Use whole or chunked skipjack herring, mullet, shad or other oily fish. Large blues aren't picky. For cut bait, either fillet a skipjack and use undulating strips, or chop the fish into perpendicular chunks. Since catfish relish so many different baits, supplying their needs shouldn't drain your checkbook. Harvesting your own bait cuts down considerably on costs.
Anglers can catch baitfish on ultralight rods.
Skipjack herring or large shad hit small tube jigs. Sunfish devour worms or crickets and make excellent bait, either alive, chunked or in strips. Threadfin and gizzard shad make excellent live baits. People can usually catch them with cast nets. In coastal areas, anglers can catch mullets in cast nets.