Coarse Fishing Tackle

Live bait fishing is very natural. Whether it is worms, minnows, frogs, crickets, shrimp, or shad, fish are accustomed to seeing these species in their natural surroundings. Live bait fishing can be very effective and lead to attracting and catching more fish. In order to be successful, though, the angler should be familiar with how to effectively select, hook, and fish with different kinds of live bait. In this article, we will discuss basic techniques for selecting, hooking, and fishing with live bait in order to optimize one’s fishing experience.

Selecting the right type of live bait depends on the particular species of fish the angler is targeting. Any kind of live bait will catch some kind of fish. But, if you are targeting largemouth bass, minnows, crickets, worms and frogs are all very effective. For trout fishing, worms and minnows are more effective. If the goal is to catch really big fish, then choose larger size live baits, since larger baits will attract bigger fish.

Probably even more important than selecting the bait and fish you will be targeting, is properly hooking the bait. The goal is to keep the bait alive while on the hook as long as possible and allowing the bait to act as naturally as possible. The best place to hook a frog is in the leg. This will enable the frog to act normally and keep the frog alive a lot longer than hooking it in the lips. The only downfall to this is that the fish will have to swallow the entire frog in order to be able to set the hook effectively. Hook crickets up and under the middle of the body of the cricket. Minnows can be hooked in the upper back, the tail and the lips, depending on how you plan to fish with it. If you’re fishing on the bottom with a sinker, hook the minnow in the upper back. This will allow the minnow to swim naturally. Try to avoid hooking it in the spine since that will paralyze the minnow. If you’re using the minnow without a weight or float, hook it in the tail so that it can swim naturally and freely, thus attracting big fish. If you plan to cast the minnow repeatedly, it is best to hook the minnow in the lips, going up and in the middle of the lips. Never hook the minnow in the eye. You want the minnow to see the fish strike so that it gets excited which will ensure the fish strikes fast and hard. Minnows and shad should always be handled with wet hands. Minnows and shad have a slimy layer on the outside of their body that has an inviting scent to predators. Handling them with dry hands will remove that slimy covering.

When Live bait fishing, it is important that the bait act as naturally as possible and the bait is used in its natural surroundings. For example, frogs are mostly found around lakes near lily pads, so the most effective area to use a frog is near a patch of lily pads, not the open water. If you’re casting live bait, try to minimize the impact of the bait by not casting it too much. Cast the bait as lightly as possible or even underhand. It is always best to use the freshest bait, but sometimes keeping bait alive can be difficult. Bait that is dead can still be used as a last resort, though. Even though the bait is dead, try to work your rod to get the bait to mimic the live version. For example, if you are using a dead minnow, twitch your rod to jerk the minnow often so it resembles a live minnow.

Live bait fishing can be very effective, exciting and rewarding. Before you set out on your next fishing excursion, just keeping in mind these few tips on how to select, hook and fish with various types of live bait can really optimize your fishing experience.

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