Thank you for reading our post, please rate this article at the end.
Last Updated on May 14, 2025 by Paul Clayton
Table of Contents
Catfishing With Shrimp: A Detailed Guide
Can you catch catfish using shrimp as bait? Using shrimp for catfish bait is one of the best methods. However, it depends on several factors, like which catfish species you are looking for and where you are fishing.
Key Takeaways:
-
- Shrimp is an effective bait for catching particular catfish species, particularly channel cats and bullheads. It works well as both dead and live bait.
- Marinating shrimp with garlic salt can significantly attract bullheads.
- While shrimp can sometimes catch blue cats, it is not the preferred bait for flathead catfish, which favor live baitfish.
- Allowing shrimp to spoil for 3-5 days enhances their scent, making them highly attractive to catfish, especially in warmer water.
- The best season to use shrimp for catfish is summer, when catfish are more active and the scent travels further.
- The Pros of shrimp include its effectiveness for channel catfish, ease of use, and store availability.
- The cons include the need for a 72-hour spoiling period for optimal effectiveness, its higher cost than other baits, and reduced effectiveness in winter.
- Removing the skin and tail is recommended for rigging shrimp to maximize scent release.
- Two primary rigging methods are: hooking through the head (best for bottom fishing) and hooking through the broken tail (good for cruising catfish, enhancing scent and bait retention).
- Both thawed and frozen shrimp can be used, but letting it rot for increased scent is a common and effective practice (with odor considerations).
- While live shrimp is an option, the difference in effectiveness compared to prepared shrimp may not justify the extra effort.
- Freshwater shrimp, if available, are often preferred over store-bought shrimp.
- Raw shrimp is generally more effective than cooked shrimp due to its pungent scent.
- Adding garlic to shrimp as a marinade can enhance its attractiveness to catfish.
The lure of the murky depths, the thrill of the chase, and the taste of victory – nothing quite compares to the experience of catfishing with shrimp. The shrimp lure is not just a bait but a deadly weapon. The unsuspecting catfish is drawn in by the irresistible aroma and taste of the bait shrimp, only to find itself ensnared.
The fight between the fish and the angler is a battle of wits and strength. In this deadly dance, the angler armed with his bait shrimp is both an artist and a warrior. The art of catfishing with shrimp requires patience, strategy, and an understanding of your adversary—the elusive catfish.
Over a couple of years, shrimp for catfish bait has been a top-ranked choice by catfish anglers. However, it is crucial to present shrimp correctly as bait to increase your odds of success. You can add shrimp to your fishing arsenal as an effective and unique bait with proper usage.
Let’s look into the art of using shrimp as bait for catfish.
Does Shrimp Catch Catfish?
Shrimp are the best choice for catching channel cats and bullheads. They work great as dead or live bait. 
With shrimp from the grocery store, you can easily target yellow and brown bullheads. Furthermore, marinating these shrimp with garlic salt will draw large bullheads.
If you target flatheads, baits other than shrimp will be more effective and may serve you better since flathead prefers living baitfish over dead items. Moreover, sometimes you may catch blue cats using shrimp, but it is not an ideal bait for them.
Shrimp: One of the Best Baits for Catching Catfish
Shrimp as bait is easy and non-complicated and works highly efficiently for catfishing. Thus, it ranks among the top ten catfishing baits.
A few hours before use are critical to benefit from shrimp as bait. If you place them outside for 3-5 days and let them spoil, their special stink and scent will attract catfish in huge numbers.
This video has been included to clarify the topic. Credit goes to AnglersEscape
Overall, it is an amazingly versatile and exceptionally easy bait. You must try it once before knocking it.
Best Season to Use Shrimp
You can use shrimp around the year to catch catfish. However, the preferred time is summer. During this period, these catfish were much more active searching for food. Furthermore, the scent of shrimp can travel faster and farther in warm water.
While searching for food, these catfish travel a long distance to follow the scent of shrimp in summer. Finally, on their own, they will locate your bait.
However, you must locate catfish first and then use bait around them in winter. The scent of the bait doesn’t travel very fast.
Pros and Cons of Using Shrimp as Catfish Bait
Pros
Using shrimp as bait is a highly effective method for catching channel catfish. It is also super easy to use and is available at local stores, making it easy to find and purchase.
Furthermore, the shrimp rig setup is relatively straightforward.
Cons
Although shrimp acts as a great bait, it requires an almost 72-hour window before use to perform at its best. Also, it is costly when purchased from stores.
Lastly, shrimp baits are comparatively less effective in winter.
