When you decide to take up the sport of fishing, there are certain things that you have to learn.  One of these lessons has to include what to use for bait to attract fish.  There are numerous baits and some of these include worms, mollusks, insects and most anything that swims, crawls or flies.  Along with knowing what bait to choose to attract a certain species of fish, you also must know how to present the baits that you are using.  In the following article we will look at some of the most popular baits that are used by fishermen and how to present them.  We will also look at why some baits are a better choice than others and why some presentations work better than others.  Keep in mind that in the sport of fishing, there are two rules that you must learn: The first rule is that there are no rules and the second rule is that you damn well better learn the first rule.  Another cliché that holds true in fishing is that "What is good for one is not necessarily good for another!".  Regardless of reasoning as to why baits work, the reason some fishermen find one bait more productive than another is because the fisherman's confidence level is higher with one bait over another.  This might be because he has caught more fish with this bait and therefore use it more or fish it harder.   Without realizing it, the fisherman shows a preference for a certain bait, so it stands to reason that if a fisherman uses and works a certain bait more frequently while fishing, he is bound to catch more fish with it.  This is generally why fishermen that use mackerel will swear by mackerel and the fishermen that uses herring will swear by herring.  Yet we all know that predators will eat both mackerel and herring thus making both choices in demand and capable of attracting predators.

We will be looking at live bait in the coming paragraphs.  In the real world, live bait covers a wide selection of baits, not just those that are alive and wiggling.  Over the year, the term live bait has grown to include such things as cut bait, chunk bait, strip bait and most baits that are actually fresh or frozen.  Generally, the fishing community determines bait choices to be live or artificial baits.  Artificial baits include lures, jigs, spoons and flies.  I have to admit that sometimes the lingo of the fishing fraternity can be somewhat confusing at best, but over time you will learn to decipher some of these subtle and not so subtle phrases.  Let' get into the descriptions and uses for a wide variety of baits, starting with fresh water choices.

Night crawlers are most likely the most popular type of earth worm used in the sport of fishing.  Night crawlers are a large earth worm that is easy to catch, relatively simple to keep and are a favorite food staple of most species of fish except those in the pike family.  Most fishermen associate night crawlers with fishing a swollen stream buried in the thick woods of a country side.  Night crawlers, when used for trout fishing in a country stream or brook, are generally most effective when water levels are high and the water is running fast.  Crawlers are an excellent choice of bait for smallmouth bass when they are holding in deep water.  Night crawlers are also excellent for early season walleyes when trolled behind spinners along the bottom.

Night crawlers can be easily harvested.  During the hours after dark, night crawlers will poke their heads just outside their burrows, especially when the ground is moist or covered in dew.  Care must be taken not to "pull" the crawler out of the ground but to gently hold on to the crawler until it releases its grip on the soil.  When you are searching for crawlers, keep in mind that they are very sensitive to bright light.  It helps to cover your flashlight with a red or yellow piece of cellophane  to help subdue the harsh light.  Once you have gathered a good supply of crawlers, they can be kept in a cool place.  An old refrigerator is a great place.  Place your crawlers in a wooden or plastic box filled with peat moss and spray gently with an atomizer to spread an even coat of moisture, Spread the worms over the surface of the moss and cover with a damp newspaper.  A solid cover over the top will help to contain the crawlers otherwise they will "crawl" all over the place.  A bright light left on near the crawlers will contain them.

Angleworms are a much smaller earthworm but enjoys the same widespread appeal that their cousins the night crawlers realize.  Angle worms can be collected by turning over the soil where the loam is rich and the environment is damp.  Piles of leaves are a prime location for locating angle worms.  Just turning over a spadeful of leaves is bound to yield a good number of worms.  Angle worms can be held indefinitely in the same type of conditions that night crawlers enjoy.  Although angle worms are universally accepted by most species of fish, they are generally better suited for smaller stream trout and panfish.  Like all small baits, angle worms should be presented in the most natural way possible.  The most common mistakes made by fishermen that use angle worms are that they tend to use weights that are far too heavy and hooks that are too big.  If possible, eliminate sinkers or at least restrict size to "BB's".  Use the currents and make them work for you.  Letting the worms drift in a current unencumbered is the most natural presentation.

