Cool! Nice to see some excitement on cat fishing in here!!!!
All of my deepest darkest channel cat secrets can be found in this video:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]Otherwise, I would be using mackerel if I were out there right now, and if you guys get one in the salt save that bad boy and use it. It stays on your hook well if you take a frozen section and cut out what you need.
Although I have to use the pantyhose trick at times, I have found more often then not that I don't need to cast that far with chicken liver. The BEST kind that you can get is Foster Farms, hands down. Don't freeze it, it will screw around with the amount of blood that comes out when it thaws (and not in a good way). Also, just use fresh, I have seen a decrease in catch ratios when I throw scents on (garlic,oil,etc.). Did you know that you can find turkey liver if you look hard enough
As mentioned, sardines work very well! I never have any luck with 'em but my buddy does.
Shrimp was always a good pond bait in Cali...
The gentlemen above hit it though, fresh shad cut bait. If you want the big guys that is the way to go. Just be prepared to put some boring soak times in, and a few skunks.
I almost always use 6/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hooks, for everything, tight lined. The most important question though, is what on earth are the water temps at out there right now (pond/lake)?