Choosing the right bait is not as hard as it might seem as long as you follow a few simple rules. One of the first things that you need to do is determine the size of the fish located in the body of water in which you are fishing. This is very important because if the bait is too large or small the catfish will ignore it.
 
The water temperature is also important. You don't want to use certain baits such as cut bait in water that is above 60 degrees. These are best used during the winter months because you need bait with the most smell in the cold water to attract the fish. When you are fishing in dark or muddy water you should use bait with a strong smell. Since the catfish can't see as well in these waters they relay on their smell even more to find food. The more it smells the faster they will be drawn in your direction.
 
The one thing that you don't want to do is skimp on your bait when you go catfish fishing. If you do you will end up disappointed. You don't want to feed the cats and fill them up, you want to catch them. Therefore, you want to provide enough bait to make them interested so they will take your bait and not just nibble on it. Once they actually take the bait you can set the hook and reel them in.
 
Stink bait is the number one bait used by experienced anglers everywhere but as you can see, most fishermen don't uses it each and every time they go out. It all depends on the circumstances and the personal preference of the angler.

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