Ouachita catfish HELP!

[claysammons]

Going there nxt week, what is the best bait for some high quality cats, and how big do the cats get in there? Need help so I can gather tackle.

Thankya much! Clay

[ArkansasSloughboy]

The fishing report said that cats were biting excellent on jugs and trotlines baited with cut bait and bream. If you are going for quality I'd suggest using cut herring, trotline minnows, or baby blue-gills. If you want to increase your catch numbers add in shrimp. If you're fishing rod and reel I'd use night crawlers, shrimp, or chicken liver. Try to fish in 15 to 40 feet of water. If using rod and reel try to find the debris line out from the bank and fish on it. If you are sport fishing the big boys are gonna be in 30 to 40 feet of water or cruising shallow flats late at night. That lake is loaded with 1.5 to 4 pound channels so that's what I'd try for. Good luck. post pics

[roy]

I'd try to find some catapa worms.  You're not going to find a bait that catches more catfish in the 1-5 lb range, and occasionally you'll catch one a little bigger. 

[Fly Tier]

I have used catapa worms they are excellent catfish bait.I have caught up to six fish on one worm they are tuff to bet.

[buckaroo]

We go on a week long trip every april we use clorox jugs or tide jugs with 300lbs test white  braid line with one large weight and #8 to # 10 hooks  we brim fish in the daytime for bait and throw the jugs in the time just before dark most of the time on the north side of the lake around cedar fourche or buckville there is a lot less boat traffic on the north side and less people put them in the coves the wind will take them to the main part of the lake and you will never find them take some binoculars to help spot them that is a huge lake but we catch some good blue and flat heads our big one so far is 65lbs we catch a lot in the 30 lbs to 40 lbs range but the best eating fish are from about 3lbs to 8 lbs if you dont catch enough brim you can allways use large minnows are saltys it is a fish i think from the carp family but small about the size of a bullet minnow used to deep sea fish with but the only place i know to buy them is Zimmermans Exxon in Little Rock but you can google them im sure they have them in Texas they are tough you can put them in a 5 gallon buckets with a bubble machine you can buy at wal-mart or any sporting goods store and they will last good.get you a regulation book you have to put your car license # on your jugs and you can only throw so many per person in your boat you need to build some type of pole with a bent strong hook to get the jugs a large fish is hard to land and the biggest net you can find we tear up at least 2 a year on our trip good luck and enjoy the lake it is nice clean and clear water good for a swim and nice sunsets.