I'm a rookie when it comes to every kind of fishing except juggin, and as far as catfish go.. chicken liver wrapped in panty hose. The panty hose will keep the liver on the hook long after its started to fall to pieces. Hell I've used the same piece of liver to catch 3 or 4 fish at times.
I buy calf liver if i don't have cut bait. But prefer huge minnows or shad for bigger cats on jug lines. The 2 to 4 lbs cats have been hitting my crappie rods with small minnows and that is a blast can't hardly get the wife to leave when them cats start hitting when the crappie stop biting.
MT.DEW AND JP8 IN THE MORNING GETS THE BLOOD FLOWING.