Fish Success

  LIVE BAIT

There are many different baits available to make it easy for everyone to get in on the fun of freshwater fishing. These include commercial baits bought from tackle and bait shops, baits that you can find in your yard, and baits that you can make from natural materials. Let’s look at some of the live baits available.

                                                                     
                CRAYFISH

 Crayfish are a main food source for fish such as smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, walleye and large trout. They can be bought from bait stores or captured by using a window screen or fine mesh net in the water. Stir the water to chase the crayfish into the net. Store them in moist rags, damp sphagnum moss or a bait

  WORMS

Worms include large species, often called earthworms or night crawlers, and small, frisky manure worms. Earthworms and night crawlers are found in any lawn and can be easily gathered after a rain or found under boards or rocks. Smaller manure worms are found around farms. Large worms are good baits for walleye and bass, while small worms are good whole or in pieces for panfish, sunfish, and trout.

  MINNOWS AND BAITFISH

Many types of minnows and baitfish are available from bait stores. These can range from small minnows to large shiners for bass and pike fishing. Capture minnows by using minnow traps or mesh minnow screens/nets. Use bait such as bread crumbs to attract the minnows to a trap and check the trap daily. For a minnow net or screen suspended from a rope, use crumbs to attract the minnows and raise the net frequently to capture the prey. Vertical minnow nets can be pulled through the water to capture minnows and sometimes crayfish. Store minnows in a minnow bucket using the same water from which they were bought or captured and use them as soon as possible.

   INSECTS

Insects such as ants, beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, etc., are ideal for panfish, sunfish and trout. You can buy crickets or capture field insects by using a net or screen. Ants can be gathered from a nest, and caterpillars can be found eating leaves on trees and plants.

  LEECHES

Leeches are almost always bought from bait stores and are ideal for walleye, sauger and other deep water fish. Store the leeches in a bucket similar to those used for minnows. Leeches are hardy and will last a long time

              To Your Fish Success

                Kevin