Cut shad or cut bait is a very popular and effective bait for catching blue catfish. Baiting a hook with cut shad may seem like a very simple and straight forward process but there actually is a way to do it wrong, especially when catfishing with circle hooks.
What can you catch with cut shad?
Shad is an excellent choice for catfish bait all year long when targeting blue and channel catfish, in fact, it’s my top catfish bait. There’s no “season” for when you can and cannot use them. If they’re feeding on shad you can use it for bait and it’s rare they won’t be feeding on fish.
What kind of fish eat shad?
Largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass gorge on shad when available. When shad are abundant, these are five reliable fishing lures that will haul-in fish.
How long will shad stay fresh?
Yes, it is!
There’s been a few exceptions, very few and it’s something that requires a specific time of year and a very specific set of circumstances. It also lasts for a very brief period of time. The other 350 days of the year, fresh shad is best for catfish bait.
What is best bait for bass fishing?
Top 7 Best Bass Fishing Baits & Lures
- Soft Plastic Stickbaits. Gary Yamamoto 5 inch Senko in Green Pumpkin Black Flake.
- ChatterBaits (aka Bladed Swim Jigs or Vibrating Jigs)
- Lipless Crankbaits.
- Topwater Hard Lures.
- Squarebill Crankbaits.
- Ned Rig.
- Paddle Tail Swimbaits.
Does frozen cut bait work?
YES. Freezing any type of bait definitely makes it less attractive to fish. Freezing depletes the bait of it’s scent and essential oils that attract fish. The scent and oils are still there, but they are dilluted during the thawing process.
Why do catfish like Kool-Aid?
The Kool-Aid will soak into the chunks and some of the liquid will come out of the meat to form a marinade that helps the flavor soak into the meat. This makes the flavor and sweet smell permeate the chunk and means the bait will keep its flavor and smell for a long time in the water.
What attracts catfish the most?
Catfish are bottom feeders and are attracted to food by both sight and smell. They like bright colors such as orange or red. One of the best lures are Cheetos puffs. The bright orange color attracts their attention and the cheesy corn smell encourages them to bite.
Are hotdogs good catfish bait?
Hot dogs are a common food taken along on fishing excursions and double as excellent catfish bait. Points to remember when using hot dogs as catfish bait include: Cheaper hot dogs seem to catch more fish.
Are shad good eating?
“Shad is a great fish to eat, it’s very healthy for you, and you’re supporting a local fishery that’s sustainable.” Shad, a large member of the herring family, are famously bony fish. Cooks get around that by baking the fish to soften the bones. But for most people, the real prize is the shad roe.
When should you cut bait?
used to tell someone to take action or to stop saying that they will: He’s been promising voters that he’ll support gun control, now it’s time to fish or cut bait.
What lure catches the biggest bass?
Now, for the three best lures for catching a 10-pound bass.
- Big Plastic Worms. It’s hard to beat a good plastic worm. Image by Joe Balog.
- Swimbaits. Both hard-body and soft swimbaits work on big bass, east and west.
- Punch Baits. Punch baits need a compact profile and heavy tungsten weight to penetrate matted vegetation.
What colors do bass like?
Outside of red and green, many dark colors appear quite similar to bass, which are unable to make highly selective decisions based on those dark colors like blue and black. Likewise, bass cannot readily distinguish between very bright colors, like chartreuse and white.
What color fishing line is best for bass?
What matters to we bass anglers is simply this. Studies have established that bass color vision is strongest in medium to light reds, red-orange and yellow-greens. As for blues and purples it’s quite weak. When fishing, remember, the deeper the water or less clear the water, the less light and color there will be.
Do catfish eat rotten fish?
Catfish will eat almost anything, but the misconception is that they like rotten, stinking baits. That’s simply not true. They prefer fresh baits – shrimp, minnows, fresh chicken livers, and fresh cut bait, especially shad. A common mistake of those fishing for catfish is they don’t change baits often enough.
Should you thaw frozen bait before fishing?
Defrosting pilchards in the motor well or bucket on the way out fishing is a sure way to end up with soft or mushy bait. Defrost frozen baits slowly to ensure they retain their firmness.
How long will salted bait last?
Once they are salted they will stay fresh and usable for a long time. At room temperature a good 4 to 6 weeks, maybe longer. In the fridge they will last at least 6 months even longer if vacuum packed. If you freeze them they will be good for several years.
Can you freeze live bait?
its a great idea to freeze live bait. To keep it fresh frozen do as others have said and make sure it in contained inside of water in the form of a block of ice to prevent freezer burn and skanky bait. Then to thaw you can set it in a buck of water.
Do catfish like salted bait?
Trout, bass, catfish, and panfish seem to respond well to the taste of salt when they bite down. I would say that fish do like the taste of salt on baits.
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