Live Minnows Or Artificial Bait

[TWMstr]

What catches more bass?

[AK-Jax86]

Live minnows by far catch more bass

BUT

Artificial lures IMO give me a sense of accomplishment that's why I prefer fishing that way

[Hyrule Bass]

really i think it varies. ive fished places where i tear them up with artificials but they wouldnt touch a live minnow. then ive fished places where it was vice versa.

 

but honestly, i dont care how i catch them, live bait or artificial, i just love to catch fish. i dont feel more accomplished one way or the other. the fish still has to want your bait and you still have to set the hook and fight it and land it. to me the accomplishment is catching a fish, not how i caught it...

[MarkH024]

I think I can catch more bass in less amount of time pitching into docks and cover, rather than sitting in the middle of the lake with a minnow on my line waiting. That's just me though.

 

Sitting in the middle of the lake with an artificial plastic on the end of my line waiting....I'd give minnows the win on that scenario.

[KansasAngler]

Def artificial. More strategy involved so I feel more "accomplished"

[Bankbeater]

It depends on what I am fishing for.  I have better luck with minnows fishing for catfish, but I think in some of the lakes around here the bass hit artificial baits better.

[BadContrakt]

Live bait? What's live bait? I thought we were talking about bass fishing here?

 

 

 

 

Wait... Now I'm confused. Live bait? Live bait... Live bait!? Texas Rig man! Carolina Rig man! What's live bait got to do with Bass fishing?

[TWMstr]

Shiners or Minnows are live bait. Can catch monster bass on them. Just depends on what the bass want. Sometimes when you can't catch a single bass, you can slaughter bass all day long on a medium to large minnow. But when it comes to feeling accomplished, artificial is the way to go. Minnows are almost cheating. Went to a tournament 2 years ago and caught 21.3 lbs ( 5 fish ) in one period on minnows. you never know. haha

 

Live bait? What's live bait? I thought we were talking about bass fishing here?

 

 

 

 

Wait... Now I'm confused. Live bait? Live bait... Live bait!? Texas Rig man! Carolina Rig man! What's live bait got to do with Bass fishing?

[Snakehead Whisperer]

What catches more bass?

A live crawfish

[flyfisher]

live bait is more consistent but to be an accomplished love bait fisherman isn't nearly the toss out a minnow in the middle of the lake as has been mentioned.

There is plenty of strategy and rigging an technique involved but most bass fishermen become snobs and act like live bait is cheating....I would bet 95+% of people on this forum started fishing with live bait for panfish.

[Snakehead Whisperer]

live bait is more consistent but to be an accomplished love bait fisherman isn't nearly the toss out a minnow in the middle of the lake as has been mentioned.

There is plenty of strategy and rigging an technique involved but most bass fishermen become snobs and act like live bait is cheating....I would bet 95+% of people on this forum started fishing with live bait for panfish.

Learned this the hard way when I started trying to catch walleye. During the winter I use a jighead or a jigging spoon tipped with a piece of night crawler. If the bait isn't within 6-12" of the fish they won't hit it. Live lining minnows or trolling a crawler harness is also a good example. If the speed is too fast or too slow, the fish will ignore your offerings. Bass fishing with live bait is the same thing. Finding the fish is the most important thing, and presentation and accuracy are at a close second.

 

With that said I have been outfished pretty hard by anglers using live minnows for smallies while I'm tossing similar looking artificials. But they knew where to place the bait, and had the casting accuracy to get it there as well as the right rigging to keep it in the strike zone.

[RoachDad]

What catches more bass?

 

There is a reason live bait is not allowed in tournaments!  If your not catching dinner, live bait is cheating.  ANyone can catch fish like that.

[Fish Murderer 71]

I fish for crappie and catfish with live bait, and catch a few bass(black), but I fish for black bass with artificial only... It's just my thing, I believe, to each his own, and as long as your having fun and your live well is full then keep on doing what you have been.

[Snakehead Whisperer]

I fish for crappie and catfish with live bait, and catch a few bass(black), but I fish for black bass with artificial only... It's just my thing, I believe, to each his own, and as long as your having fun and your live well is full then keep on doing what you have been.

Your screen name kills me (no pun intended ) Welcome to the site.

[flyfisher]

There is a reason live bait is not allowed in tournaments! If your not catching dinner, live bait is cheating. ANyone can catch fish like that.

Not true at all....so by your schewed rationale all the record hooks should be wiped clean of those who used live bait?

[RoachDad]

Not true at all....so by your schewed rationale all the record hooks should be wiped clean of those who used live bait?

