Freshwater Fishing And Baits

Freshwater fishing is a great way to spend some time with your family or friends. The equipment needed can be fairly inexpensive to purchase. There are a multitude of good places to go. Fresh water can be found in lakes, rivers, and streams. Sources are precipitation or melting ice and snow, some of which seeps into the earth and creates underground lakes and rivers. These lakes and rivers overflow and spring up as above ground streams and rivers. There are hundreds of fresh water fish species, but the most popular are bass, catfish, pickerel, pike sunfish, trout, salmon, muskellunge, sturgeon and walleye.

Basic freshwater fishing equipment includes a fishing rod and reel, fishing line between 4 and 10 pound-test, a variety of sinkers, a variety of hooks (sizes 6 to 10), floats, a tackle box or bucket, bait, and a fishing permit or license. There are a wide variety of both live and artificial baits that work well for freshwater fishing.

Live bait works well because these fish feed on a variety of prey, including earthworms, insects, insect larvae, frogs, minnows, chub, shad, crayfish and small fish species such as smelt. Fishing bait such as earthworms, crayfish, frogs, minnows, chubs and shads can be caught in its natural habitat. Look around piers and in shallow water. Bait can also be purchased from your local bait and tackle shop.

Artificial bait is manmade bait that attracts fish to bite or strike. Plastic worms, insects, flies, small jigs, lures, spoons, streamers, flies, spinners and more all work great for certain types of fish. Artificial bait can be purchased at fishing tackle and bait shops or online. Some anglers prefer to buy the supplies for these types of baits and make their own.

There are a wide variety of prepared baits that you can use for freshwater fishing. These include kernel corn, bread balls, cheese balls, egg bags, liver, cereal balls, chicken entrails. Here is just a short list of some freshwater fish and the bait that attracts them.

Bass...earthworms, insects, insect larvae, frogs, minnows, crayfish, spoons, Mepps, spinners, artificial worms, jigs, streamers and spinners.

Catfish...earthworms, liver, chicken entrails, hotdogs, frogs, tadpoles, crayfish and most lures. At times you can even catch them on shiny hooks that have no bait.

Pickerel...earthworms, insects, insect larvae, frogs, minnows, crayfish, spoons and Mepps, spinners, artificial worms, jigs, spinners and streamers.

Pike...earthworms, frogs, minnows, shad, all types of small fish species, crayfish, chub, spinners, spoons and egg sacs.

Sunfish...earthworms, bread balls, kernel corn, insects and insect larvae, as well as small, shiny lures.

Trout...earthworms, flies, insects, insect larvae, kernel corn, egg sacs, crayfish and minnows.

Salmon...flies, spinners, spoons, egg sacs, shrimp and large plugs.

Muskellunge...small fish species, frogs, Mepps, spinners, jigs, minnows, plastic trailers and rapalas.

Sturgeon...frogs, freshwater clams, lamprey, eels, smelt, salmon eggs, shad, shrimp, egg sacs, yarn flies, brilliantly colored and silver lures.

Walleye...shad, frogs, real or artificial minnows, worms, maggots, spinners, spoons, jigs, plugs and small fish species.

You can fish around dams, docks, piers, rocks, old trees that have fallen in the water, and grasses in the shallows. Any of these are places where fish like to hide. Many people fish the warm waters that come from the steam station power plants. Fish love this warm water, and are generally bigger and more plentiful. If there's no steam station near you, find another good freshwater fishing spot, there are plenty of places where the fish are plentiful and hungry. Go find 'em, feed 'em, and let 'em feed you.