Can a guy purchase catfish bait somehwere?

[tjoutdoors]

I know you can get chicken liver in the grocery store and crawlers or live minnows in a bait shop but don't people use a lot of cutbait and dead stuff? Can you get that stuff anywhere? What works best in the heat of July for channels on the Mississippi?

[Shack]

Yes, right here:

Moore's Bait and Tackle!!!!!!!! Click here!!!!!!!!!!

He has all you need for catfish stuff!

[tjoutdoors]

I guess I should have qualified that question. I was looking for somewhere in the St. Cloud to Monticello area of the river. Minneapolis might be a bit out of the way. But it does prove that some places carry bait like that.

[Shack]

Down town Monti has a shop right on Broadway. Ebners in ER! I know of one on the north end of town in St. Cloud, but I have never been at that one, but ran into the owner down at the SCSU dam a couple times.

I will say they may have some med. channel stuff, but nothing for big cats. They will have suckers (small-med), maybe up to 2once weights, some larger/"smaller" hooks.

Enough to get you into a channel or two up this way.

Google bait in those area and you will find some info and then call them. Always have Bella's in Rogers also.

Good luck.

[wastewaterguru]

You will find that a vast majority of the channel cat anglers catch their own bait and freeze it for later use. A couple mooneyes, a sheephead, shad, etc.

If you don't want to go that route, check with the local bait store and see if they will freeze their dead sucker minnows for you. You might find that some of the stores do that already and may charge a buck or so a bag for the dead sucker minnows. Cut up sucker minnows is the bait we are typically referring to when we say "cut bait".

[Shack]

Yes, WWG is right on the money with the frozen stuff. It is way cheaper and most times you will have to ask them for it. It will be in the back with the rest of the cat stuff

[SteveD]

If you are looking for cut bait and you are fishing the Mississippi north, just head out a half hour early and set up on any eddy off the main channel. Put out a piece of nightcrawler and catch yourself a sucker. Cut him up and you are in business.

I use bullheads for cut bait and you can catch those about anyplace also. Try below the dam in St Cloud, I'll bet there are a ton of bullheads and suckers below the dam.

If you are going by Elk River, fish below the Lake Orono dam and you should be able to catch a bucket of bullheads in nothing flat.

[tjoutdoors]

So when you fish with bullheads, you just cust some of the meat off of them or something? Same with suckers you just caught? Sorry for all the stupid questions. I've never used anything but chicken liver.

[Catfishunter]

Filet the bigger suckers just like a eye and then cut chunks out of that and freeze for later use. If using sucker minnows just put some gashes in the side to get some juices flowing or just give them a squish with your foot. Always freeze unused bait for next time. Don't forget about frogs.

[SteveD]

So when you fish with bullheads, you just cust some of the meat off of them or something? Same with suckers you just caught? Sorry for all the stupid questions. I've never used anything but chicken liver.

This link shows how to cut up the smaller bullheads which make great cut bait: Making cut bullhead

If you catch larger bullheads just fillet them, cut off the head and put the fillet strip on the hook. They are very bloody and make an excellent scent trail. Some people like the heads to and I've seen some nice channels caught on the heads. Change out bait about every 15 - 20 minutes. You are trying to leave a good scent trail in the water and fresh bait helps maintain the scent.

[SteveD]

When I use small/medium suckers for cut bait I cut them just like the bullheads. Use a scissors and snip off the head, and snip just in front of the tail and use that chunk of bait on your hook. I use the sucker heads too, and I usually pinch the head with a pliers to make it soft and gooy. That releases a lot of scent out of the head.

Large suckers I fillet and cut up the fillets into 1 1/2" to 2" chunks. Some people like to chunk them and just kind of cut them crossways making kind of sucker steaks. I've done it both ways but prefer the fillet approach for larger suckers.

Suckers make excellent cut bait but I don't use them much after they are frozen - they seem to get mushy and fall off the hook easy. I just don't have much confidence in frozen bait so I never use it. A lot of guys swear by it and have success with it. I guess you use what you have confidence in. Having some frozen in the freezer is a good way to hedge against having a chance to go fishing but you can't find or catch any bait.

I always have a back up plan. I bought a bunch of the new Berkley Gulp on-line from Cabela's. They have Gulp cut bait that they sell that is supposed to be good. I have some on hand but haven't tried it yet. I'm saving it for that emergency situation.

[rockman]

If you are going by Elk River, fish below the Lake Orono dam and you should be able to catch a bucket of bullheads in nothing flat.

I was there a few days ago fishing below the bridge/dam. All I caught there, while fishing for carp, was 7 inch bull heads, and quite a few over 7 inches.Watch the size of bullheads you get there, to stay within legal size.

[rockman]

I picked up a dozen large suckers at Ebner's a few days ago.Those minnows are 6 inches and larger,a good size for cutbait use.They had plenty on hand when I went in there last time, and the medium sized suckers were readily available,too.

[tjoutdoors]

Thanks for the help on the bait guys. I'll have my old stand by of chicken liver but might try this cutbait option. Especially if I get some crawlers and produce some bullheads.

[slipperybob]

Once, I went into the grocery store and bought a pound of carp to go fishing with.

Years later, I hear it was illegal to use carp meat in MN. So then I used frozen smelt.