Live bait for bass

[RUGER]

That's what I meant when I said "against the rules"

I have actually never done it but just wanna try it.

 

[Spurhunter]

bass are some of the dumbest and easiest fish to catch... [emoji1]

You should become a professional bass fisherman! Why work for a living when you can fish for a living? I wish I was good enough! :tu:

 

[catman529]

bass are some of the dumbest and easiest fish to catch... [emoji1]

You should become a professional bass fisherman! Why work for a living when you can fish for a living? I wish I was good enough! :tu:

cause I got no interest in fishing for 1 type of fish in big tournaments using only artificial lures... when would I get time to catch big cats, walleye, carp, etc..


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[rsimms]

I don't know why using live bait for bass has absolutely never been an option for me. I think it's a combination of things. Growing up fishing with my Dad we never used live bait for bass. Then when I got grown and started fishing tournaments I was always pre-fishing or trying to learn something that would help me in a tournament at some point. Even though I rarely fish a tournament anymore I still crave knowledge and enjoy learning something like a new technique or new application for an old technique. Even though I've never tried it, I feel like using live bait for bass isn't going to be a learning experience. Just throw it out and let the bait do the work. Another factor is what I do with the fish I think. Black bass are almost always released and are a sport fish where bream and crappie are a meat fish that gets filleted.

All that probably makes no logical sense whatsoever but that's just how I feel. I have no problem with somebody else using live bait for bass.

Makes sense to me... and it doesn't really matter if it makes sense to me or not, as long as it makes sense to you. Thanks very much for sharing.

I might add one caveat about Live Bait. Obviously store-bought bait is, as you describe. But me and my guides know from experience that wild-caught bait - threadfin shad and golden shiners - outperform store-bought bait IMMENSELY. We have seen many days of fishing store-bought bait and wild caught bait side-by-side and bass won't touch the store-bought bait. Not always, but often.

There is GREAT skill required in learning how, when and where to catch your own wild bait. It is a very intricate skill in itself. And that is not to mention the expensive live bait tanks required, and their operation, to keep wild caught bait alive and lively. Threadfin shad especially require extra special care and effort. Yep, when you do that successfully the actual fish-catching can be easy. But the effort and prep up to that point is not. Just another consideration many folks don't realize or consider in "live bait vs artificial" discussions.

Thanks agin for sharing.

 

[Spurhunter]

I might add one caveat about Live Bait. Obviously store-bought bait is, as you describe. But me and my guides know from experience that wild-caught bait - threadfin shad and golden shiners - outperform store-bought bait IMMENSELY. We have seen many days of fishing store-bought bait and wild caught bait side-by-side and bass won't touch the store-bought bait. Not always, but often.

I wonder if this could be true for crappie as well. It would be cool to catch my own bait and out fish my buddies using store bought minners. And never tell my secret. I'm guessing my small igloo with an aerator wouldn't keep the wild caught bait alive judging from the rest of your post.



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[WTM]

I might add one caveat about Live Bait. Obviously store-bought bait is, as you describe. But me and my guides know from experience that wild-caught bait - threadfin shad and golden shiners - outperform store-bought bait IMMENSELY. We have seen many days of fishing store-bought bait and wild caught bait side-by-side and bass won't touch the store-bought bait. Not always, but often.

I wonder if this could be true for crappie as well. It would be cool to catch my own bait and out fish my buddies using store bought minners. And never tell my secret. I'm guessing my small igloo with an aerator wouldn't keep the wild caught bait alive judging from the rest of your post.



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stressed fish, even bait, release a stress pheromone. it will shut down a bite quick.

plenty of bait in the shallows on KY lake right now.

 

[sll]

Here's a pair of live bait bass one of my guide partner's clients caught yesterday. 'Nuff said.

What did those fish weigh, Richard? Chickamauga? Awful late in the year for that one on the left to appear to not have spawned yet.

 

[rsimms]

Here's a pair of live bait bass one of my guide partner's clients caught yesterday. 'Nuff said.

What did those fish weigh, Richard? Chickamauga? Awful late in the year for that one on the left to appear to not have spawned yet.

The smaller one was 6.5 and the bigger one a little bit over 9 pounds. I agree on the "fat one." Really odd to see one like that this time of year. However biologists know that not every fish finds the right conditions, or mate, to spawn. If they don't, they simply reabsorb the eggs.

 

[rsimms]

I might add one caveat about Live Bait. Obviously store-bought bait is, as you describe. But me and my guides know from experience that wild-caught bait - threadfin shad and golden shiners - outperform store-bought bait IMMENSELY. We have seen many days of fishing store-bought bait and wild caught bait side-by-side and bass won't touch the store-bought bait. Not always, but often.

