catfish bait

has anyone found just that one bait for catfish because i cant just find one i have been fishing the onalaska lake spillway but no luck.I was also wondering where is a good spot to go for some big cats.

thanks
lucas

for channels: leechs, nightcrawlers, chickenlivers
for flatheads: live fish (chubs, small sunfish)

a bonus with leechs and nightcrawlers is you hook into the occasional walleye around spillways.

does anyone use cut sunfish?

I’ve fished for cats just about all my life. Grew-up commercial fishing for them.
The one bait that stands out more than the others was shad. We used to catch them in a minnow seine in the shallow sand flats. They are by nature a very oily fish, which makes them very fishy smelling, and one of the top bait fish, exactly the thing the cats love (and northern pike).
I used to put 1 or 2 on a 2/0 hook, (doesn’t matter how you hook them) and enough weight to keep it on the bottom. (don’t forget a barrel swivel).
Live 8-10 inch suckers work very well for the big flats.
(cut sunfish works well, but you’d better check your state regulations….)
Let us know how you do!!
Good Luck!!