Where I come from, everything without whiskers is BAIT.....LOL
Remind me to never drive through Ohio if I shave my beard!
Even with whiskers, one of the very best smallmouth baits we have for the local rivers in VA and WV are little whiskered fish that look like catfish, and are known as
madtoms. As I've said elsewhere, I have a love-hate relationship with catfish. I love to feed them, catch them, and eat them. Guests and grandkids love them. They grow fast. I just hate it when they act almost like furry cats -- and refuse to do things my way.
I added another 50 channel cats to my pond early this fall. I put in that many every couple of years. If you keep after them, only a few becomes pests, and they eventually get tricked into getting caught. I've also got a reproducing population of white catfish. I do like having them in the pond.
