but when you're targeting the biggest predatory fish in the area, presentation makes all the difference.
Many of you know that catfish don't utilize their eyes nearly as much as they use their sensitive whiskers and lateral line to detect a potential meal. "Catfish are essentially a giant tongue," My grandfather told me, when I was younger. "They don't smell as much as they actually taste with their sensitive bodies." This doesn't only mean that your bait has to have scent, but it needs to be FRESH as well. I've seen countless people using store-bought dough baits, packaged shad, frozen chicken livers and other sorts of baits that have either been in a package, or frozen for weeks, or even months. Not much to my surprise, they were lucky to get half as many bites as my buddies and I were getting. What's the secret? FRESHNESS. I'm not exactly sure how the fish can tell, but fresh bait will out-fish preserved bait every time.
That being said, I came up with a really simple bait recipe that has worked time and time again in multiple locations for me and my friends, and it's my pleasure to share it with y'all fishermen who might be new, or are even just looking for something new to try so your hands don't smell like Satin's buttcrack after you finish baiting your hook.
Step 1: Go to a local store that has chicken for cheap. Gizzards and hearts work okay, but cheap drumsticks, breasts or thighs work the best simply because you get more meat with them, and they tend to stay fresh longer.
Step 2: Carve the meat off the bone if necessary, and cut it into bite-sized proportions. Try to keep the skin and fat intact; the fat actually helps naturally attract the fish because of the natural protein content.
Step 3: Put the cut chicken in a gallon Ziplock bag. At this point, the bait will probably work the way it is, but to give it some extra pop and attractant, sprinkle a generous amount of cayenne pepper, garlic powder and onion powder on the chicken, mix it well and let it marinade.

It's ideal to make this bait the night before/morning of the day you plan to go fishing, but if you end up needing to freeze the bait, the spices will help keep the chicken a little better preserved than it would be on its own. I hope y'all find this a useful alternative to everyday catfish baits; I personally just think it's satisfying to catch fish with homemade bait, and nice to have bait that doesn't smell like death! God bless, and tight lines y'all!

Be careful with the generous amount of cayenne pepper. If you handle it then have to take a leak

id have to bring a cast iron skillet man fresh fried chicken

Thanks and welcome to a great forum sounds like a try for me - the pepper.

Sam that's what I say to those under sized dinks , If I only had a Cast Iron Skillet I would eat you on the bank.

If you don't catch anything you can always eat your bait!