There are a number of prepared catfish baits that work quite well. Usually, the stinkier the better, as catfish feed by smell. You're basically wasting your time with lures.For a good homemade bait, try chicken livers. I take about a pound of chicken livers, place them in a plastic container with a cover, and set them outside (not in direct sun) to "cure" for a day or two. You want the meat to spoil, but not dry out. Keep it moist. Once it smells reasonably "bad", chop up some garlic cloves, mix them in with the livers, and refrigerate them at least 2-3 days before using them as bait. All this odoriferous concoction should be (usually) irresistible to catfish.For a catfish rig, tie a size 1/0 3-way swivel to the end of your line. To one of the swivel loops, tie about a 6" piece of leader (of lighter test than your fishing line) and tie your sinker to the end of this. Using lighter line for this dropper leader will cause it to break first if your sinker hangs up, thereby saving the rest of the rig and losing only the sinker.To the remaining swivel loop, tie about a 30" leader (use a piece of your fishing line). To the end of this leader, tie a good sized treble hook (try a size 2 or 1). Bait your hook up with as many chicken livers as you can to make a ball somewhere about the size of a golf ball. You can even tie some to the shank of the hook with light monofilament line to make a chunkier ball of bait.Cast this out from shore, into a likely looking pool of deeper water. You'll be fishing on the bottom, where the catfish prowl for food.