 |
Home | Search | Browse | About IPO | Staff | Links |
|
Home | Search | Browse | About IPO | Staff | Links |
|
Scoring With Live Baits Don't overlook natural baits when planning your next fishing trip. BY MIKE ROUX My arms tingled from the sunburn I'd acquired that morning, and the back of my neck and my face were bright red. All this from spending six hours in the summer sun, fishing. Kevin Brunstein of Jacksonville, and I had spent the morning doing our best to coax largemouth bass into biting a topwater lure. If we'd had great success, I'd share the location and the conditions with you, but on that day, 8- to 10-inch bass were all we caught. As we loaded my boat onto the trailer, we complained about the sun, the heat, the humidity and anything else that came to mind that we could blame for our poor results.
When we pulled out to head home, I noticed a couple of youngsters fishing with red and white bobbers. As we passed, I stopped to inquire about their success. The taller of the two lads jumped up quickly and said, "I got a pretty good one!" I expected to see a big bluegill or at best a 10-inch catfish. The youth pulled a rope stringer out of the water with a monstrous largemouth bass tied to the end. My digital scale weighed the fish as 7 pounds, 12 ounces. We congratulated the boy and drove off even more dejected than before. The boy caught the "hawg" with a nightcrawler. He was hoping to catch sunfish. This prompts me to remind you that, with all of the artificial lure choices that we now have, live bait is still an excellent way to catch big fish. But also keep in mind that this ancient angling method involves more than just slapping a worm on a hook and watching a cork. Of all the variables present in bait fishing, the hook is probably most critical. All too often, bait anglers use over-sized hooks. The hook size should be matched to the bait and to the fish. Choose a hook that will not overwhelm your bait—it should not adversely affect the bait's natural action. Avoid hooks that are too bulky or overly visible. Always check your hooks before and during use. Exposed points can dull quickly on rocks and logs.
When Spencer Dietrich of Quincy tossed in his cricket he was hoping for a bluegill. He never expected a two pound bass. (Photo by Mike Roux) The line is another consideration. Line that is too thick can have a bad effect on bait action. Unless you're chasing really big fish, or you're in some very heavy cover, 10-pound test line usually will do the job. Lighter line is more difficult for fish to see, and it provides for longer casts and gives you a better feel for light bites. Combine this with the natural action mentioned earlier, and it all adds up to more bites. I recall a summer fishing trip where we were fishing for small-mouth bass in a clear stream. Artificial lures were not producing. We searched the area for an alternative and found a bed of 6- to 8-inch nightcrawlers. My partner rigged his on a levelwind with 17-pound test and a large plastic worm hook. I rigged mine on a spinning outfit with 8-pound test and a small, thin-wire crappie hook. Neither of these rigs was a matter of choice. It just happened to be what each of us had on hand. I beat him good that day. A large portion of live bait fishing is done with floats. I know I sound like a broken record, but most floats are too bouyant. A good float should just barely support the weight of the bait and sinker. A fish may take the bait and then drop it if it feels too much resistance. How the float fastens to your line and how it floats are both very important considerations. We're all probably most familiar with the plastic red and white bobbers, but these spring-loaded floats can damage your line. They are even more of a problem on the light line that I recommended earlier. I suggest a slip float for ease of adjustment and maintaining line integrity. The biggest problem with floats is knowing when to set the hook. Do you wait for the float to go under? Do you set the hook at the first movement? What's best? Often a fish will take the bait without swimming off. The best time to set the hook on a fish is when the float stops moving altogether. One of the most overlooked and underrated live bait fishing methods is the Texas-style rig. The use of a bullet slip sinker not only puts the bait on the bottom, where fish generally feed, but lets your bait make all of the natural movements without dragging the weight behind it. Some tips to keep in mind with this method begin with protecting your knot from the constant abuse that the sinker can give. A plastic bead will protect your knot from the sinker. A swivel also is recommended to prevent line twisting. Always release some slack line out so that the bait can move and a fish can run after the fish picks it up. Fishing live bait is not just for kids fishing for bluegill. Live bait, presented correctly, can increase your catch and add some "old time" excitement to the often boring "cast and retrieve" of lure fishing. Don't be afraid to experiment with live bait rigs, either. You might be surprised with your success. When it comes to live baits, when to use them and how to keep them alive, here are some proven suggestions: Grasshoppers: These insects are one of the most commonly used
Floating live minnows is a surefire way to catch walleye and sauger. (Photo by Mike Roux.) baits for bluegill and bass. Locusts are hard to catch and often too big for panfish. But these big grasshoppers are great for bass, especially when fished on the surface, without weight. The smaller, light-green species are usually better for pan-fish, although they are delicate. There are several methods of placing grasshoppers on a hook. One method is to tie them on with fine wire or thread or to attach them with a rubber band. Other fishermen put the hook under the hard skin of the shoulder or thread them right on the hook. Keeping grasshoppers alive is easy. Place some grass and weeds in a jar or covered bucket, and keep it in the shade. Add a pan of water and some apple slices if you plan on keeping them for several days. Crickets: These insects can be found in the summer under stones, hay piles and wood stacks. They can be kept in the same containers as grasshoppers and fed grass, lettuce or potato slices. Water is essential if you're planning on keeping crickets for a period of time. Crickets are your best bait for bluegill.
