Basics of Live Bait Fishing

Use of live bait has undoubtedly remained as a very effective way of fishing freshwater fish. The baits are very easy to use even for younger and less experienced fishermen. 

Some of the most common live baits used by fishermen are probably the night crawlers. They can be used to trap almost every freshwater game fish with crappies possibly being the only exception. 

Use of crawlers can work best when the water is warmer. They can be placed under a bobber to catch fishes like bluegills, dragged through water on a Lindy rig to catch walleyes or simply put on a plain hook.  They can be used to catch almost any specie of freshwater fish. It is best to refrigerate the night crawlers or store them in a cool basement floor. 

For fishes like crappies, the best live bait are minnows, which can also be used to fish bass and walleyes. To catch the crappies and walleyes, minnows can also be placed underneath a bobber. They should be hooked right under the dorsal fin. 

There is no shortage of live bait. Depending on whether you want pike or larger bass, you can use shad or creek. They are perfect live bait for the two fishes. They can be placed under a bobber just like night crawlers and minnows. They should be hooked under the dorsal fin or behind the lips if they are fished on a jig. When fishing for larger pike, using a 5 – 7 inch creek chub can suffice. 

During summertime, leopard frogs can be used to catch catfish, bass and northern and walleyes during fall. They are found in tall grass along creeks or banks and marshy areas. To catch the fish, leopard frogs are placed on a hook and weight cast a foot above the hook. The frogs are best hooked through their lips. 

When fishing for catfish, smallmouth bass or walleyes during summer time, the best live bait is crawdads. They are fished on the bottom with a plain hook and an anchor with a sinker. A hook can also be threaded through its tail. Large pinchers should be removed before using a crawdad for fishing. 

The other types of popular live bait are leeches. They are used to catch walleyes and pan fish. They are better used when the water is warmer. Healthy leeches are more productive when placed below a bobber or dragged along the water in a Lindy rig. The hook should be passed through their suckers when doing wither bobber fishing or when trolling. Refrigeration works best for them. They can last for weeks. 

Minnows can be dragged through water using a Lindy rig or a three-way. A one to two inch minnow can be used to catch crappies while walleyes can be trapped using a three-inch minnow. For one that is going to be dragged through water, hook it lightly behind the lips and not through its eyes. This ensures that it stays alive. If the minnow dies, it may not give the best results.