Skip to main content

Fishing with Live Bait

Word Count:
703

Summary:
There are many myths that surround using live bait instead of artificial and most of them are not true. Live bait is still used by many anglers. The one factual part of live bait, which no one can dispute, it that is often messy, and it smells terrible. If you can surmount these two factors, you will be in good shape to try live bait on your next fishing outing.


Keywords:
fish, fish tank, aquarium, corals, goldfish, catfish, goldfish care, freshwater aquarium fish, aquarium setup, salt water fish tanks, sand shark, aquarium dimensions, aquarium catfish, fish tank care, coral care, salt water aquarium fish, guppy care


Article Body:
There are many myths that surround using live bait instead of artificial and most of them are not true. Live bait is still used by many anglers. The one factual part of live bait, which no one can dispute, it that is often messy, and it smells terrible. If you can surmount these two factors, you will be in good shape to try live bait on your next fishing outing. 

There are some basic principles that should not be ignored when using live bait. None of the principles concerning live bait are clean or nice, but they are mandatory. You should never handle live bait when your hands are dry. Bait has a slimy layer on the outside, which is protective as well as inviting to predators, and if your hands are dry you will risk removing that layer. 

If you are running short on live bait, try to save the bait that dies in your live well or in a nearby bucket. When your live bait has run out, you will still be able to use the freshly dead bait on your hook to attract fish. All you have to do is cast your line and bob it a little to give the appearance that your decoy has some life left. Be careful of the weight that you put on a line with live bait. Fish are going to spot a weight if it is too heavy and weighting down the bait. Your weight or sinker should be light enough to give the bait the appearance of free floating in the water. 

Seasonal fishing can change the perspective on live bait. For instance, the summer months can be brutal, especially in the South. You may need to adjust your thinking and practices when the summer months hit. Keeping the bait alive will be the hardest obstacle for any angler in the summer. In order to keep your bait living, you will need to change out the water regularly so that the oxygen can keep flowing through to the bait. However, you can't just stop at changing out the water. 

The temperature of the water is crucial because the water on the surface is hot and deadly for living bait. Therefore, having ice on hand to put into the live well will be the most beneficial way of keeping your live bait happy until they reach the hook. There is also a bait shortage during the summer months on things like shrimp and live croaker. You will save yourself a lot of time if you call the bait shop the night before to ensure that the bait you want is available. The shrimp are the most common bait in the summertime, but they are not as effective as you may think. When everyone is using shrimp, the fish are not as excited by them because they see them everywhere. Try using a baitfish that is not as often used in the summer months and guarantee a better chance of catching a fish. 

Some other tips you should keep in mind when fishing with live bait is to never hook your live bait in the eyes. The reason is that you want the bait to see the fish approach them because they will become more excited and it will cause the fish to latch on better. Another thing is that you should add water softener salt to the water that is holding your live bait. The salt will make the scales of your bait harder while instantaneously preserving the slimy coat that attracts predators. 

Lastly, you should make sure that you know how to properly throw a casting net before trying to catch bait. People often times throw the net too hard or too soft and this results in frustration and a net that does not consistently open. 

Live bait can come in handy when you are trying to have a big day out at sea. Reason and logic will tell you that a fish would be more attracted to real food as oppose to faux food. However, the live bait does increase the workload so make sure you are prepared to deal with the entire package before committing to fishing with live bait.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Milwards Split Cane Fishing Rods

Milwards split cane fishing rods information and details on the different models, features and characteristics of these sort-after pieces of fishing tackle. History In modern day fishing tackle, sometimes the advances of science have taken the simple joy out of a lot of fishing. Fly fishing is probably one of the most traditional of modern fishing disciplines, and one of the few where purchasing antique and vintage fishing tackle is a viable alternative to buying new, off-the-shelf gear. The interest in vintage fly fishing equipment, particularly rods and reels, has grown in recent years, and few fly fishing rods are more sort after than the exquisitely crafted Milwards split cane fishing rods. Henry Milward & Sons was a company founded in Redditch, England (just south of Birmingham) during the 18th century, and was most noted for its production of needles. However, one of the later generation Henrys was an avid fly fisher, and so an offshoot of the main company was formed to cater...

Crickets: The Other Live Bait

Several years ago I got turned on to using live bait. Before that time I had used worms. Yes worms are live bait too, but the world of live bait is much more than a crawler on a hook. Minnows, crawdads, and crickets are also a big part of live bait fishing. I have enjoyed using each type, but crickets were my first venture into the “other-world” of live bait fishing. A good friend of mine, Tom, first showed me how to use crickets when stream fishing for trout. We were Trout fishing the Silver Fork out side of Kyburz, California. The water was running and the scenery outstanding. Our plan was to hop boulders from up above and fish our way down stream. First on the agenda was my introduction to using crickets as bait.  Tom grabbed a black cricket out of the cricket cage and said, “You just run the hook under the collar”. What? Was this cricket wearing a coat or something? I found that just behind the head of the cricket is something that looks like a collar. The trick is to gently guide ...

Bass Fishing Basics: Get Started Today

There are different kinds of bass; the striped bass and the largemouth bass, small mouth bass and spotted bass. The striped bass comes from the family of Percicthyidae and its other members include white bass and white perch. The striped bass and white bass are also known as temperate basses- exercising moderation and self restraints. Stripped bass fishing can sometimes be very different activity compared to chasing those regular bass. The important thing to remember is that each and every fish requires a slightly different approach to maximize the possibility of success. The best way to go about things is to know the fish itself. Learn its movement and capability to escape as a prey. The largemouth bass, small mouth bass and spotted bass- belong to the sunfish family Centrarchidae whose other members include: bluegills, pumpkinseed and rock bass. These basses are also referred to as warm water basses or black basses. A smallmouth bass is a greenish brown color, with a vertically strip...