I want a new PB on an artificial

[Guest avid]

There is this father and son team I run into alot on my home lake.  They bascially catch shiners and bluegill and use them as bait.

They are catching some hawgs.  A confirmed 9 lber, and of course the double digit that got away.

I see you son (23 yr old) more often than the dad.  He uses two rods on holders, one for trolling the shiner , the other more targeted.  He's a good kid, who really knows his live bait fishing.  He has explained the whole deal to me from how to catch the bait and how to best fish them.  

I have live bait fished and have enjoyed it, so I'm sure I'll do some more of it know that he is "showing me the ropes" so to speak.  

But for some reason, I want my new PB to be on an artificial.  

Stupid, and stubborn, but I know that for me.  It's how I want to do it.

I think all you live bait guys. are excellent fisherman.  I really respect "catching the bait" then catching the bass>  I also know some days can be real slow just like anything else, so please don't think of this as some kind of put down.  It is not.  

I just know in my heart that I would be happier to catch a new pb on an artificial.

Wish me luck.

avid

[CrazedL.IFisherman]

Your not alone at all in this category avid, im with you and im sure many others are as well, often my dad and my friends dad go fishing with live bait, my fishing buddy and i go to the same lake as thing and we refuse to use live bait, sometimes we do better but most times they do better, to me it feels much more rewarding to catch bass with lures, so i guess im stupid and stubborn as well but it sure feels good catching bass without the live bait

[CJ]

I know how you feel and what you mean.I fish artificial exclusivley.I don't have anything against live bait and may try it.But I feel it is more of a sport on artificial.I like to know that I fooled the fish into biting something that isn't real.So,

GOOD LUCK AVID!

Can't wait to see your shadow holding that toad!

[Wayne P.]

I fish for the fun and sport of it. When using live bait, the bait does the fishing.

[roadwarrior]

The two are NOT mutually exclusive. I fish artificals only for largemouth and both live bait and artificials for smallmouth. Although my PB smallmouth was caught on live bait, two of my biggest brown bass were caught on artificials. I don't find the fishing all that different and I really don't know why you care.

[Hawgin]

I've never fished live bait for bass, but I am going to Fork in 10 days, and with the weather conditions as they have been I have a feeling the bite will be tough.   I've already told the guy I'm going with that if day 3 comes and we aren't having much luck I'm buying a bucket of shiners and I will have no shame catching my pb on shiners if I have to.  Would I prefer to catch it on artificials?  Sure, but I'm not against "cheating" if gets me a hawg.

[KYbass1276]

I have fished live bait for bass myself and it obviously is a great way to catch them.  But I like the challenge of picking out the right artificial and catching the fish myself.  It seems more satisfing I guess,  I would use live bait agin in the future.

[fourbizz]

Way to go Avid. Setting a goal like that is a good thing. I was lucky enough to meet mine this year and then some. Hopefully you will be able to do the same.

Live bait is easier. I don't look down on it, but it is easier. Anybody that says they are the same is kidding themselves. If live bait works no better than artificials, then why pay the price (jumbo minnows/shiners are EXPENSIVE) and go through the process of keeping them alive, when you could just throw a jerkbait. I have caught some big fish of a few different species on live bait, but they just weren't nearly as rewarding as a big one on artificials. Again, not meaning to bash live bait fishing, it is just easier, though not neccesarily "easy".

[fourbizz]

Also, I hope you find your wayward rod, I think you could do it with one of gold/black back baits!

[Guest avid]

I don't find the fishing all that different and I really don't know why you care.

The fishing is different, but I too don't know why I care but I do.  I think it might go back to the early days of BASS.  I "bought" into the so called sportsman element of using artificials.  I have since come to reject that.  I think it's ludacirs for a guy in a $40,000.00 Ranger with sonar, biotronix, auqua view, and everything short of bass seeking cruise missles to claim that the guy on the bank shiner fishing with a glass rod and Zebco 33 is not being "sporting"

But I want to pitch that jig into the hole, or work that crankbait, or put the right jerk in my jerkbait to get the biggun.  FYI, the few times I bait fished last year were fun, and I will do it again soon.

Fourbiz, I tried the ratltrap on the bottom, and even though I didn't come up with the rod, I was surprised to have the lure cover so much area of this cove and come back clean.  Apparantly the water is deep enough so the weeds only go out 8-10 feet from the shore.  

This gives me an opportunity to use a grappling device.  I had a sort of 4 pronged grappling hook from when I lost my tackle box in April '05.  that area is way too weed chocked (I still check it every so often though), Anyway, I added four huge Frog hooks at different lengths and will "drag" the bottom in different spots from time to time.

I have "let go" of mourning the loss of loosing this great outfit, but that does not mean I will ever give up trying to recover it.  I don't know if you can see the difference, but it's real for me and it definitly matters.

avid.

