injured bait fish

[king fisher]

Does any one here have experience fishing live fish for bass?  I have not fished, or plan on fishing live bait fish for bass.  I'm curious as to the reaction bass have to live bait fish, and how to present them.  I have heard over and over that bass like to eat injured bait fish.  Every species of fish that I have fished live bait to seem to be the exact opposite.  When a  bait stars to get week, slows down, or just looks like it is half dead, most sport fish I have fished for wont hit a bait in poor condition.  I have found the most important quality of a good live bait is to be extremely healthy.  I can't count the times I have had a bait start to get weak, reel it in replace with a fresh one and get hit.  Are bass different?  Do you want your bait to swim like it is about to die?  Would be interested to hear readers experiences.

[Teal]

Yes.  You want your bait to live as long as possible.  Most of the time wheather its minnow, shad, or whatever else I like to fish them alive and I'll use bait holder hooks and nose hook em and let em swim

[roadwarrior]

 

[king fisher]

Just now, king fisher said:

Does any one here have experience fishing live fish for bass?  I have not fished, or plan on fishing live bait fish for bass.  I'm curious as to the reaction bass have to live bait fish, and how to present them.  I have heard over and over that bass like to eat injured bait fish.  Every species of fish that I have fished live bait to seem to be the exact opposite.  When a  bait stars to get week, slows down, or just looks like it is half dead, most sport fish I have fished for wont hit a bait in poor condition.  I have found the most important quality of a good live bait is to be extremely healthy.  I can't count the times I have had a bait start to get weak, reel it in replace with a fresh one and get hit.  Are bass different?  Do you want your bait to swim like it is about to die?  Would be interested to hear readers experiences.

My apologies, I should proof read my posts.  Poor Grammar and confusing content made for a poor question.  What I was trying to ask is weather bass prefer a weak injured or wounded bait over a healthy one.  I don't know how many times I have read that sport fish eat weaker or injured bait over healthy ones.  My experience with other sport fish would seem to suggest the exact opposite.  Although most lures look to me like they represent wounded prey,( I can't say how it appears to the fish). When I fish live bait for most sport fish, the strongest healthy baits are the ones that get hit.  Slow injured bait have to be changed out for healthy lively bait in order to get strikes.  Why don't the fish take advantage of the slower, easier to catch bait?   I have not fished live  bait for bass and was interested if bass react to live bait in the same way.