I got to thinking (uh oh) Has anyone ever used a DEAD decoy sized sucker for bait? As cheap as they are, I might hafta try it! Anyone ever done it?

I would say yes. I caught a 19 inch flat with tooth marks down both sides. luckey the little guy got away. It was his mom.

Woodchuck: Do you mean using the whole decoy or using it for cutbait? What kind of catfish are you fishing? Channels or Flatheads. In the waters I fish we only have channel and flathead catfish.

Usually you can get a channel to take dead bait but I should think that unless the channel catfish was a bit on the big size he might have a little trouble taking something as large as a decoy? In might be an interesting experiment one time to try though???

It has been my experience that with a few rare exceptions Flatheads prefer live bait. If you were to fish flatheads you might have luck but in the waters I fish, store bought suckers just don;t seem to do as well as those you catch yourself and then use for bait?

Besides, part of the fun of Flatheads in my opinion is to catch your own bait. (just an opinion?)

This is a real good question and I will be interested to read what other peoples experiences using them are?

Tight Lines;

Uncle Kes

Flatheads.

It seems this time of year they do like the cutbait, but I would like to try using a WHOLE big sucker.....just to see if it would work.

Anyone do it?

From my personal experience, seems that flats prefer big fresh "still bleeding" cut bait. But I have caught them on pre frozen bait as well. I've never targeted them with a whole big dead sucker, but I bet if a biggun swam by it would gobble it up for ya.
Good luck and let us know how you do

I have caught dozens of flats on whole dead suckers both frozen and fresh. You never know unless you try.

I've seen sumo channels burp up multiple 19" sauger..so why not?

I freeze my leftover big suckers and use them whole on another night. I have caught many flats on whole (sometimes still frozen) suckers.

Sue says "HI" to a voice from the past!