Am I the only one who bass fishes with live bait? Smallmouth
Feb 16, 2021 15:18:11 #
I have been smallmouth creek fishing for roughly 3 years, and I have not been able to get lures to work. I’ve tried everything, from Ned rig to whopper ploppers to rooster tails to curly tail grubs, very minimal success.
I switched to live and it was like night and day. Crawdads, nightcrawlers and minnows. The minnows are like magic, they kill it. Crawdads are fun to use. I don’t see very many if any bass fisherman who use live, almost all of them seems to use artificial.
I get that tournaments forbid live bait, but I always ask passing fishermen how they’ve been doing and they say “not a bite” all season long. I’ll happily continue catching 10-12 smallies every trip, it’s worth the hassle and mess of live to be guaranteed success every time!
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by Uncle-Buckwild
I switched to live and it was like night and day. Crawdads, nightcrawlers and minnows. The minnows are like magic, they kill it. Crawdads are fun to use. I don’t see very many if any bass fisherman who use live, almost all of them seems to use artificial.
I get that tournaments forbid live bait, but I always ask passing fishermen how they’ve been doing and they say “not a bite” all season long. I’ll happily continue catching 10-12 smallies every trip, it’s worth the hassle and mess of live to be guaranteed success every time!
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by Uncle-Buckwild
Feb 16, 2021 15:57:24 #
Feb 16, 2021 20:16:45 #
Uncle-Buckwild: You are a wise man! Maybe the wisest of all 32,000 who are registered members, or at leastr those who fish fresh water for bass.
Hypothetical quesition, if you were driving down the road and were starving, would you pull into a burger joint that you were familair with, or some Joint that was advertrising Tacos, sushi, and pickled frogs? And these latter delicaies were all just painted plastic imitations?
If it is real, looks, smells and tastes real, that's what they've been eating all their lives and they will continue. I don't mean to say artificials will never work, they are just not in the same class a REAL! Just Sayin....RJS
Hypothetical quesition, if you were driving down the road and were starving, would you pull into a burger joint that you were familair with, or some Joint that was advertrising Tacos, sushi, and pickled frogs? And these latter delicaies were all just painted plastic imitations?
If it is real, looks, smells and tastes real, that's what they've been eating all their lives and they will continue. I don't mean to say artificials will never work, they are just not in the same class a REAL! Just Sayin....RJS
Feb 16, 2021 22:52:56 #
I don't understand the challenge, put food in front of a hungry animal, and they eat it, ?????
Feb 17, 2021 08:15:29 #
WiBob
Loc: NE Wisconsin
Do you enjoy fishing or do you enjoy catching? We all hit the water for different reasons. Do what makes you happy, as long as you do no harm to others.
Feb 17, 2021 11:17:49 #
Feb 17, 2021 13:08:30 #
Billy Bob
Loc: Terre Haute,IN
Fish a small rocky stream just north of me for smallies and we use nothing but artificial baits ie cranks, buzz, spinners, and our best go to small tube in GP. Not sure how many we would catch if used live, but we catch a bunch on lures. Maybe it's just the difference in the creeks. If it took live that is what I would use, but as long as artificial works they are a lot easyer to deal with. With all that being said most of our fish are 10 to 14 inches. Will always catch some in 15 in class and have caught up to over 3 lbs. Lots of fun on light action.
Feb 17, 2021 13:16:30 #
Used live craws on Lake Erie for big smallmouth. It was an ok experience.
I think I could have caught fish that day on tubes.
I usually use lures of all types.
I don’t fault a guy for using live as long as he ain’t gut hooking a bunch of fish. I kinda frown on that. I’m a C&R guy on bass.
Walleye , perch, crappie and bluegill. I use live bait a lot. These I keep for the table.
I think I could have caught fish that day on tubes.
I usually use lures of all types.
I don’t fault a guy for using live as long as he ain’t gut hooking a bunch of fish. I kinda frown on that. I’m a C&R guy on bass.
Walleye , perch, crappie and bluegill. I use live bait a lot. These I keep for the table.
Feb 17, 2021 13:37:00 #
Nothing better than live bait for any fish. Every once in a while I put on a lure just to keep up my casting skills and when I enter some form of competition, but in general if I want action, I use live minnows. Nothing wrong with that.
Feb 17, 2021 13:47:17 #
I always say Enjoy Fishing catching a fish is a Bonus. Taught my kids that when they were younger.
Feb 17, 2021 13:52:41 #
agatemaggot
Loc: iowa
C&R guy here when it comes to Smallmouth ! Don't want to gut hook any . A 13 to 14 inch Smallie is about 13 years old and Smallmouth only spawn successfully about once every 7 years and that is the average under ideal conditions. I received this info from a DNR officer . His major was Smallmouth in College. Each officer has his own specialty when it comes to fish and other critters, call your local DNR office and they can contact you with someone that knows everything there is to know about what you are interested in.
When fishing for Smallmouth have you ever wondered why you catch a few smaller fish and then one big one ?
Once in seven years, if you like catching em, don't be eating em !
When fishing for Smallmouth have you ever wondered why you catch a few smaller fish and then one big one ?
Once in seven years, if you like catching em, don't be eating em !
Feb 17, 2021 14:16:33 #
Grizzly 17
Loc: South central Pa
Because they tend to take live bait deep i suggest using circle hooks or barbless to prevent injuries
Feb 17, 2021 15:00:35 #
Preacher Sr.
Loc: Manteca CA
I have been fishing for over 40 years and I was taught 30 years ago that if you gut catch a fish you are not wanting to eat just snip off the line right as far in the mouth as possible and release. The acids in the fish will dissolve the hook in no time.
Feb 17, 2021 15:23:47 #
Preacher Sr. wrote:
I have been fishing for over 40 years and I was taught 30 years ago that if you gut catch a fish you are not wanting to eat just snip off the line right as far in the mouth as possible and release. The acids in the fish will dissolve the hook in no time.
👍 exactly
Feb 17, 2021 15:24:13 #
hemihappy
Loc: pawleys island s.c.
We had a minnow in Michigan called a spot tail it was a large minnow about 3 1/2 inches and hard to keep alive but man if you had a couple dozen you could fill up your live well. In the area I fished I could fool them a little with a Johnson Silver Minnow but there was nothing like the real thing. Live bait always works better but artificial is the real challenge. My friend at the bait store always called me when he got spot tails in. These were small mouths we fished for.
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