Baits for blue and channel cats

Question
QUESTION: I primarily fish for blue and channel cats, In your opinion what would be the best baits for catching these fish? I use mainly night crawlers and shad is this the right bait? Also I use 10-15lb test line and 0/1-0/3 hooks should I be using bigger or smaller hooks?

ANSWER: Hi Chris,

I can't comment on Blues, but I can Channels.  I don't like crawlers.  They seem to attract small ones.  I like cut baits.  Chunks of shad, chubs, sucker meat, or bluegills.  Live bluegills for flatheads.

Ten pound line is a little weak for cats.  The 15 or more sounds better.  Those hook sizes are good.  I like circle hooks.

Good luck,

Marc

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you Marc, Will channel's hit on live bluegill more so than dead or cut?

Answer
Channels seem to like the dead baits/cut baits.  But the flatheads like the live stuff.  I'm not up on Blues, but I believe that they also like a cut bait also over a live one.  You can catch Channels on live minnows but not big bluegills like they use for Flatheads.  Something more like a medium Golden Shiner would be a better size for Channels cats.

When I was a kid we tried all kinds of stink baits.  Really gross stuff like chicken gizzards left in the sun in a jar.  After a couple summers of nearly barfing every time we baited up, an old timer tipped us off.  He said, ask the bait shops for their dead chubs and cut them into steaks.  They actually worked better than anything we ever used and we didn't have to suffer with the stench.  We would cut up suckers, chubs, gills, and freeze them in bags and keep them in our "catfish cooler" till we needed them.  

Another great catfish bait is live waterdogs.  We cant get them up here anymore (WI) but in the south you can still buy them.

Good luck,

Marc