What baits should I use when catfishing in Texas? Where are the best places in Texas for catfishing?

The best bait to use when fishing for Catfish is simply put fish. It can be a live fish like a fathead minnow, sucker, chub or even a bluegill. You can also effectively use cut fish so long as it was either freshly killed or freshly thawed after being frozen while fresh. There are a variety of lakes and rivers in Texas that hold Catfish in both large amounts and of trophy sizes. The key to Catfish success lies more in the use of proper equipment and presentation of your bait. You want to make sure your rod is heavy action and has the required backbone to set the hook into their tough mouths once you have detected a pickup. There is no need for a light action rod to feel bites. The Catfish will certainly let you know when it has taken the bait. You have one chance to hook the fish so you need to make it count. If you use cut bait I recommend cutting a medium sized fish into halves or thirds and using the tail portion with part of the body and organs intact. The tail section of the fish makes an excellent place to hook the bait so it will not come off during a long cast. The section with the organs will release small amounts of blood into the water. This blood will act as a chum and bring the Catfish to your area. Catfish have a strong sense of smell and will move great distances when blood is detected.