I wonder if this could be true for crappie as well. It would be cool to catch my own bait and out fish my buddies using store bought minners. And never tell my secret. I'm guessing my small igloo with an aerator wouldn't keep the wild caught bait alive judging from the rest of your post.
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We usually catch our wild live bait for bass with a cast net. You couldn't really do that with crappie-sized bait. They could get through the mesh of a regular cast net, or worse, turn your cast net into a "Christmas Tree." (see below) That's a NIGHTMARE!

You'd be best off using a minnow trap. I've never been able to find a good place near me to minnow trap enough bait to help me.

But I bet what you're suggesting WOULD make a difference. Back in college at Tennessee Tech we would trap creek chubs. We would go fishing in the Spring below Center Hill and at daylight we would HAMMER "boat paddle-sized" white bass. Other folks around us wouldn't catch squat. They hated us.

I've done the same thing below area Dams when we could catch "wall climbers" (log perch) feeding on algae along the wingwalls. Drop a wall climber off the end of a wing wall and there's no telling what you'll catch, but I guarantee you'll catch something on every bait you put down!

 

[NumberOne]

I won't hesitate to use minners for crappie or crickets for bream, but have no desire to catch a bass on live bait. Even though I rarely fish tournaments anymore, I love to see a new technique on YouTube or TV, learn to do it, and go catch fish on it. Live bait for bass is for women and children. Or maybe I'm a "basshole". [emoji16]

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I am not casting stones and in NO WAY would I consider you a "basshole." I am just honestly fascinated by the psychology.

Crappie are just as well caught on artificial lures as they are minnows, in some situations it's even better with artificial lures. The same can actually be true of bluegill.

So why do you feel OK fishing minnows for crappie, but not live bait for bass?

I'm NOT saying it is wrong to feel that way. It is absolutely fine. I would simply like to hear more about why you feel that way?

I have one friend who wouldn't be caught dead fishing "minners" for crappie and he routinely chastises me (in fun) for trolling. Some anglers won't fish for any species with anything other than a flyrod. Some people can't fathom rifle hunting for deer and will never go to the woods with anything but a bow. Some think it is taboo to shoot squirrels with shotguns and say a .22 is the only sporting way to squirrel hunt. The various "morals" and preferences of different outdoors-persons has always fascinated me. I don't believe any of them are right or wrong, provided it's legal. More power to anyone who wants to pursue their own preferred methodology for hunting or hunting. I just like to hear their innermost thoughts and rational of the reasons why.

Would you enlighten me on your please.

Only thing I would mention is that with live bait you are usually freelining a shad/minnow/creek chub/craw and you may not feel the bite. Hook ends up in the gullet a lot more than artificial bait. Im not casting any stones. I use to and still would fish for smallmouth in creeks using live bait but every time I caught one you hoped it wasn't hooked deep. Crappie are going into an ice chest most of the time but bass are being released in most instances. Plus bass are bigger predators than crappie and can take a hook deep quick. I don't care if people use live bait or not but I think its a bit different using live bait for crappie compared to bass. Crappie are seen as a meal and bass are seen mostly as catch and release. Again dont care about people eating bass thats not my concern at all. Just fished pickwick yesterday and that lake can stand to cull some small ones out of it haha

 

[Pilchard]

Rsimms you need a 1/4" net. In Florida I always had three nets on my boat that I used for fishing live bait. A 1/4" to avoid your Christmas tree, a 3/8" and a 5/8". All of them had their applications. I also kept 3/16" in the garage for glass minnows. You could catch crappie sized baits with such a net but the minnow trap is probably better.

 

[Pilchard]

Double post

 

[cowhunter71]

Rule number one in being a "baitman", always match your mesh size to the size bait you are throwing on. Christmas tree equals a stinking mess. My preferred bait these days is live trout here on the River for Rockfish. Carried my custom 12 footer with me when we moved here almost 20 years ago. Many times I have been tempted to "pancake" some of my smaller holes and fill my bait tank in one throw The look on some of these Hiwassee River trout finatics would be priceless and worth the ticket :super:

 

[catman529]

Rsimms you need a 1/4" net. In Florida I always had three nets on my boat that I used for fishing live bait. A 1/4" to avoid your Christmas tree, a 3/8" and a 5/8". All of them had their applications. I also kept 3/16" in the garage for glass minnows. You could catch crappie sized baits with such a net but the minnow trap is probably better.

where do you buy such a net as 1/4" or 3/16? Also do they still make the nylon string mesh? All I can find anymore is monofilament and I don't prefer it.


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[Pilchard]

Catman- https://barracudatackle.com/collections ... 3597461549

http://www.calusa.com/product-category/cracker/

Also look at black pearl, humpback nets, Tim wade nets.

All of them are mono.

 

[catman529]

Catman- https://barracudatackle.com/collections ... 3597461549

http://www.calusa.com/product-category/cracker/

Also look at black pearl, humpback nets, Tim wade nets.

All of them are mono.

thanks. I'm trying to find a net that is not monofilament


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[Bucket]

Tyzac 1/4" nylon nets are on ebay but they're kinda pricey.