Where are you all fishin????

Little mud hole known as Lake Stamford.

Been there when I was a teenager, lots of channelcat back then

If you don't care what you catch use live shad and plan on throwing the game fish back.

If you want to catch catfish then use dead shad or cut shad.

I grew up on the lake. We used to drift fish for the channels and load a boat full of em. Now we mainly target the blues. Not uncommon to
Pick up hundred pounds or so of blues over a weekend. Channels have seemed a little harder to catch but the ones we do are usually very nice. I lost one a couple years ago that was over 15lb, that's big for a channel for that little lake.

Wow--
We haven't been looking at the same new guys post.
I know Tom is redirecting this, but that was a rough way to come in.
Tom and ER74 are not smart A's in a bad way.
IMO they are showing class here.
Just saying---

Steve I never said they were smart A's in a bad way I Can honestly say i have always enjoyed reading the catfish section and Tom's name is always familiar in my mind reading posts and depots. I do not know Tom, but after reading his posts and replys over the years I consider him a top notch guy. I just disapproved of the Answers that were made to a new guy looking for info, If that is class for you then props to you!

As to jugs, if not too shallow, you can have several hooks (leaders out at different depths). Due to me also in the midst of research when I'm catfishin', I mix it up in patterns & try to keep notes. Depths, hooks, and bait. At Lake Limestone at the Near Corner of the RB fork as it goes into the bottom of the lake, I usually set jugs inside (24') & outside of that corner (28'). By knowing the depth, I make the jugline lengths accordingly, as to how many leaders & how far apart (anywhere from 3 to 5 per line. I mainly use perch & goldfish (& sometimes big shiners) & have caught Yellows to 40 pounds & Blues to 40 pounds there. I also use other cut baits, such as beef liver & other stuff, including Chad's (Redneck's) soap, and can sometimes get some nice ones to 10 or 12 pounds.

I know a lot swear on shad, whole, wounded, dead or alive, or cut. But I have yet to have any real luck with them. It is possible I am not doing something quite right. Perhaps my body chemistry mixed with the shad's creates some sort of repellant. That is a possibility that cannot be dismissed.

So sometimes a bait that may work for me, may not work for you & visa-versa. You just never know, until you try a few times. Never dismiss anything. The old bit about old-timers spitting on their baits for catfishing for good luck has its merits. A 1960s catfish book listed worms as #1 back then (catfish in general) & #3 was human saliva (go figure). I am sure if you ate some fish or a burger just before, it might be to a better advantage.

One jugger uses either chicken breast or wieners sprayed with "Dead Red" spray & does quite well. Enough to get my attention to try them, as I recover from health issues.

FIRE IT UP!!

Good answer Lynn! My brother catches em all the time on weiners and I have never caught a fish with them.

I was the first to chime in with a smart arse answer and I will make no apology for it. If anybody doesn't have a good sense of humor then they should go be a bass fisherman so they can be amongst others who also take themselves too seriously. Us catmen like to laugh at both ourselves and each other.
That being said, any newcomer looking for information could spend a few hours (or days, or weeks) reading over the different threads of this section and come up with way more knowledge than starting their own thread is going to bring them. Over the years both guides and perennial tourney winners have shared secrets, tips, techniques, and yes, even locations. If any newcomer really wants to learn about catfishing by reading a forum then that is exactly what they should do: Get to reading. Because it is all in here and it has all been posted. Only a few exceptions like Lynn are gonna come back on and repost and repost the same information they have imparted already. Lynn being the patent teacher he is, is a rare exception.
And all that being said, every newcomer who has shown himself to be friendly and not a arsehole has received not only tips, techniques, information, and advice, but also offers to go fishing.
You can say what you want about how we treat newcomers here in the cat section but, my friend, you will not find any better on any other section of this forum.

The first couple of threads I asked questions on started with people advising on gummy worms but a littler humor never hurt anyone especially when it is followed by sound advise. I Agree with MR. the catfish section has to be the best group of guys who are willing to help everyone one out on or off of the water.

back when i finally started asking questions on this forum,i got a lot of good answers and a few smart a$$ ones too, but having grown up in east texas, i was expecting those. catfishing seems to bring out the goofball in everyone and that's the way i like it. it'll make even a zip day fun.

Ok the forum is for learning and the guys do give good advise so before we get all fired up stop and think, they spend tons of money and time to learn themselves. Think about this almost $300 entry fee for king kat tourny they dont know you.lol ad far as they know you could be coming to fish against them. But they stoped and took some time to help US out. They are all good people to learn from. So dont get fired up when a little fun is thrown out. They did give answers. And as far as your question the best way is to try both. I think you should stop and thank every

Everyone on the forum because each thread gives some advise. Its just up to us ti figure out the rest