Boating Lifestyle

The most popular game fish are salmon, trout, and bass in freshwater, but choosing bait to hook these fish is a very personal matter. Fishing baits usually weigh from 1/4 to three ounces. The most popular weight for bait casters is 5/8 of an ounce.

 

While some anglers lay claim to personal secret bait recipes, there are some “standard” baits that have been widely proven over time. Here are some of the more common ones.

 

Worms are a fishing cliché, but the fact is that they do work and they are the overwhelming favorite for freshwater anglers. Earthworms, red wigglers and nightcrawlers can be “bred” in a compost pile, dug from a garden or purchased from bait shops and fishing tackle stores. Store live, leftover worms in the refrigerator for the next outing.

Crickets and grasshoppers are excellent choices for sunfish, and bass. These insects can be caught by hand, with an insect net or even purchased at pet stores. Look for them in thick, tall grass or at night under lights. Laying a cloth, towel, cardboard or newspaper on the grass will attract crickets.

 

Some people have also had success with fireflies.

 

Small fish and other water-dwellers also make great bait because they are the natural food for larger fish. Minnows are excellent bait for many target species. They can be bought or you can capture your own. Minnies or shiners, as they’re called, can be netted or trapped using a minnie trap. Look for minnies schooling around pier and dock stanchions, moored boats, dock ladders in calm waters. They are very common in marinas. Keep minnows in an aerated minnow bucket and don’t crowd them. Change the water often to keep the minnows lively, or simply keep the bucket, which will have holes or slots, submerged on a line in water off your dock or moored boat (just remember to bring them aboard before moving the vessel).