Chumming for catfish


redkneck

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Just got back from the river this morning. Had a few channels, blues, and 2 softshell turtles i let free. Caught a 4 lb tabby and another channel with a spinning reel. Was thinking if I had some attractant I could have put out while i was checking my lines, I may have had more luck with the rod and reel. You guys ever chummed for catfish? I dont think anything like stink bait would work well, I never had luck in the past with those type products on the river.

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Go to the feed store and buy a bag of cottonseed cattle cake. Either the cubes or the slab type will work. A 50 lb bag will run about $7 - $8. Throw out 4 or 5 pounds at a time. Refresh it every 30 minutes or so.

Or, buy a sack of milo or corn, pour into a 5 gallon bucket and soak with water for several days. The grain will sour and smell something awful, but you can pour out a gallon or so at a time and draw the cats in.

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Thanks. I've always heard of cottonseed meal being used and i know guys that use it in their wooden traps along with cheese. Never thought of using the corn like that, it works good sour for coons and hogs. Was just looking for someone that had some real experience using it. Will have to give that a try. Thanks TTID :)

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Sometimes chumming for Catfish works great and sometimes it's a disaster. If there are a lot of turtles in the river stretch you are chumming (especially softshells) they will take over the chummed area and that's all you'll catch.

My advise is don't go nuts chumming everywhere all at once. Go slow, figure out where it works and where it doesn't. Some places you'll pull in catfish and some places will stay "turtled up" for a long time.

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I haven't thought of that, Leo. I had to get two big softshells off a line this weekend. Got a pretty good many of them, and they are a pain in the tail to get off your hook at times.

Well then you know for sure two places that chumming is not a good idea. Softshells as I'm sure you know can really bite hard! They are also really really good at sniffing out chum. If you have them there in numbers I wouldn't recommend chumming.

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