Leeches are considered a catfish only bait that rivals no other but they are not too easy to obtain and are very expensive to purchase. They can be purchased online from biopharm-leeches.com and will last for some time if looked after correctly. The Lobworm rig can also be used for leeches to good effect.

Pellets, boillies, meat, deadbaits and more

Hallibut pellets have become over the last few years a consistant catfish bait used on most waters all over the country. I first used 13mm hallibut pellets a few years ago for carp fishing at Layer Pit and the carp loved them, fished with a small pva ball of 4mm pellets attached to the hook. This method has caught carp for many anglers on a variety of waters that contain catfish and the cats seem to love them as much as the carp do. The best approach for the cats seems to be to use stepped up carp rigs using 20lb stiff rigs, larger hooks and two or three big hallibut pellets.
Boillies can be used in the same way as pellets and they have also caught their share of cats over the years. Fishmeal boillies seem to be the common catcher flavoured with crab, mussel, shrimp etc. Some flavours you wouldnt expect to catch catfish on like fruit flavours work at times too, last year I had a few cats from the River Ebro using pineapple flavour popups! The new catcatcher range of baits are based on the boilie theme but have been designed to appeal to wels catfish. The catcatcher baits last longer than halibut pellets in the water so you can be confident your bait will last the distance when the going is on the slow side.
Luncheon meat is another favourite along with Liver and Heart. Luncheon meat seems to be best fished in large cubes hair rigged using a size 2 or 1 hook. Frying the cubes of meat on all sides will help the meat stay on during the cast and stop the small fish nibbling it down to nothing. Other meat baits like liver and heart can be cut into strips and placed on a hair rig. Some anglers i have spoken to say that liver can be an excellent bait but is not used as much these days making it sound as though it doesnt work as well as other more popular baits.
Shellfish baits like mussels and cockles can produce catfish but the carp seem to like them even more but they are well worth a try.
Deadbaits can be a devastating approach fished close in the margins or next to some snags tempting passing catfish on the lookout for an easy meal. Fresh Roach and Rudd work well also oily sea fish baits can produce quite a few fish but if pike are present be prepared to put a few on the bank instead of the target catfish.

See also:

Every once in a while the wels catfish will decide to have a feeding spell which may only last for a very short period of time so, during this period we need to do everything we can to improve our chances of a take. Halibut pellets have been a very successful bait for catfish and carp alike but, as with most baits they soon loose the edge. Being catfish fisherman ourselves we have produced a range of bait which has caught us a fair amount of wels catfish during 2006 and 2007. Our custom made catfish baits will give you all the confidence you need when the catfish do decide to have a feeding frenzy. We have settled on two baits which stood out from the rest, 'catcatcher meat' and 'catcatcher fish'. Both hook baits have a specifically designed groundbait mix and oily dip to compliment their unique flavours which, can really give you that edge on those busy day ticket venues. The baits are hand rolled to form 28mm pellet shapes which are pre drilled.
	catcatcher meat is a meaty based bait which contains a wide range of natural extracts and fresh meat products which combined make a very attractive catfish hook bait. Essential amino acids, blood products, natural extracts and spices make this bait a real catfish treat. Catcatchers are big baits that start releasing a high level of water soluble attraction as soon as they rest on the lake bed.
	catcatcher fish is a fresh fish based bait which contains food items found in the catfishes natural environment. Some exceptional catches have been reported on this bait during 2007 and we are really looking forward to getting back on them during 2008. The catcatcher fish contains a blend of the essential amino acids required by wels catfish, high grade fish oils plus our own fermented liquid fish. This bait is our first choice for the new season, why not join us and get in on the action.
	Oily Dips To compliment the catcatcher baits is two concentrated oily dips Meaty Extracts Dip 150ml Blended Fish + N-Butyric acid dip 150ml A groundbait/paste is also available for each of the variety

The catcatcher range of baits are available exclusively from www.carpfishingpellets.co.uk

Tim Richardson section on bait by clicking here

See also:

Tim Richardson section on bait by clicking here

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Tips

Try fishing livebaits 12" below the surface during the evening and early morning.

When using Lobworms try putting three or four of the biggest worms on a hair at a time.

Always pop your Lobworms up off the bottom by atleast 6" so they dont bury them selves in the lake bed.

When using pellets try fishing with two or three 21mm pellets on a single hair rig with a pva bag filled with dead maggots and fish oil.

1 Leech can last you a whole session as they are so tough, then it can go back in the pot for next time!

Try adding a few tins of tuna to a kilo of pellets to boost the attraction, the sunflour oil variety creates a nice oily slick.