RE: first striper................
one of my favorite baits for catfish is puree chicken liver and night crawlers together and soak cotton balls in the liquid and let sit out in the sun for few hours get all nice and stinky then go fishing the next day, just put a soaked cotton ball on your hook and go to town stays on the hook real well and if the cotton ball loses all its juice just soak it again in the stink juice. good luck