Is there a stigma against live bait?
Depends... using live bait for food fish is one thing, killing a living thing to catch a fish your just going to release is a whole other moral dilemma... Personally, as a tournament bass angler, I don't believe there is any live bait presentation that can't be duplicated artificially, and with far more control. Again, if it's about putting food on the table then do what you gotta do. Sport fishing is about developing your skills as an angler, there is no skill in sticking a frog or shiner on a hook and chucking it in the water and waiting...
Better to feed them than to fool them as we say. Absolutely no reason not to use live bait if it available to you. Pros don't use it because their sponsors make lures. It'
s like using bobbers, some folks think that they are only for kids but they are very effective for many fish. Use what works.
Garry
Loc: Wellborn, Florida
Agree and disagree, the bass are good on the table, very good. If care is taken to cut the line as close to the hook as possible without trying to get it out.I have caught a few bass that had hooks worked out through the abdomen. I don't know that works but I've seen it several times where they're are highly pressured.
also I've gut hooked a lot of fish on soft plastic baits they will inhale those as well.
Garry
Loc: Wellborn, Florida
Floridaman, I love fishing with my grand kids. We do it just like you except we are after catfish for the main part, Bream for bait and i have more fun than they do
No stigma here I use worms (live) and Bream more than anything else and I'm old
May depend on what you are fishing for.. me,, I like the large flat heads
FS Digest wrote:
Pros don't use live bait because it's banned in tournaments. Plenty of youtubers use it. (EPF, Richard Gene, Cats and Carp, kayak catfish) Lures are considered more sporting because they require more technique and finesse to use but live bait is considered more effective if you just want to catch some fish.
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by Artifoo
I'll use live bait any chance I get,Inflated Nightcrawlers
rigged Texas style have caught many fish for me.
I personally fished live bait for years on Mississippi gulf coast catching redfish,speckled trout,flounder.usually live shrimp, menhaden or finger mullet, but as i grew older for some reason i was drawn more to artificial because it seemed to me and it's just my opinion that to it was more sporting and it also made me think more and made me test my knowledge that i learned over the years that i still have it as a fisherman and i know when something bites an artificial 99.9 percent of the time its a nice keeper and you'll be having fresh fish for dinner.lol. so with that being said FISH ON MY FELLOW ANGLERS OUT THERE !!!
I just returned from Walmart with 2 boxes of fresh worms........Did you know that they sell live worms and night crawlers. So does Academy Sports stores. They even sell green worms...dyed but still alive. I might try them the next time since I catch a lot of bass on plastic watermelon green worms. Ya never know!!
Yeah, I think most of us know that Walmart sells live worms.... for.., oh.. THE LAST FORTY PLUS YEARS !!! Seems like you need to get out more ! Lol !
I just found out about Walmart having them this past year. Been fishing for over 60 years and never heard of it. I just watered the yard in the evening and went out and picked up the night crawlers after spotting them with a flash light. It was fun catching them.
seborf wrote:
I just found out about Walmart having them this past year. Been fishing for over 60 years and never heard of it. I just watered the yard in the evening and went out and picked up the night crawlers after spotting them with a flash light. It was fun catching them.
You REALLY need to get out more.Ha!,Ha!
I've been spending all my time FISHING...not shopping at Walmart....SO THERE! LOL
Have you ever caught them at night? It really is a sporting event. Especially when you grab one and it attempts to get back into the hole....they are strong buggers!
Garry
Loc: Wellborn, Florida
In the early morning when the dew is still on the grass look for what looks like miniature ant hills scoop it up with a shovel, sort through the dirt and find a worm fill hole back and go to the next one. Get the young'uns to dig 'em and then take them fishing, like Granddaddy did.
If it looks like an ant mound here, it is fire ants and you are asking for a lot of pain.
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