Bait Fishing Help

[randdmart]

Hello,

 

I have a few questions, so I think I finally figured out my equipment, but now I’m having trouble bait fishing.

 

I went fishing with my uncle who is a fly fisherman and he showed me a very simple bottom fishing rig which is as follows:

• 1/4 oz. bell sinker on the bottom of the line
• #6 snelled hook above the sinker

 

I was able to put that rig together in like 5 minutes, no problem.

My dilemmas are as follows:

 

I really enjoy lure fishing, but I shore fish and at this point I want to catch something, anything!  I have a bunch of different types of lures, crankbait, spinners, and spoons and I have a snap swivel on the end of my main line for that and it works great!

 

I made a few of the rigs mentioned above with a loop at the top to attach to the snap swivel but I’m not sure where to put the rocket bobber?  Do I put it above the swivel with a bobber stop or do I just invest another $60 on a second spinning rod/reel combo and use that for bait fishing?

 

Then there is the great bait debate.  I have Power Bait but talking to a lot of different people they say that’s only good for trout.  I have other people whom casually fish that swear by salmon eggs (a.k.a. fireballs,) I tried putting a worm on the #6 hook but with my low vision it was almost impossible.  I have also seen catfish bait and one person even mentioned liver!  So, now I'm a little overwhelmed.

 

As always, any advice or thoughts would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,
Rich

[WRB]

Use a lake rig, bass anglers call this Carolina rig. Use a live medium or large size Canadian night crawler worm.

The sinker usually a egg type but the dipsey bell sinker will work. The swivel clip may stop the bell sinker, if not add a 8 mm glass bead between the weight and swivel clip. 

The #6 bait holder hook w/leader works OK with night crawlers. Hook the live worm ounce like a plastic worm.

Everything eats night crawlers.

Tom

[Finessegenics]

You don't need the bobber if I understood your rig correctly. The whole point is that your rig stays on bottom. For bait, use live nightcrawlers. 

 

 

[BrianMDTX]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Everything eats night crawlers.

Ain’t that the truth. 
 

I always wondered how a nightcrawler would do on a weighted EWG hook. Rig it just like a TR. 

[randdmart]

16 hours ago, WRB said:

Use a lake rig, bass anglers call this Carolina rig. Use a live medium or large size Canadian night crawler worm.

The sinker usually a egg type but the dipsey bell sinker will work. The swivel clip may stop the bell sinker, if not add a 8 mm glass bead between the weight and swivel clip. 

The #6 bait holder hook w/leader works OK with night crawlers. Hook the live worm ounce like a plastic worm.

Everything eats night crawlers.

Tom

If I'm understanding this correctly I would put my bell sinker on first, than my snap swivel and attach a leader  via a loop to the other end of the snap swivel and the snelled hook to the other end of the leader, is that right?  As I mentioned above worms are a little hard for me due to my low vision, do you have any other bait suggestions?

Also, would investing in a second rod/reel exclusively for bait fishing just be easier than retying everything when I want to switch back and forth from bait to lure fishing, in your opinion?

[BrianMDTX]

29 minutes ago, randdmart said:

Also, would investing in a second rod/reel exclusively for bait fishing just be easier than retying everything when I want to switch back and forth from bait to lure fishing, in your opinion?

To be honest, yes. Although one can fish with one rig only, most find it better to have two or more rigged for certain baits. It's gets old retying hooks and lures on to one rig lol. 

[randdmart]

I looked at the Carolina Rig, seems pretty simple sounds like I need bullet weights and regular, not snelled, hooks but my questions are:

• Will a snap swivel work?
• Can a slip bobber be used or is this a bottom rig?
• Will this setup work for panfish, trout and bass or just bass?

Thanks,

Rich

[MN Fisher]

6 minutes ago, randdmart said:

Will a snap swivel work?

I wouldn't - another failure point is the snap.

6 minutes ago, randdmart said:

Can a slip bobber be used or is this a bottom rig?

It's a bottom rig - no bobber

6 minutes ago, randdmart said:

Will this setup work for panfish, trout and bass or just bass?

Bottom or near bottom feeding fish - bass, walleye, maybe some panfish.

[randdmart]

So, is the Carolina Rig for bait fishing, i.e. casting out and leaving it in the water?  If not what works well for doing that?

[MN Fisher]

Nope - you work the C-Rig like a Texas rig mainly - slow drag with pauses/twitches.

 

Toss it and 'forget it' for bass?

Closest would be Ned, shaky-head, drop-shot and other finesse rigs

 

Bass are primarily ambush-predators. They hide in/under weeds, behind logs or rocks, and 'leap out' at passing baitfish...which is why most lures used are 'action lures' like spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, frogs, crankbaits, jerkbaits, etc. It's only when they get lethargic and/or finicky that you drop to the super-slow working of finesse rigs.

[randdmart]

9 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Toss it and 'forget it' for bass?

Closest would be Ned, shaky-head, drop-shot and other finesse rigs

What's a good toss it and 'forget it' setup for panfish or trout, I'm going to work my way up to bass especially considering I have never caught a fish before

[MN Fisher]

Just now, randdmart said:

What's a good toss it and 'forget it' setup for panfish or trout, I'm going to work my way up to bass especially considering I have never caught a fish before

For lake-bound panfish and trout - Bobbers - worms, grubs, leeches or chub minnows on the hooks.

Suggest you get a slip-bobber - easier to set proper depth and MUCH easier to fish for the deeper ones - say beyond 6' depth.

 

For stream trout - drift fishing with Trout Magnets or live bait

[randdmart]

Which setup should I use?

• Slip bobber
• 2 - 1/4 ounce Split shots
• Regular (un-snelled) Hook

or

• Slip bobber
• Snelled Hook
• 1/2 Ounce Bell Sinker

Thanks,

Rich

[MN Fisher]

Slip bobber, un-snelled hook - as light a weight as you can get away with placed 8"-10" above the hook for leeches and minnows...allow them to swim around as naturally as possible. 4"-6" above worms and grubs.

 

I think the heaviest split-shots I have are 1/8oz, but my usual for live-bait is 1/32-1/16oz and only one. It's just to help get the bait down...don't need much for that.

[Luke Barnes]

Two rigs that I use with live bait are a simple bobber rig, I prefer slip bobber, hook, 6-8inches up a split shot, then the bobber. Also a simple drop shot rig. Keeps bait off the bottom and can be fished in place or slowly drag it. Sinker on very end of the line and about a foot up, the hook. Caught just about everything on both of these rigs.

[randdmart]

I picked this up, we'll see how it works.