Of course you all know that I target eater size channels and what bait I use. You can catch a catfish on all the baits mentioned. Some work better than others. I use what works best for me. I think every angler should use what they have confidence in. Heck, I went to New Braunfels this past weekend and threw out off the dock at the house we were staying out on the Guadalupe River just to pass the time while my wife went to some kind of Nutcracking Play with her cousin. Low and behold, caught a solid mess of these just goofing off.

Frozen honey bees? Didn't see that one coming... lol.

Grasshopper, when we were kids we would go out in the tall grass in the ditch by the road and catch them by the handfuls. Never used them for bait but sure could have. We had plenty. We also had an abundance of huge night crawlers and that was our go to bait. Used those things to catch channels and bream and sometimes yellow bullheads. That was about all we fished for. When I was older we would go juggin for flatheads using bream. That was my kind of fishing because you got to fish in the afternoon for bait and then fish all night for the flatheads. I learned that from a buddy at work who had a brother that lived on Rend Lake in Southern Illinois. First time I was out with them we caught a 48 pound flatty and from there I was hooked on chasing big cats and when I moved to North Texas it became an obsession.

Ken, you've been blessed to be in some great places as a sportsman. I think Alabama with the Koosa River and the Tennessee River would be about the only place outside of Texas I'd consider moving to. My wife, aka Nana would put the kybosh on that real fast so I will continue to make trips over there to fish when I can. Kansas River hold some big flattys. What you said about the Tiger Perch is spot on. I worked a project in Northern Ohio on the shore of Lake Erie and when they come in season the restaurants all have fresh perch and you get a perch sandwich for lunch everywhere you go. That is some top 5 or maybe top 3 table fare when they are available.

Rowdy, just looking at your rod holder project, I'd like to see you do a bait tank for 300 bream. That would be epic!

Ken, one last thing... I have thought about asking TPWD what it would take to get the regulations changed so we can use legally caught game fish as bait. I'd like to know if it would be worth trying to get a legislator to sponsor a bill...

Shannon, I think those channel cats just follow you around! You're the Pied Piper of Channel Cats!

Tim, great post and way to get a subject rolling! The only thing I'd like to add with respect to catfish bait is one that probably some old timers can relate to. Someone might have mentioned this in one of the responses but I haven't been able to fully read everything on this post yet. I'm talking about soap. Way back in the day, guys were using soap on trotlines and limblines. Now, I'm not talking about Dial or Dove here. This was a homemade soap that was fairly soft and you could actually mold a chunk of it on to a hook. I have a friend that still does this once a year down south and he and his family call it Jesus Soap because it's "miraculous" in their words. He gave me a small bag (that I will probably never use because you can't drift with it). It's pretty interesting though because it smells just like black licorice. And, it's a really good soap! I asked him how to make it and he was like, no way anyone is getting that recipe! I don't know why in the world catfish would eat it, but they do. Mostly just channel cats. I think that's what they target. Anyway, just thought that was interesting.

Oh, and btw, you get a legislator interested in sponsoring a bill and we'll barrage them with letters and calls. It's absolutely a shame that we waste sand bass and crappie carcasses' that could be used for bait. I understand the reason behind the prohibition of it, but once again, all we're doing is keeping honest people honest.

Hey Geno, yes! I forgot about the soap thing. The Pink soap, Ivory soap, and yes homemade soap. I think the reason the fish eat it is the black licorice smell (and taste) That "flavor" is anise and I have heard it will drive channel cats crazy. Still doesn't top frozen honey bees though, just sayin... lol

Zote soap

I have to say the honey bee is a first for me too. I agree with being able to use the fish heads and whatever is leftover after cleaning. We surely should be able to use those. I figure the biggest problem is like Skeet mentioned, sure there are those on this forum that are true to the sport of fishing, and would never knowingly do anything wrong, but we are the exception. It's like everything we get that is so good,great and fine there is always somebody that just has to ruin it for all of us.

On another note here, we have a temp of 8 degrees right now and the wind is right out of the north @ 25 from what I just saw. I want be doing much outside today, least I hope so. You guys on the other coast of Texas get ready...

