Research paper: live bait vs artificial

[Nathan101]

Hello I'm doing a research paper for English class and I chose to do live  bait vs artificial. The stuff I need to know is what would you use live bait or artificial depending on water color, time of year, weather, and what fish you are trying to catch(catfish and bass)

[Cgolf]

About the only piece that I can add is on a clear water northern wisconsin lake, when I tried to use up the walleye crawlers and leeches on a jig I caught very few bass in areas I was catching bass on artificial bait. By no means scientific, but it really surprised me because I thought the live bait would have done better. This has occurred multiple times to me, it was not a one off experience.

[A-Jay]

Hello Nathan and Welcome to Bass Resource ~

The Live bait vs Artificial presentation conundrum is a good one.

Anglers experienced in using both when targeting bass may tell you there are times on certain lakes, rivers & resivors where live bait will completely out perform artificial bait.  Other times, even on the same body of water where the lures will catch both more & bigger bass.

The variables are many and sometimes it even simply comes down to personal preference.

Good Luck with your research paper and don't forget to list Bass Resource as one of your sources of information.

A-Jay

[roadwarrior]

Well, fishing for smallmouth during the winter, me and a lot of other folks fish live minnows. Although I have a strong preference for artificial baits and lures, live bait will generally outfish artificials 10:1. The first week of last October I got on a bite using the Rage Tail Menace. This is the ONLY outing I have been on when an artificial was the winner and by a huge margin.

 

[fishballer06]

This isn't by any means scientific, but it is an old saying that I've heard numerous times and it seems to hold true.

 

Live bait is for feeding the fish, artificial bait is for catching fish. 

 

Basically what it means is fish will prefer live bait because it's natural and there's no tricks about it. If you're throwing an artificial lure, you're tricking the fish into bite something that may or may not be natural  to them, hence you're "catching" them. 

[davecon]

Nowadays use live bait only when taking the grandchildren out. In freshwater use shiners, minnows, worms, and crawfish when I can get them.

In saltwater use live shrimp.

[A-Jay]

41 minutes ago, ohotnik said:

Great point about effectiveness of live bait, but the main problem with that are tough regulations and I don’t think the problem is going to go away, but I found this article which seems to offer a solution ~ http://www.ragetail.com/

Interesting ~

Could you please be kind enough to explain what these "tough regulation" you mentioned ?

Thanks in advance

A-Jay 

[A-Jay]

20 minutes ago, ohotnik said:

I am from Canada and live bait fish is totally banned here. Even dead minnows could not be used. I believe that many western states have the problem. And this artificial lure replicates movement of a real bait fish and could be used in the same applications as real live bait fish.

Sure ~ I've noticed you've made it a point to spread that link around in several places here -

You must be a big believer in those great baits - I know I am.

A-Jay

[RoLo]

I would give the nod to 'time of year', as being the most influential factor.

During the winter (during the coldest water temps), natural bait typically

outperforms artificial lures (Both in open water & thru the ice).

Natural bait, such as live minnows, also tend to increase the average fish weight, 

 

Roger

[Mobasser]

In doing your research, you may find that lures outfish live bait, simply because more folks use lures for bass fishing. But, as has been said, live bait certainly works and is a skill set, just like lure fishing.

[roadwarrior]

Well, with real life experience going back to 1996, I can state definitively that live bait 

out fished artificial 10:1. My best friend (deceased) was a tournament fishermen for years,

but got flipped. Fishing for smallmouth on the Tennessee River with him and another regular,

I fished artificial until my buddies caught 10 bass between them. Over more than a decade,

I occasionally caught a fish or two while they were killin' it.

 

On a side note, two years ago I fished a Rage Tail Menace that actually out fished live bait.

Five smallmouth 4-6 lbs on five consecutive casts!  Only happen once, but MAN...