Catalpa worms: This worm has been crowned by many fishermen, especially in the South and Midwest, as the finest bluegill bait in the world. The worm is the larvae of the sphinx moth, which lays its eggs on catalpa trees. When the larvae hatch, they feed on the leaves of the tree until they are about 3 inches long. They then drop to the ground. The worms are either dark brown in color or black with green along the sides. They are smooth-skinned and a very tough bait. You often can catch many fish with only one worm. No special care is needed in the bucket to keep these green wrigglers fresh. Grubs: Grubs are the larval form of beetles. They lay their eggs in the ground, where they hatch and they develop for two or three years. They pupate underground in the fall, and adults emerge the following spring. The grubs are delicate and need to be securely hooked. Grubs can be kept alive in the earth in which they were found. Earthworms: Worms can be found living in moist, loamy soil. Manure worms can be found under manure in barn yards or pastures. Big night crawlers are found along creek and stream beds. I have caught some really nice small-mouth bass on nightcrawlers while fishing small rivers. The action, feel and taste of real worms is irresistible to fish. Minnows: Minnows are a fantastic bait for virtually any species of fish. How to hook minnows depends on the type of fishing you are doing. For still fishing, I prefer to place the hook just forward of the dorsal fin, being careful not to run the hook through the spinal column. Minnows hooked in this manner live for a long time. Other fishermen prefer to hook their minnows through the lips or tail. If you hook your minnow through the tail, however, allow enough time for panfish to swallow the bait. Since fish swallow most prey head first,
the minnow must be down the throat of the fish before the hook can be set. Hellgrammite: This is the larva form of the big, winged insect known as the dobsonfly. The fly lays several thousand eggs on branches, rocks or other objects along a stream. After hatching, the tiny larvae drop into the water where they grow and develop for three years. Hellgrammites are most commonly found in fast-running water. They can be gathered by holding a wire screen or seine across a portion of a stream and turning over rocks just upstream of the seine. This will allow the current to wash the hellgrammites into your net. Before hooking on a hellgrammite, break off the pincers on the end of its tail. This will prevent your bait from clinging to rocks as you fish. Crawfish: "Crawdads" are my favorite live bait. I've caught more fish, both big and small, on crawdads than any other natural bait. They can be found in swamps, small ponds, lakes and streams. You can hook them under the shell at the back or through the tail. In the case of soft-shells, use a harness or tie them on the hook. I usually remove the pincers of big "dads." This just makes it easier for the fish to get one into its mouth. Keep in mind that the rusty crayfish is illegal to import, possess, sell or use as bait in Illinois. It can be identified by a rusty spot on both sides of the body and a rusty red band on the pinchers. Live-bait fishing is fun and challenging. Grab a bucket of bait next weekend and find out what it takes to fish the old-fashioned way. Grandpa will be proud of you. Mike Roux is a free-lance writer who lives in Quincy.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
