Can fresh chicken liver from Walmart actually catch catfish from shore at a Michigan lake?
For us at West Lake in Kalamazoo County, Portage, Michigan, the answer was yes. But the bait was only part of the story. The bigger lesson was that the right spot, the evening window, patience, and watching the bobber closely mattered just as much as the smellier bait.
Before this catfish try, Brad and Surjo had caught bluegill, black crappie, and largemouth bass using minnows. For this trip, we wanted to see what would happen if we focused on catfish with chicken liver and cutbait.
What We Were Trying At West Lake
We were fishing from shore at West Lake and testing chicken liver as catfish bait.
The chicken liver was fresh and came from Walmart. It was messy and smelly, which is exactly why a lot of people talk about it for catfish. We had also tried cutbait, but the catfish we remember from this test came on the Walmart chicken liver.
This was not a complicated tournament setup. It was more of a real beginner-style test: get to the lake, fish from shore, put bait where we thought catfish might be moving, and wait.
Our Beginner Setup
Here is the actual setup we used:
- Pflueger rod
- Shimano 2500HG reel
- 8 lb Trilene line
- Leader with two size 4 hooks
- One piece of fresh chicken liver on each hook
- Bobber to watch the bite
The two-hook leader gave us two pieces of bait in the water at once. We put one piece of chicken liver on each size 4 hook.
Chicken liver is not the easiest bait to handle. It is soft, slippery, and can come off if you cast too hard or handle it too roughly. For a beginner, that is something to know before you try it. It can work, but it takes a little patience just to keep it on the hook.
What Happened With The Chicken Liver
The first smaller catfish came after about 20 minutes.
That part is important because it was not instant. We had to let the bait sit and give the fish time to find it. If we had kept recasting every few minutes, we might have missed the chance.
The larger catfish came after about 30 minutes.
Before the full take, we noticed the bobber move just a little. It was not a huge dramatic pull right away. First, there was small movement. Then the bobber fully submerged.
That little warning sign is one of the biggest things we learned from the trip. With catfish, especially when you are still learning, you do not want to ignore small bobber movement. A bigger fish may be picking at the bait or turning with it before it commits.
Beginner Lesson: Chicken Liver Can Work, But Don’t Rely On Bait Alone
The chicken liver worked for us at West Lake, but we would not say the bait did all the work by itself.
The beginner lesson from this trip was:
- Find the area where catfish seem to be holding or moving.
- Fish the evening window if that is when the bite is happening.
- Be patient and give the bait time.
- Watch the bobber closely, even for small movement.
- Do not assume nothing is happening just because the bobber has not disappeared yet.
For us, the evening before sunset until around 10:30 p.m. worked well. That does not mean every lake will fish the same way every night, but it gave us a window we would be willing to try again.
If you are brand new to catfishing from shore, this is the part I would remember most: chicken liver can bring a bite, but you still need to be in the right area and you need to wait long enough for the fish to find it.
What We Would Try Differently Next Time
Next time, we would make the test more organized.
Instead of only remembering what happened, we would keep notes on:
- Chicken liver vs. cutbait
- How long each bait sits before a bite
- Time of evening
- Depth or distance from shore
- Bobber movement before the fish takes it
- Which bait stays on the hook better
We would also like to compare chicken liver, cutbait, and minnows in the same general area. Since we have caught bluegill, black crappie, and largemouth bass on minnows before, it would be useful to see how each bait performs when catfish are the main target.
Quick Safety And Regulation Note For Michigan Fishing
If you are fishing in Michigan, check the current Michigan DNR fishing regulations and license information before you go, especially before keeping fish. Rules can change, and the official pages are the best place to verify what applies to the water you are fishing.
Helpful official pages:
- Michigan DNR fishing information
- Michigan DNR fishing regulations
- Michigan DNR license information
- Michigan DNR fish species information
Final Takeaway
Fresh chicken liver from Walmart can work for catfish from shore. At West Lake, it produced a smaller catfish after about 20 minutes and a larger catfish after about 30 minutes on our two-hook leader setup.
But the bigger takeaway was not just “use chicken liver.” It was this: get in the right area, fish the evening window, wait patiently, and pay attention when the bobber starts making small moves before it goes under.
Source: Fishing – State of Michigan
Source: Fishing regulations – State of Michigan
Source: Fishing and hunting license information – State of Michigan
Source: Fish – State of Michigan