Yeah, I have seen some articles on this. Most of the time they do use a type of cutbait but I would imagine any catfish bait that would stay on the hook for awhile would work. They also said that you can use an old bicycle tire tube as a type of shock absorber. Tie about three feet of line to a thick strong limb, then tie the innertube to the end of the line. Then tie the rest of the line to the other end of the tube, bait your hook, and toss it out. The stretch in the tube will provide some give for larger catfish so they don't pull the hook.