An excellent and inexpensive catfish bait that renders great results are as follows:

cut beef hearts in one inch cubes
place one bottle of red food color with 10 lbs of the cubes
add one pint of dark syrup
add ten drops of anise oil( not extract)
add one pint of cooking oil( shad oil is much better if you can get it)
If possible, add beef blood( a pint or more if you can get it)
Mix all of the above together, allow to stand one hour or more and then either place in ziplock bags and freeze or use immediately.
This bait is great for channel and blue cats!

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