Minnows and shiners are one of the most natural and popular baits that are in use today.  Since most fish are predatory, minnows and other small fish are a natural food source for most species of fish.  Minnows and shiners comprise the bait choices of fishermen looking for trophy sized catches.  Because minnows and shiners are natural forage, they are recognized as the best and most productive choices for bait.  Shiners are used by many fishermen but great care needs to be exercised in order to keep them alive and healthy.  Shiners must not be crowded in bait buckets and air pumps must be used otherwise you bait will suffocate in a short time.  Shiners and minnows are very difficult to hold for extended periods of time and therefore it is recommended that only enough bait be collected or bought for the immediate trip's needs.  Generally, small shiners are used to attract trout, perch and crappie.  Medium shiners can be used to attract bass, perch, crappie, pickerel and pike.  Large shiners are preferred by bass, pickerel and pike.  Shiners can be presented by drifting or trolling. For drifting they can be hooked just under the dorsal fin or through the lips.  Hooking under the dorsal fin provides for a more natural presentation and allows the bait to swim more freely.   For trolling the shiner can be hooked through the lips or can be sewn.  Sewing is the preferred technique for trolling.

Frogs are not very popular around the northeast but can be a very effective bait for bass.  Since you can not buy frogs locally and they must be collected by hand fishermen are quick to bypass them.  Frogs can be hooked through the lips or through the skin in the hind leg.  They are usually presented along patches of lily pads and weed lines.  Generally, bass and pickerel will hit a frog bait extremely hard as though there was a mini explosion on the pads.

Crayfish are small, lobster like crustaceans that are an important food in the fish diet wherever they occur and therefore a very effective choice of bait.  They live in lakes, ponds, warm water streams and river and stay buried during the day and venture out after dark.   Crayfish can be collected by turning over rocks or to a larger degree spreading a seine across a river or stream.  Above the seine vigorously rake the bottom and collect the spoils in the net.  To keep a large supply of crayfish is a challenge.  A small supply can be kept in a minnow trap and tied off along the bank of a stream.   They can also be kept in a tub filled with damp moss and covered with branches of leaves and covered with damp burlap.  Crayfish must be kept cool.  Water must be circulated and a steady supply of oxygen must be present. Crayfish molt and shed their shells as they grow.  For a short time they are left with no shell and are very soft to the touch.  This is the time they make the best bait.  Crayfish should be hooked through the tail.

Hellgrammites, grasshoppers and crickets are small and soft bugs that are a natural part of fishes diets.  Because they are delicate, they must be handled with care, They can be difficult to keep but effective at attracting hungry fish.  When rigging these or any other bug, use small hooks and thin wire or Aberdeen hooks are preferred.  The use of a "bubble" of small. Water filled, clear float is preferred.

Bloodsuckers are an excellent bait and can be as effective as night crawlers.  They are great for attracting large bass and are easily rigged.  Because they live under rocks and along the bottom, they should be presented along the bottom.  Bloodsuckers are almost indestructible and are easy to keep.  They can be presented on their own,  rigged as a teaser to a jig or presented in tandem with another bait.

Meal worms are a popular bait among trout and perch fishermen.  Also known as grubs, meal worms are easily kept in a small container with bran.  Meal worms can be presented alone or with other baits.  One popular presentation in on a sliding sinker rig with an Aberdeen hook and in tandem with a miniature marshmallow.  The marshmallow will help to float the grub just above any vegetation that might be present.  Any larvae such as maggots, spikes and wax worms can be used as bait.  They should be rigged with Aberdeen hooks and on sliding sinker rigs along the bottom

Most anything can be used as an effective bait so don't get "stuck in the box" and limit your choices.  Give anything a try, who knows, you might discover something that works out by rewarding you with a trophy catch.