I'm a newbie to catfishin', i usually only hunt LMB, but want to try my hand at cats. What are my options for bait, aside from the "stink bait" stuff or livers/shrimp/shad? I've heard guys say that they've caught fish using chicken breast soaked in red kool-aid. I may try that method, but need more details first.

Stupid question i'm sure, but do you use Raw or Cooked Chicken Breast?

Appreciate the tips!

LMB works very well

Raw and don't worry about soaking it in koolaid

Depends on where you're fishing and what kind of catfish you are going for. In my experience they'll go after just about anything, down to balled up bits of bread or corn (at least the black bullheads will). Hotdogs work if you're improvising. You can also use live bluegills or chunks of bluegill. As long as it is smelly it should work.

I think I'm going to try for some blues, since it appears that's what is hot right now. Thinking I will probably try G-Vine, Lewisville or a small lake up near Texhoma that supposedly holds some large cats. I may swing by the grocery store and pick up some livers and breast and see how it goes. I appreciate the advice!

I have never tried the chicken breasts but have heard some good stories of people that use it, I have always had my doubts about it until a couple of weeks ago I fished with Kansascatman and he brought some chicken breasts soaked in ded red, sure enough he started getting hits and catching fish with it, it works!

I did some research on this, and might give this a try when other baits are not available. But apparently you can soak it in pretty much any flavor to experiment with. Vanilla, Strawberry, seem to be popular. I'n guessing more fishy flavors would work well too.

Red Dead Spray by Team catfish is pretty much the standard, if you cannot come by that go to the grocery store and get some anise oil and soak it in that. Color doesn't matter. Smell does. LMB hunt by sight and lateral line but cats hunt by smell.

My understanding was that the sweeter flavors like vanilla, strawberry were better for carp and the more salty/meaty flavors were better for cats...

LMB IS A VERY EXPENSIVE BAIT ! !

Last Friday the 13th on Tawakoni we caught a mess of Blues Dead Sticking 4" soft baits. No live, dead, or cut bait. Went with Lakeguide.

Go buy you some garlic powder and some gallon bags. Cut your chicken breast into cubes, place them and the garlic into the bags. Let soak for a couple of days in the garlic, keep them refrigerated while soaking. You can also use chicken hearts or gizzards, they are cheaper then breast. Vanilla extract also works great also. This is a old school recipe that works. good luck.

Sounds like Salsa!! Lol

I usually have chicken and koolaid before I go catfishing

Paul couldn't have said it better. But cats will bite almost anything, iv even caught small channels with cubes of irish spring in small farm ponds, but the bigger bodies of water your better off using baits you would find naturally in that lake. But livers and hearts with garlic and vanilla haven't failed me yet in the winter months.