How to Hook Bait
Hooking artificial bait is simple
and straightforward. They don't wiggle and they're not
slippery. Though your hands may be, but that's easily
solved. They come in sizes that make it easy to position
them to best advantage. Live bait are less easy to use,
but often much more effective.
Bait for attracting freshwater fish run the gamut.
Worms, leeches, minnows, crayfish, crickets,
grasshoppers... the list is long. Saltwater fish have
their own favorites, including sea worms, small eels,
miniature crabs, shrimp, squid and a variety of small
fish species.
But these are most effective when used fresh - when
they're the most difficult to hook. They wiggle, they're
slippery and they smell. But, hey, fishing is nothing if
not messy. That's part of the lure.
Worms make good bait for just about any freshwater or
saltwater fish species. Digging these up out of your
garden is a distant third choice, though, if you want
the best. Gardens don't usually have enough and by the
time you get them to the lake they're often less useful.
Transporting them is a pain. Make it easy on yourself
and get them as close to the lake as possible,
preferably at the bait shop.
Hook the worm at multiple points along the body from
head to tail, to keep them on long enough to do the job.
Thread them around as you do so, to hide the hook as
much as possible.
Minnows make great bait, provided they're kept fresh in
a bucket of cool water. Keep the number down so they
don't get crowded together. Minnows need to swim around.
Hook them through the back bone or behind the head. Some
anglers find it easier to hook them through both lips,
but they're prone to pull off the hook that way. Hooking
through the tail makes it harder for them to thrash,
decreasing their attractive character to your target.
Highly skilled anglers are fond of crickets and
grasshoppers. They're only useful when fresh, and then
they are damned difficult to hook. But if you have
nimble hands and can master the technique they're great
attractors.
Leeches make excellent bait, though they can be harder
to find in bait shops. Take care to avoid getting them
attached to your hands and arms. Hooking them through
the sucker in the tail is the preferred method.
Great for perch, rockfish, sea trout and others clams
are easy to use and very effective. Removing them from
the shell is pretty easy with a knife or nimble fingers.
Used for saltwater fishing, shrimp are near perfect.
Great attractors and ultra-easy to hook. They don't
slide around and they're a size that makes them easy to
manipulate by young and old anglers alike. Peel off the
shell, then hook through the tail. Just don't be tempted
to eat them yourself!
Every angler has his or her favorite bait and hooking
methods. Some like to spend more time fishing and less
time fussing and go for the ones that are effective but
easy to snag and cover the hook well. Others may prefer
more of a challenge before dropping their line. To each
his own, so long as you catch something! |
