Creek chub cut into cubes and let to sit outside in a Zip-Loc bag the afternoon before you fish. They are oily and the cats around here can't resist a cube or two on the hook.

Rabbit liver, definently out performs chicken liver.

If legal, use a perch but only the head for best results. Otherwise just use a cut up bluegill or chub.

As a commercial catfish fisherman on the Missouri, I discovered that congealed cow blood was far and away the most effective bait for trapping catfish. If you are going to throw something out on a hook, I have found a lip hooked frog tossed in the fast current is killer for channel cats and a big chub cut bait on the bottom is killer for blue and flat head cats.

Hot-dogs and chicken livers.