Livebaits, Cutbaits, Worms And More

Success with clams as bait is less than spectacular, however. Crushing the shell and impaling it just isn’t natural, and the cat’s preference for clams may be linked closely to abundance and location of other prey or seasonal availability.

Larvae of the dobsonfly, commonly known as hellgrammites, stay in small rocky streams throughout North America. After hatching, they remain in these streams for 2 to 3 years before moving onto land for their metamorphosis into adult flies. They are ferocious predators, using their two strong pincers to prey on worms, insects, and small fish. Gamefish, including bass, walleyes, rock bass, and catfish, turn the tables by rooting for these meaty morsels. Rig hellgrammites by hooking them under the collar and drifting them on a split-shot setup or on a floater head.

Nightcrawlers remain a great bait for all cats, sometimes unequaled for channel cats. Even the biggest cats can’t resist worms. Drift ’em, float ’em, or bottom rig ’em. A ball of about six crawlers on a 3/0 hook is a fine bait for flatheads early in the season. The aroma and wriggling action seem to attract the big cats. In Kansas reservoirs, catmen dabble treble hooks adorned with several juicy crawlers for spawning flatheads, targeting undercuts and rock crevices along riprap walls where cats have holed up.

Catalpa worms are a highly regarded bait in parts of the South, where they’re common. These meaty green worms apparently become a focus for many fish species, where they feed on lakeside trees and tumble into the water. Freeze ’em for future use. The worm’s flavor is said to be so irresistible that several artificial bait manufacturers use essence of catalpa or crushed worms in their pastebaits.

Throughout the northcentral U.S. and in southern Canada, walleye and panfish anglers treasure leeches for bait. These flat worms swim with an undulating motion on jigs and plain hooks when hooked through their large sucker.

Bait leeches, collected in ditches and swamps, also make good catfish bait when drifted in small streams on floats or bottom rigs. Cats also eat larger bloodsuckers and horse leeches that inhabit northern lakes.