if ur fishing with a pole what i use is chicken liver but i drain the blood from the tub and then add vanilla extract along with the brown suger. the suger helps make the livers harden up. and the vanilla adds a sweet smell in the water. but i also use cut bait from litle fish whether its a sunfish shad mud cat or a baby catfish. i also use frogs that i catch along the bank of the river. the smaller catfish cant mouth the frogs they will play with it but hardly take the bait fully in there mouths leaving only the bigger catfish to eat it. and weird as it sounds i have heard ivry bar soap u cut it up into subes and the cats like it. i have never tried this but dont use the scented ivry soap only unscented. good luck and god speed