Fishing Bait Tips

Live Bait...There are many types of live fishing 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. Finding and retrieving a big wasp nest full of white grubs will give you some excellent fishing bait. All you have to do is persuade the mature wasps that you need it more than they do. 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, and under the leaves in the woods are also good places to look. While you are in the woods,dig into the rotten, fallen trees to find some good grubs.

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.

There are certain types of fishing bait that works better for some fish than others. You can use the list below as a good fishing bait guide. These are just a few suggestions of bait to use for certain types of fish.

Bluegill...maggots, grubs, worms, crickets, grasshoppers, small flies, ice spoons or jigs.

Bowfin...worms, minnows, crayfish, frogs, spinners, spoons and streamers.

Bullhead...leaf worms, night crawlers, insects, insect larvae, crayfish and stink bait.

Carp...dough balls, angle worms, peeled crayfish tails, corn, cheese balls and cereal or baked potato pieces.

Catfish...night crawlers and prepared baits such as bread balls, hotdogs and chicken entrails.

Crappie...minnows, worms, insect larvae, insects, small flies, small jigs and small spinners.

Gar...minnows, suckers and frogs.

Perch...minnows, worms, crayfish, insect larvae, insects, small flies, ice spoons and small jigs.

Pickerel...minnows, chub, crayfish, worms, spinners, spoons and streamer flies.

Rock Bass...minnows, crayfish, insects, insect larvae and worms.

Striped Bass...shad, worms, shad, spinners and streamers.

Sunfish...maggots, grubs, leaf worms, insects, small flies, ice spoons and small jigs.

Trout...salmon eggs and lures.

There are some others listed on our freshwater fishing page.

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:

Chub...northern pike and bass.

Golden Shiner...northern pike and bass.

Fathead Minnow...bass, crappie, panfish and walleye.

Bluntnose Minnow...bass, crappie and walleye.

Bait is placed on your hook 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 then attached to the swivel/leader with a safty pin-like clip. If you are using lures, you attach the lure, cast and work it or cast and 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 you don't want to use as fishing bait is trout or Salmon, 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 someone for help. Most people will be glad to help you determine which is best fishing bait to attract the fish species you are hoping to catch. Some of the people hanging around the bait shop would be happy to suggest certain kinds of fishing bait. Below is a list of some fishing bait recipes that you can try for your next fishing trip.


Salmon Eggs

Cheese Bait

Want to make your own bait? We have found a good resource book for you, if you are fishing for catfish, carp, or trout. Most of the recipes found here can be made in minutes, for pennies, with stuff you already have in your kitchen. These recipes are easy and fun to make. Why waste money on comercial lures when you can make your own. If you're like me, you like to save a nickle when you can. And these recipes really work. You can get it by clicking on Homemade Fishing Bait Recipes. You're friends will think you're a pretty smart fellow.