Fishing Bait Basics
Imagine heading out for a few
relaxing hours of fishing. With rod and reel and tackle
box in hand, you descend a hill and come to the edge of
a swiftly moving stream. The sun reflects off the
crystal clear water as you set down your tackle box and
rig your bait. You cast into a tranquil pool or eddy and
your bobber floats on the water surface. Suddenly, it
disappears. Your reflexes automatically set the hook.
The fish has taken the bait.
Bait is something, either live or artificial that
attracts fish. When the fish "takes the bait," you set
the hook and skillfully bring the fish to shore.
Live Bait
There are many live types of bait
that can be used to catch fish. These include
earthworms, also known as dew worms and night crawlers.
Insects that can be used include grasshoppers, flies,
insect larvae and crickets. Other live baits are
minnows, chub, shad, crayfish and frogs. Live bait can
be purchased at fishing bait and tackle stores, at some
variety stores in popular fishing areas, on a dewy lawn
after dark (use a flashlight to find dew worms), compost
piles, around piers and boat launches as well as around
campsites. Prepared Bait
Prepared bait is bait that has
been previously prepared. These include kernel corn,
bread balls, cheese balls, stink baits, salmon eggs,
cereal balls, baked potato pieces, chicken entrails and
hotdogs. Artificial Bait
Artificial bait is bait that is
manmade. These include plastic worms and insects, flies,
lures, small jigs, streamer flies, spoons, streamers and
spinners.
Fish and Bait
There are certain types of bait
that work better for specific fish species. A few
suggestions of bait to use for fish species are:
s Bluegill
maggots, grubs, worms, crickets, grasshoppers, small
flies, ice spoons or jigs.
s Bowfin
worms, minnows, crayfish, frogs, spinners, spoons
and streamers.
s Bullhead
leaf worms, night crawlers, insects, insect larvae,
crayfish and stink bait.
s Carp
dough balls, angle worms, peeled crayfish tails,
corn, cheese balls and cereal or baked potato pieces.
s Catfish
night crawlers and prepared baits such as bread
balls, hotdogs and chicken entrails.
s Crappie
minnows, worms, insect larvae, insects, small flies,
small jigs and small spinners.
s Gar
minnows, suckers and frogs.
s
Perch
minnows, worms, crayfish, insect larvae, insects, small
flies, ice spoons and small jigs.
s
Pickerel
minnows, chub, crayfish, worms, spinners, spoons and
streamer flies.
s
Rock Bass
minnows, crayfish, insects, insect larvae and worms.
s
Striped Bass
shad, worms, shad, spinners and streamers.
s
Sunfish
maggots, grubs, leaf worms, insects, small flies, ice
spoons and small jigs.
s
Trout
salmon eggs and lures.
There are several different types of minnows and some
are better than others for specific fish species. A few
specific fish that can be caught with different types of
minnows are:
s
Chub
northern pike and bass.
s
Golden Shiner
northern pike and bass.
s
Fathead Minnow
bass, crappie, panfish and walleye.
s
Bluntnose Minnow
bass, crappie and walleye.
Bait is placed on the end of your fishing line. If you
wish to change bait with ease, use a fishing knot to
attach a swivel and/or leader, which you should carry in
your tackle box. A hook or lure is attached to the
swivel/leader with a pin-like clip. If you are using
lures, you attach the lure, cast and work or troll it.
If you are using live bait, you attach it to the hook.
When hooking worms, you can either start the hook near
the head and thread it about three quarters of the way
through the center of the body and exit near the tail,
or hook it twice, about a half inch from the head and
again about a half inch from the tail. Hook maggots
through the blunt end very lightly to ensure it remains
lively. If using slugs, use a large hook, about a size
2, and nick it through the body.
Prepared bait is also used on a hook. To bait a hook
with cheese, bury the point of the hook inside the
cheese. Sweet corn is slide through the end of the
kernel. Bread can be mixed with a bit of water and made
into balls. When using bread balls as bait, bury the
point inside the ball.
 What Not to Use as Bait
Salmon and trout should never be used as bait, as these
fish can promote the spread of whirling disease, which
is a type of parasite. If you don't know which bait to
use for specific fish, or how the bait should be
attached to the hook, ask a family member or a friend
who is an experienced angler to help you determine which
is best to attract the fish species you are hoping to
catch. The staff at the local bait and tackle shop will
also be happy to suggest certain kinds of bait.
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