There are so many options when you need to choose life bait for catfish. The wide variety is one of the reasons catfish are easy to catch in the wild. Among the preferred foods, catfish enjoy eating minnows and squids. Anglers have been using minnows to lure and catch catfish for many years. Regarding the squids, depending on their size, it is possible to use them as bait because catfish will eat anything that can be easily swallowed.
Will Catfish Eat Minnows and Squid?
Where to find minnows
During the spawning season, it is easy to catch minnows and use them as bait for catfish. Minnows can also be bought from shops that sell supplies for anglers. Minnows are prepared as bait by cutting them open to make their scent stronger in the river. It is this scent that is picked up by the catfish’s barbels, which attracts the fish to the bait.
You can also find schools of catfish in the wild be tracking the minnows. Catfish tend to lurk in areas minnows live to be close to a good food source. This happens mostly during the minnow spawning season.
Using squids as bait for catfish
Squids are best used as bait for catfish when they are cut up into smaller pieces. The reason for cutting up the squids is to make it easier to lure catfish by the scent. The catfish barbels are very sensitive; anglers make it easier for catfish to find their lures by cutting the squids.
Anglers can use different fishing methods when using minnows and squids as bait for catfish. The lures can be set up on rigs or cast from a fishing line.
Another excellent way to attract catfish with these lures and get more bites is by trolling the fish. This is done by attaching your preferred lure to the hook on a line, set in at an appropriate depth in the river and troll slowly by navigating your boat at a slow speed.
The lure moving slowly beneath the water surface will attract the catfish; the fish get caught when they bite the lure.
Minnows and squids can be quite expensive if you have to buy them for use as lures every day. To avoid such costs, you can find out the spawning season for minnows and catch them, it is also possible to raise minnows for a while, and this means you will always have a source of live bait for your catfish.
The squid behavioral pattern in their natural habitat can also be studied to know where you can catch squids easily. Dedicating a short time to catching your bait is going to be cheaper, and you can save costs. Also, it will be rewarding because of catfish like these options as food.
Some catfish species you should expect to catch when using squids and minnows as bait include the flathead catfish, channel catfish, and the bluegill catfish. These catfish species can be found in parts of North America, Europe, Asia and many parts of Africa.
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