Skeet, this entire thread is a great read man, it is a really good topic. With as small as honey bee's are, just think what you might be missing lol. I still never would have guessed those to make bait with lol.

Rowdy, I'd love to take credit for this but Tim started it. He tends to do that now and then. He'll get ya thinkin!

Catalpa worms is the best bait that I ever came across.

Skeet,

I was talking about the commit "keeping honest people honest" you made.


Edit: Had to look up the Catalpa worms, ain't ever heard of them... You know there is another really good bait that thrive around and under rocky areas is the Hellgrammite, got some nice pinchers on them, but not really powerful like the crawfish or mud bug as I always called them as a kid.

I would wade the shallows of the more clear water rocky shores very easily turning over the rocks and grap them and stick them in a old metal minnow bucket I always had in tow. These and the mud bugs for bait guaranteed channel cats and/or extra spending money if i sold them for bait, for a little lake rat like myself lol

It could take all day to get enough of the Hellgrammite if I didn't already have quite a few mudbugs; for a good fishing excursion. But if a drum was to happen along, it could help make up any short coming on bait.

Now, another question here for you fisher's, any of you ever take the rock like things out of the head of the drum? I say rock, but it's probably not a rock, probably more like a mineral, but whatever they are, I have always figured they used them to make noise grinding them together, never asked or heard anyone say what they do in the fish though, any of you fishing wizards know? Neat looking white rocks, I am sure I got some around here somewhere.

Rowdy, you come up with some of the dangedest questions! No idea what the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks the thing inside I drum's head is! Never thought to dissect one! lol. I have heard of the Catalpa Worms for bass fishing but not for Cats. Based on what I've learned from this thread though, I bet they would make a fine catfish bait... I had never heard of a Hellgrammite. For the rest of you, ignorant soles like me, see the link below.

Hellgrammite

Rowdy, again, you come up with some doozies! But, hey. If I was a catfish, I'd hit that...

That is an awesome video on the Hellgrammite. The rocks inside the drum, I will go find those I have and shoot a PC of them. Interesting about these, the bigger the drum, the bigger the two rocks are. They have a smooth side and then they have a more rough side.

Edit: I have yet to figure out how you guys tack up such awesome pix. But if you click the thumbnail of each here I did try to explain these how they are and where they are in the drums head. These two sets of rocks would be from 2 drum of about 10-12" in size and I would have used them as cut bait. Get the drum smaller they would make good live bait.

When I was a very young child there were only a few lakes around so my Dad fished creeks and rivers. From time to time he would take me with him and I can remember a noise that sound like it was coming from under the boat. My Dad told me the noise was a Drum, drumming. He later caught a Drum and cut those “rocks” out to show them to me and said that was what was making the noise that I heard.

As for the Catalpa worms, one of the bait shops on Lake Palestine sold them in foam cups frozen in water. Blues loved them. Caught several in the 15 lb range. I had a catalpa tree in my back yard but there were never any worms on it. I was told by an old guy at Lake Palestine that if you got some live worms and put them on the tree there would be worms on it every year. I was going to do that but I made the mistake of telling my wife what I was doing so that idea got vetoed right away. This was about 20 years ago so I don’t know if they are still selling them or not.

I have thought about trying to drill a small hole in a set of these and make a set of ear rings for my wife from a set of these rocks. I just know after she and I have known each other for 37 years now, best buddies before we even got married 34 years ago, these are not the rocks she really likes lol, but then she does have more of those rocks than she can even wear all at one time now!

Coarse she would be saying right now in her defense, that I have way more tools or fishing stuff than I could ever use at one time lol!!! I am always quick to come back with, " that's different "... lol

I do think she would wear them as ear rings though. After all she has caught a few drum and knows all about them. I hate cutting them from the head of the bigger drum, it just ruins the perfect piece of bait doing so jimo. I have not caught one of the truly big drum in many years now, use to catch them quite often over 5-6lbs. Thinking about that now, I think that I am not fishing enough! That has got to stop too.

Now if we can just get rid of this artic weather, I am poised to do just that...