BY DANNY BLEVINS

STAR CORRESPONDENT

I love catfish. I love the way they feel when they are biting. I love the way they fight at the end of my line.

I love the satisfaction I get when I know I have a monster on the line and he is hooked well and he is going to be mine.

But most of all, I love how they taste after a hard day of fishing!

There are many ways to catch catfish, and they are one of the most sought-after fish in most reservoirs and rivers.

I guess the catfish is the working man’s fish. Anyone can catch a catfish and it doesn’t take a $30,000 boat and $5000 worth of fishing equipment to catch them.

A good rod and reel, a little patience and some bait are all anyone needs.

But with all of the bait choices out there, which is the best? Here is a list of the five best baits I have used. Maybe they will work for you too.

1.    Nightcrawlers: Argue if you wish but more catfish have been caught on the lowly nightcrawler than any other bait.

You may not catch a monster with them, but if you want to catch pan-size fish, this is your bait. Try using two or even three of these on your line.   

The bigger the bait, the more likely you will tempt the catfish to bite your hook.

2.    Liver: Liver is the go-to bait for more serious catfishermen. The positive thing about this bait is it puts out a really good scent and most catfish find food by scent.

Also, it is a food that once they taste it, they will probably swallow it and your hook. The drawbacks of this bait are it will usually not catch large catfish and it is hard to keep on a hook.

Often you will cast your hook and it will go one way and the liver another way. Try using a treble hook and also try using a piece of nylon stockings. Put the liver in the stocking and run the hook through it. The bait will keep the scent longer, and it will stay on the hook.

Also, try changing your bait at least every 20 or 25 minutes. After 20 minutes in the water, the liver will lose most of its scent.

3.    Live trout minnows, shiners, etc.: Now we are talking about serious catfishing. Many species of catfish are predators and catch live shiners, trout minnows, etc., and the bigger the bait, the more likely you are to catch bigger catfish.

You will not catch every catfish in the water using this bait, but when you do get a bite, it will be a good size fish.

Be patient and resist the urge to reel the bait in every few minutes. Put it where you want it, and leave it there. Let the live bait do the work for you.

4.    Dead baits and cut bait (trout minnows, shiners, etc.): The same philosophy of catfishing applies to dead minnows and shiners.

If the bait is fresh and dead, take a knife and let the bait bleed to attract the catfish. Then put the bait back, but this time put the bait on the bottom.

You will be surprised how big catfish respond to an easy meal that is laying on the bottom. You can also cut the bait into pieces and just put the one piece on your hook. Both will tempt the big fish.

5.    Punch baits: These baits smell like your grandpa’s boots after he has fed the hogs.

That smell is what makes them such a good bait. Usually, these are a mixture of cheese, blood and everything else, and many people make their own and guard their recipe as a national secret.

Whether you make your own or you buy one of the hundreds of different versions on the market today, most of these will work to catch smaller fish.

Overall, these baits are fun to use, if you can get past the smell.

Summer is catfishing time, so pick your favorite bait, find some deep muddy fishing hole and enjoy the beautiful weather.

Summer doesn’t get much better than that.