Live Bait Or Artificial?

[CrappieMagnet]

Do you prefer live bait or artificial when fishing?

[brownieman]

I believe live bait produces more fish, especially if you get bait from wherever you're fishing.

I've seen the power of shad on Truman, minnows on the Piney too many times.

The only thing I don't like about bait is concerning smallies on the river...they do tend to swallow it but if you don't let them run with it too long you can avoid alot of that, miss alot of fish but that's better than them swallowing it.

It's just hard to beat their natural food source which is what all artificials do so you do the math.

later on

bm

[ozark trout fisher]

Do you prefer live bait or artificial when fishing?

In my opinion in streams (for trout), live bait will catch more and bigger fish about 95% of the time more than other methods, where legal. That's an opinion that will probably be beaten to to death, and to be honest I don't really have much hard evidence to back it up. Just personal experience. There are exceptions that I've experienced, mostly on faster moving "pocket water" type western rivers. Also, sometimes on the free flowing streams around here bait doesn't work well, but it's pretty rare. For bass, artificials usually do best for me, cause I can cover more water. Plus on streams warm enough to hold bass, while live bait fishing you have to worry about picking 5-10 suckers or bluegill of the hook between each bass. Also, with native bass, I'm starting to feel a little so-so about the idea of throwing a bait that they can so easily swallowed. It really up's the mortality, and with none stocked you can really jeopardize the population that way. Not worth it. I feel fine about using bait in heavily stocked trout water though. It's all a matter of opinion, and those opinions vary a lot on this forum.

I'm moving more toward the artificial/fly fishing side of things for trout, because on many of the best streams, it's the only legal (and ethical) method. On the smaller, more sensitive trout streams, I won't use bait even if it's legal, because I feel it's not good for the fishery in places like that.

[eric1978]

If I'm sitting on my uncle's dock and having a few cold ones, I'll drown minnows for crappie all night long. When I was a kid I used to go through dozens of crawdads catching bass all day. But now that I'm older, I have no desire to catch gamefish with live bait. Much of the challenge and fun of fishing is tricking a fish to eat an imitation. It takes no skill to drop a juicy morsel in the water and wait for a fish to swim by, and thus gives me no sense of accomplishment.

[ozark trout fisher]

If I'm sitting on my uncle's dock and having a few cold ones, I'll drown minnows for crappie all night long. When I was a kid I used to go through dozens of crawdads catching bass all day. But now that I'm older, I have no desire to catch gamefish with live bait. Much of the challenge and fun of fishing is tricking a fish to eat an imitation. It takes no skill to drop a juicy morsel in the water and wait for a fish to swim by, and thus gives me no sense of accomplishment.

Well, I figured this was coming, but oh well.

I'm an adult, and I've been fishing many years, and I think it's plenty fun to go out on a stocked trout stream, and use the good ole jar of Powerbait to string up a few stupid rainbows. Is it the most enjoyable kind of fishing for me? Heck no. I'd much rather be on the Little Piney tossing spinners, or stripping streamers for wild trout and smallmouth bass.

But, I will admit that I have plenty of fun bait fishing. It's not really all that sporting in some situations, and that's why it's not my favorite way to fish. But there is something to be said for sitting back, relaxing, and just watching the line. And I feel more than satisfied if that rod bows and I reel a ten inch trout in.

Also, when I lived out west, I learned how to become a pretty effective bait fisherman. Not just cast a kernel of corn out, and sit and wait... More like searching and reading the water just like a fly or spin angler, just tossing a live worm in there instead. It is a deadly technique on most rivers out west, and it works pretty well here too, where bait is allowed. But, honestly, it does get a little boring, and that is why I'm trying to become a better fly fisherman.

But it ain't worth arguing about. We could probably piss and moan at each other for days on end about this, but I don't think it's necessary... I think I'll go fishing tommorrow morning instead. Maybe even fly fishing

I think we both care about conservation and the like, and that's the main thing.

[brownieman]

If you have drove 3 hrs...fishing a spot where the hybrids been blowing shad every eve for a short period, one boat is anchored on top of a 12 ft. deep hunp using live shad catching a big hybrid every cast and there are 25 boats darn near fishing out of his back pocket throwing every piece of hardware they have and no-one, I mean no-one catches a single fish, well, it will make you wish you had some live bait.

I've seen the power of live bait and if you don't get to fish that often or drive that far to hit it myself...I enjoy a bend in my rod. Live, artificial...don't matter.

There's also somewhat of an art drift fishing for smallies in a swift riffle with bait and a novice is nothing but hung up 3/4 of the time. IMO it's not totally skilless...maybe if you're catfishing from the bank at some pond ar lake...but that's not my thing anyway.

later on

bm

[Chief Grey Bear]

Live bait or natural bait if you will, is certainly not unethical.

Now Powerbait or corn, that is in the eye of the beholder I guess. I won't use them but that is me. And I will not cast a finger at anyone that does. Unless they are on a stream that is above White Ribbon status.

[eric1978]

Well, I figured this was coming, but oh well.

I'm an adult, and I've been fishing many years, and I think it's plenty fun to go out on a stocked trout stream, and use the good ole jar of Powerbait to string up a few stupid rainbows. Is it the most enjoyable kind of fishing for me? Heck no. I'd much rather be on the Little Piney tossing spinners, or stripping streamers for wild trout and smallmouth bass.

But, I will admit that I have plenty of fun bait fishing. It's not really all that sporting in some situations, and that's why it's not my favorite way to fish. But there is something to be said for sitting back, relaxing, and just watching the line. And I feel more than satisfied if that rod bows and I reel a ten inch trout in.

Also, when I lived out west, I learned how to become a pretty effective bait fisherman. Not just cast a kernel of corn out, and sit and wait... More like searching and reading the water just like a fly or spin angler, just tossing a live worm in there instead. It is a deadly technique on most rivers out west, and it works pretty well here too, where bait is allowed. But, honestly, it does get a little boring, and that is why I'm trying to become a better fly fisherman.

But it ain't worth arguing about. We could probably piss and moan at each other for days on end about this, but I don't think it's necessary... I think I'll go fishing tommorrow morning instead. Maybe even fly fishing

I think we both care about conservation and the like, and that's the main thing.

Don't get me wrong OTF, I don't have a problem ethically with people live bait fishing, as long as they know what they're doing and not gut-hooking gamefish. If you're planning on harvesting a few trout I don't see any issue with slapping on some Powerbait and taking a few. When I was a kid, I took pride in catching bass that I targeted in shallow water and accurately placed a crawdad in front of. I can't tell you how many thousands of little bass I caught that way.

My only point was that for me, personally, I just don't really get a kick out of live bait fishing. Like I said before, I'll sit on the dock all night and catch crappies with minnows, but that's a different kind of enjoyment. The thrill I get from bass fishing is using skills and knowledge to fool a wild animal into eating something made of metal, plastic, rubber and hair and feathers. I just find it more sporty and rewarding, but to each his own. If you like bait fishing, more power to ya. I just cringe when I see some kids on my favorite smallmouth streams with a fat, juicy shiner or a little crawdad on their hook that I know is going to wind up as one more dead smallie.

[fishinwrench]

Now Powerbait or corn, that is in the eye of the beholder I guess. I won't use them but that is me. And I will not cast a finger at anyone that does.

Ewww ! a finger ? That sounds like turtle bait. How do you rig it?

[eric1978]

Ewww ! a finger ? That sounds like turtle bait. How do you rig it?

Works best for me with eyes painted on the nail and a feather on the hook. Fresh is best, but dehydrated works, too.