I am just starting out as a channelcatfisherman. If anyone has any tips on catfish baits or homemade catfish bait recipies, it would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!

When do catfish start biting?

caught most of my channel cat on yo-yo's baited with shiners. on the lake here, they use hot dogs, ivory soap, and blood bait on trotlines. real fun is catapa worms fished on light tackle. cast, sit back, and enjoy the time off from work!

What's a shiner and whwt's a yo-yo?Newbie here...

shiner=minnow i use the 2-3 inch size

yo-yo=metel take up reel that is set to take up slack line when fish hits. hang from overhead limbs or cross sticks nailed to stumps. sold by the dozen at most fishing or bait shops, or Wally-World

I have my best luck for channels closer to summer fishing after dark. For smaller cats chicken livers work great. A foam container left in the sun for a day seasons them about right. They really stink (rotten meat ) but work excellent. For larger fish fresh dead bait fished on bottom works good. The smaller ones taste better but the big ones sure can pull.

Good Luck

I've caught them on spinner baits {Rooster tail } minnows, shiners,worms, and chicken livers. Chicken livers are an excellent bait but hard to keep on the hook when casting. I did real good also fishing about a 6foot deep brushy shoreline using minnows. I was fishing for crappie and the channels tore those minnows up. I've caught them all times of the day but the last hour before dark is very good. I also have tore them up on red-worms. I usually fish about 3 rods at once because they can take their time biting. When you use the worms fish the bottom. The minnows about a foot off the bottom. Livers are also on the bottom. I try to use thin line. I caught a couple of 13lbers on 10 pound test. Set the drag and have fun.
Good Luck
Chuck

I have read on here before to use a piece of old pantyhose to wrap your chicken livers and place them on a treble hook to help kepp them on better.

go at nite, and id use chubs and cut them into pieces. and cast them out so that they're on the bottom, sit back and enjoy that night

we have always done well trolling with crawler harnesses and using stinkbaits..