MMMM Flyfisher, please go to the top of the page.  "What catches more bass."  Not what sets all the records.  And without doing any research I bet most records are held by live bait.  But that is not the question.

 

WHat does nearly every old grandma and nearly every youngster starting fishing use for a lure?  Worms, or crickets.  Why? 

 

Why do you think that live bait is not allowed in tournaments?

[flyfisher]

But not for bass....catching big bass on live bait isn't super easy as people claim. Yeah you can catch smaller bass but to truly understand live bait fishing is not an overnight deal.

And most kids start out fishing for panfish which is easier to catch with live bait.

I would imagine that the tournaments choose not to use live bait because there is a greater chance of injury to the fish.

[RoachDad]

I think I can catch more bass in less amount of time pitching into docks and cover, rather than sitting in the middle of the lake with a minnow on my line waiting. That's just me though.

 

Sitting in the middle of the lake with an artificial plastic on the end of my line waiting....I'd give minnows the win on that scenario.

You know you can pitch minnows under docks also, right?

[bassguytom]

I don't use live bait to fish for bass but have no problem with those who do. I like to hunt around and use my electronics and try to find a pattern to catch. It just is more fun for me.

[MarkH024]

You know you can pitch minnows under docks also, right?

I'll take the accuracy and control of pitching a jig, t-rig, or fluke bait that I can land 10 or more fish with versus using a live minnow that will survive only 1 bass.  You simply can't cast a live minnow into some of the same places an artificial will go. I never said anything was wrong with using live bait, but that I think i could bag more fish in a shorter period of time with artificial. 

You'll be more successful on the water as a bass fisherman if you know where to find fish as opposed to the fish finding you. 

[38 Super Fan]

I've almost always found live bait to be superior in cold water, it's hard to snob away from it if you like fishing in the Winter IMO. Outside of that, I don't use it much though, I'd rather fish artificial.  

[TWMstr]

Again guys, I made this post to see who would rather use live bait vs artificial to catch bass. My opinion? Catching bass on artificial to feel accomplished is the way to go, but when your out on a pond/lake with your wife and kids and I'm catching and their not, in order to have a semi-decent day, sometimes breaking out the minnows isn't such a bad idea. I appreciate a lot of the opinions posted on this topic and hope the greatest of luck on you all fishing this summer. 

[RoachDad]

I'll take the accuracy and control of pitching a jig, t-rig, or fluke bait that I can land 10 or more fish with versus using a live minnow that will survive only 1 bass.  You simply can't cast a live minnow into some of the same places an artificial will go. I never said anything was wrong with using live bait, but that I think i could bag more fish in a shorter period of time with artificial. 

You'll be more successful on the water as a bass fisherman if you know where to find fish as opposed to the fish finding you. 

I think you woudl lose that bet almost every time.

 

You buy minnows by the bucket because you do only get one per fish but that was not the question.

 

Your last point is true, of course, but if you find fish it will be easier to catch them with live bait.  I can't imagine anyone even arguing about it.

 

I only fish artificial.  I'd bet almost everyone on here only fishes artificial.  But you will hear many say that they do it to make it more "sporting".  In other words, it is just too easy to catch them with live bait. 

 

Isn't nearly every lures goal to imitate live bait?  Pick up just about any lure other than a SB or Buzz bait and somewhere on the package they try to compare themselves to live bait.

 

I think I understand all your points and I agree with your sentiments. But the question is which way catches more fish.  I don't think there is really a doubt as the correct answer.

[Snakehead Whisperer]

Your last point is true, of course, but if you find fish it will be easier to catch them with live bait.  I can't imagine anyone even arguing about it.

 

This isn't necessarily true. If the bass are feeding on bluegills, then you might possibly fair better using a bluegill patterned lure than you would throwing out a live shiner, crawler, etc. Bluegills are considered game fish in my neck of the woods, and using them for bait is not lawful. Same would apply if the bass are feeding on crappie, certain species of darter or killifish, crawfish and many other protected species of preferred forage. There is also a moratorium on harvesting most species of shad along the entire east coast, but bass feed heavily on them. All of these prey can be imitated with lures.

[RoachDad]

This isn't necessarily true.

Come on Snakehead, when you put Necessarily in front of any argument, you are admitting that I am right 99% of the time.  Yes, I suppose there may be some rare circumstance at some particular moment in time when what you say is true.  But I say if they are feeding on Blugill and I drop a live minnow and you drop whatever you want, I am still going to catch a fish before you do.  Almost every time.

 

Your stretching.

 

Come on snakehead.  you know that I am right in nearly ever situation.  Right?  Come on, you can admit it.  if you and I were net to each other for a million dollars, you woudl drop a night crawler in a heartbeat, right?