434Fishing Baits
posted on March 18th, 2009
Choosing the right bait is vastly important, and determines the success of your fishing trip. Different fish respond to different visual cues before they decide to bite, so you have to make sure that you are presenting them with a delectable feast. While some species may respond well to color, others prefer movement or sound.
There is no magic bait to be used for all freshwater fish, although there is one that virtually all species will find appetizing, and that is the night crawler. Everything from bass to perch to trout can be caught using these worms, although don’t make the mistake of leaving too much of the worm dangling from the hook, because this results in a lot of lost worms! The thing to make sure of when using the night crawlers is that a sufficient amount of the worm is on the hook so that the fish cannot possibly pull it off; this is also the case when casting the line, because you don’t want the worm to fall off from the force of your swing. Pierce the night crawler at the tip (head) and work the hook all the way through the body, until almost the whole hook is covered with the worm. If there is a significant portion hanging off the end, just tear it off, but don’t expose too much of the tip of the hook, as this will deter biting.
When trout fishing, you will want to use insects such as grasshoppers, crickets and caterpillars; these are also ideal for pan fish and sunfish. Grasshoppers are very popular with trout in the summer, as they end up falling into the streams by themselves, and the fish are used to them. Trout prefer their food live, but if you cannot get access to this (most often sold in a bait store, or you can catch or dig up some of your own), you will need a good imitation of such. When bass fishing, artificial bait such as rubber worms and top water baits are most popular. If you go for artificial bait, don’t be too timid in choosing the colors. There is a wide range available, and using several colors at once will most often yield the best results. If you are in doubt, check with local fishermen, bait stores or the marina to determine what is preferred on a certain lake. For trout and fly fishing pictures, visit FishingRecreation.com.