Method to Rig Shrimp for Catfishing
When rigging shrimp, removing their skin and tail is the best approach. Shrimp will have fewer chances to return if you do not remove them. Also, with skin, the shrimp is likely to smell remarkably less under the water surface.
In general, there are two methods to hook shrimp as bait. Here are the steps you can follow to hook your shrimp accurately.
Hook Through the Head
In this method, you start hooking the shrimp through the head with the pointed end coming out from the other side of the head. You don’t have to fix the shrimp to the tail.
This method is more appropriate for bottom fishing. This allows the shrimp to sit correctly and be a bait for catfish on the bottom.
The problem is that the shrimp can fall off quite easily compared to fixing the entire body of the shrimp down towards the tail.
Hook Through the Broken Tail
This is the second method to target cruising catfish or catfish that do not stay in the deep holes. During this process, you can use a different technique to slide the hook into the shrimp’s body.
First, snap off the tail of the shrimp. This action brings extra scent 
and natural attraction into the water for channel catfish. Now you can place the hook through the rear of the shrimp with the pointed end exiting the mid-torso.
This method offers a few distinct benefits to your catfishing game. Let’s look into the advantages of using this rig and hooking method for shrimp.
Firstly, hooking the shrimp from the rear to the mid-torso offers a free shrimp head. Therefore, applying head weight in the moving direction helps to keep the momentum, and the shrimp moves further smoothly.
Secondly, the removed tail provides a scent and stinks into the water. This natural smell makes bait a little more attractive and irresistible for channel catfish.
Thirdly, since you fixed the hook across the maximum portion of the shrimp’s body, you have fewer chances of losing the bait.
How to Use Shrimp as Bait for Catfish
Depending on a few timeline factors or how much time you can spare before a fishing trip, there are simple steps to ensure maximum benefits from shrimp as catfish bait.
You can use both thawed and frozen shrimp to catch catfish. However, the best way to use shrimp is to let it rot outside or in the sun for 3-5 days before using it.
This spoiled shrimp will be stinky after 3- 5 days, and your neighbor might have some concerns. So, don’t try it inside your home; otherwise, it would be difficult to eliminate this smell for some time. While placing shrimp outside, ensure protection from rodents and wildlife.
Live Shrimp as Bait
Live shrimp is also an option for bait. Catfish anglers mostly prefer live bait.
However, you will hardly notice any difference. So why put in so much effort to keep live shrimp as bait?
Shrimp From a Bait Store
You can buy frozen and thawed shrimp from the store. Buying shrimp from the bait store is relatively easy, and it will serve you equally well. It’s available in-store in huge quantities, and the quality is acceptable.
The only drawback to buying shrimp from the store is the high cost. However, in general, the overall success rates of catching more catfish will be much higher.
Eating Shrimp vs Freshwater Shrimp
If freshwater shrimp are available in your state, use them. Catfish love feeding on fresh bait rather than store-bought bait.
Frozen or thawed shrimp marinated with garlic work great, but if you have to choose fresh and stored shrimp, go for fresh ones.
Shrimp vs Live Bait
In comparison to shrimp with live bait. Catfish love feeding on live bait and prefer natural baits that they eat daily. Live bait includes shad, bluegill, shiners, clams, and suckers as well as some vegetation.
Should I use Cooked Shrimp as Catfish Bait?
Many anglers prefer cooked shrimp. While it can sometimes serve its purpose, raw shrimp is far more effective due to its smell in the water.
Take a break if you recently had a rough time catching channel catfish 
with rotten shrimp. While on a cold streak here, try your luck with cooked shrimp.
Mixing things up can bring luck. If you don’t try, you don’t know. Once you try, you have data and experience to share with others.
Garlic Shrimp as Catfish Bait
Do you think that shrimp with added garlic is more effective? Any additional thing to stink up bait is always good. Since it draws the catfish’s attention and helps you locate and catch it easily.
Thus, marinated shrimp with extra flavor is an ideal bait. But if you are facing time constraints, simple shrimp will also work.
Finally, the choice is yours.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to catfish bait, there is a vast variety available to choose from. However, many baits are to attract anglers.
If you already have a preferred and tested bait, stick to it. Otherwise, shrimp as bait is the best choice for beginner catfish anglers.
You can always buy freshwater shrimp from the store nearby if you don’t have access to freshwater shrimp. Once you get them, let them rot and spoil outside for 3-5 days before using them.
Because once rotten, its stink makes it much more attractive. This especially helps when you are trying to hook some nice channel catfish.
Whether you use shrimp from a grocery store or catch some freshwater shrimp from the stream, with a proper hooking arrangement, you can see plenty of bullheads and channel catfish.
Hence, shrimp falls into the top ten catfishing baits list if adequately used.