[Johanv]

Well using live bait in South Africa is against the law. Or so I am told. But get a big fish on lures just makes it so much more fun. But there is guys using live bait and we all try and get them convinced that using lures are the better option. But No never used live bait and don't think I ever will

But I have had the opportunity to get on a small largemouth and all out of NO where a big one came and took it. And with that the small one just moved up the line as a soft plastic lure would and at the end both fish were released

[bass109]

avid, many guys in local towns use the same techniques, they kind of own the body of water were they fish. I caught my biggest bass on live bait, so i too respect them.  

[roadwarrior]

Well then avid, I am 100% sure you will be successful, it's just a matter of time.

I'm thinkin' maybe somewhere in Texas betweeen 3/18 & 3/23 might do it!

[eastkybass]

I never go out bass fishing using live bait, but I have gone crappie and bluegill fishing and ended up getting a few that way.  The one time I can remember ever targeting Bass with live bait was in Florida with a guide and we used live shiners with him.  I found it slow and kind of boring but he did everything for you but set the hook and reel it in.  Wasn't that much fun.  

[craigaria]

I have just started fishing with live bait recently. Ya'll may have seen in fishing trip or outings. I have had the same discussion with buzzbaitfool and his opinion is that it isn't the same as catching fish on artificials. I will admit too that if I had the choice of catching a 10 lb plus fish on live bait or artificial, I would pick artificial...

I'll tell you what though, if you want to catch some big fish consistantly, live bait is the way to go. Also, people that say live bait fishing is easy couldn't be more wrong. I can easily prove that with the sucess of my recent trips. Today I was skunked, yesterday I missed one good fish on a shad rap while looking for bait, and two trips last week I was skunked. It is very hard to find the bait. Once you do find the bait though you are still only halfway there. Then you have to find the depth and size bait they are prefering. Also, the bass may not be biting either.

I think that live bait fishing is just another technique. I try to learn many different ways to catch fish and to be more sucessful. Live bait fishing teaches you really well how to make good use of your electronics, which in turn helps you find the fish, what they are feeding on, and also find other spots on the lake that you may have overlooked in the past.

[craigaria]

Just to add to my last post. The 2 times that I have had a sucessful live bait trip, was when my friend who is a guide went with me. He is very skilled in using his electronics, finding baitfish and catching them, finding the fish, and catching fish with live bait. I have tryed to copy his technique with little success...

Soon the bite will be on, and artificials will be the ticket when the warmer water spreads the fish out. But I will have to say that those two live bait trips were the most sucessfull cold water trips I've had.

[skillet]

 I used live bait my whole childhood fishing with my parents for pan fish (Crappie and Bream). Could not print on this forum what my Daddy used to say about artfical baits or those who used them . As a retired Pilot and First Mate off the River, he could get real creative with 4 letter words !!

 I have wondered more than once why it makes so much difference to me. The only conclusion I could come to was that IT DID ;D!!

 Like the others have said, this is not a put-down on those who do (truthfully). Know thyself be the first rule of the land....

                                                       As Ever,

                                                        Skillet

[New 2 Bass]

I grew up fishing live bait too.  I just find lures less messy and easier to get around with.  I also find them quite challenging.  Its hard to fish a lure.  At least it is for me.  I know there are some folks who just drop the lure in and get hit, but that ain't me.

I'm with you Avid, go get a hawg on a lure.  Relish in the challenge.  Kind of like spanking an expensive german car with my old hand built 5.0 when I was a kid.  The look on their faces was priceless.  No boost, no bottle, just motor.

Al

[Lightninrod]

I do not and will not use live bait.  To each his own but it's not for me.

Dan

[bigdog]

I do not and will not use live bait. To each his own but it's not for me.

Dan

Ditto!

[Blue Eyed Fisher Chick]

Its all personal preference.   For me I like both, but see back in the day when I was a kid, that was the whole exciting part was finding those worms, crickets, or catching some minniows and hooking them and trying to catch that fish!  And I guess in a way that's what I like the most.  It takes me back to the good ol days when I was a kid.  Its just as challenging I think.  I'm not talking about going to the store and buying them, but getting out there and finding the bait in the lake!!  And when you do find it and catch it, then that's a great feeling.  

But picking an artifical bait out of your box and trying to see if that's what they like that day can be just as much fun.  Fishing is fun no matter which way you do it.  

Catching a fish is catching a fish!  Either way you have to work at it!!!

[roadwarrior]

I do not and will not use live bait. To each his own but it's not for me.

Dan

And there you have it!

I'm not thumping for anyone to change their fishing style. I like "catchin'" better than "fishin'", that's all.

Sometimes live bait is the ticket, it's "what's for dinner!"

[Vyron]

I do not and will not use live bait.  To each his own but it's not for me.

Dan

Exactly!

[liquidsoap]

Only times I fish live bait for bass is in the spring with minnows for big river run bass and steelhead.

Or everyonce in a while I will use a live softcraw.  Thats all

[Turtle.]

I do not and will not use live bait. To each his own but it's not for me.

Dan

 YEAH, What he said.