boondocks Posted February 26, 2007 Posted February 26, 2007 I was wondering if it illegal for the pros' to use live bait? And if so why? or does live bait just not work as good? Thanksfor your time Gents. Quote
bassboy1 Posted February 26, 2007 Posted February 26, 2007 Well, they aren't allowed to in tourneys. But, in Bassmaster, a kid asked uncle homer if artificial works better, and Homer said that in the majority of instances, live will outfish anything else. But, most of us are still too stubborn to use the tried and true method. Quote
Infidel. Posted February 26, 2007 Posted February 26, 2007 Sometimes lures are just better than live bait. You don't want to pitch a live crawdad back in the sticks, or skip a live frog under a dock. Quote
Lard_Bass Posted February 27, 2007 Posted February 27, 2007 If the pros used lived bait, then their shirts would be patchless! ;D Quote
Super User Sam Posted February 27, 2007 Super User Posted February 27, 2007 If Jimmy Houston used live bait he would wear himself out just kissing each minnow he threw. Quote
preach4bass Posted February 27, 2007 Posted February 27, 2007 If Jimmy Houston used live bait he would wear himself out just kissing each minnow he threw. ;D Quote
marlboroman Posted February 27, 2007 Posted February 27, 2007 i think using live bait would not be enough of a challenge. Thats one thing about bass fishing, the challenge. Quote
clipper Posted February 27, 2007 Posted February 27, 2007 I have heard some pros confess to using live bait prefishing to find fish. Quote
Guest avid Posted February 27, 2007 Posted February 27, 2007 Pro's use live bait. But not in tournaments. Against the rules. Why? How many worm farmers got millions of dollars to throw around? Quote
Super User SPEEDBEAD. Posted February 27, 2007 Super User Posted February 27, 2007 You can't cover water nearly fast enough to use live bait in a tournament. Quote
Guest avid Posted February 27, 2007 Posted February 27, 2007 Yeah, that and the fact that lure manufacturers have millions of dollars to throw around. Let me make this real clear..... Professional bass fishing was started by an insurance salesman as a way of making money. It worked. By outlawing live bait at tournaments, you guarantee that lures made by corporations, not God are the only permitted baits. Now, the tournament MUST be won by someone using an aritificial. a couple of phone calls and "Voila" a contract is signed. It's just business. Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted February 27, 2007 Super User Posted February 27, 2007 So, if you are not fishing tournaments and would like to catch lots of REAL BIG fish, you MIGHT want to look at live bait as another option. There are days, lots of days, when live bait will produce when nothing else does. Quote
Lucky Craft Man Posted February 27, 2007 Posted February 27, 2007 Imagine a tournament that allowed live bait... "Let's check in with Byron on the water...Well, guys I am here watching Skeet Reese...wait, I think his bobber just went under...He had a fish on guys, but Skeet was taking a nap and missed it. That may have costed him the Classic!" Quote
NBR Posted February 27, 2007 Posted February 27, 2007 Live bait is against the rules in most or all bass tournaments> There might be some local exceptions but not for BASS or FLW sanctioned events. Most or all walleye T's allow the use of live bait. I take containers for live bait when I go on a week or more trip in case of a tough bite but frankly live bait is a lot more trouble for a very small if any increase in catch rate. Quote
Bud Posted February 27, 2007 Posted February 27, 2007 Like RW said their are day live bait will out catch any lure. Nothing beats the real thing. Quote
Guest the_muddy_man Posted February 27, 2007 Posted February 27, 2007 I have my floats and hooks ready for some shiner fishing on the Fork I fished that way when i lived in New Orleans and it rocks!!!!!!! Quote
craigaria Posted February 27, 2007 Posted February 27, 2007 I think what everyone else had said about corporate sponsors from artificial lure companies holds true, also bass are easily caught on artificials, most of the time, bass are a very aggressive fish... As far a live bait goes compared to artificials, recentley I learned to fish with shad and I have caught two 10 lber's and probably 25 fish over 7 lbs in the past 3 weeks. Unfortunately with the warmer water recently, the bait is harder to find, and I have been doing all my catching on artificials ;D Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted February 27, 2007 Super User Posted February 27, 2007 Live bait is against the rules in most or all bass tournaments> There might be some local exceptions but not for BASS or FLW sanctioned events. Most or all walleye T's allow the use of live bait. I take containers for live bait when I go on a week or more trip in case of a tough bite but frankly live bait is a lot more trouble for a very small if any increase in catch rate. I don't have any national statistics to reference, but my personal experience on the Tennessee River fishing for smallmouth would be quite the contrary. On an average day, I would estimate that live bait may outfish artificials ten to one, but some days the discrepancy would be much greater. In 2005 my partner and I boated a total of fifty-two smallmouth over 5 lbs. Throughout all of the months that we fished for the bronze bass, I fished artificials for two hours per trip when the fish were on a strong bite (prime time!). Although I caught quite a few bass on artificials, only two were over 5 lbs. Quote
Garnet Posted February 27, 2007 Posted February 27, 2007 I'm a firm supporter of livebait fishing. It keeps the skill level down so rookies can get started. And it's tough watching not so skilled anglers slamming bass with livebait but with practice you can catch just as many without livebait. Garnet Quote
vietthug559 Posted February 28, 2007 Posted February 28, 2007 live bait is noob friendly..and a lot cheaper than lures because you don't have to worry about replacing a 6 dollar lure..but i prefer lures because i dont like sitting there with live bait and waiting..rather cast and reel..twitch..and all that good stuff Quote
RLinNH Posted February 28, 2007 Posted February 28, 2007 Imagine a tournament that allowed live bait... "Let's check in with Byron on the water...Well, guys I am here watching Skeet Reese...wait, I think his bobber just went under...He had a fish on guys, but Skeet was taking a nap and missed it. That may have costed him the Classic!" LMAO!!! That's one Classic I'd like to see!!! ;D Quote
craigaria Posted February 28, 2007 Posted February 28, 2007 I'm a firm supporter of livebait fishing. It keeps the skill level down so rookies can get started. And it's tough watching not so skilled anglers slamming bass with livebait but with practice you can catch just as many without livebait. Garnet Personally, I think it does takes skill to catch fish with live bait. For me live bait taught me a great deal about using my electronics much better and also helped me discover the main forage of the bass in my lake and what they prefered. Live bait fishing has helped me to redefine my tactics to help me catch bigger fish on artificials. I understand that there is alot of predjudice against live bait fisherman in bass fishing. But think about this. The next time you are having a hard time watching not so skilled anglers slamming bass with live bait, just remember that they are catching fish and you aren't. Learning different techniques that helps you boat more bass is skill, watching them catch a lot of fish and putting them down for it is hard headed... Quote
buzzbaitfool12 Posted February 28, 2007 Posted February 28, 2007 Now,now Craig.. :..Yes you have caught many fish on live bait and that is fine and dandy..I have enjoyed our recent success with this technique..However everyone be for warned that if you do this you will get extremely spoiled once you do this..There is not much skill in live bait fishing besides finding the bait fish and catching it..The first time I went by myself with this technique two weeks ago a buddy of mine and me caught 25 in 4hours time with the average around 6lbs..Once you found the bait fish, catch it, drop your line over board, sit it in the rod holder watch the bait get nervous and boom fish on...The biggest I have caught this year on live bait is 8 and half pounds..I caught a 8lber on a spinnerbait and I feel I accomplished more on the spinnerbait than the live bait..That being said, in the winter and fish being hard to catch, it is fun catching and not fishing the whole time...But you will get spoiled and this will be all you want to do..Not me im about the challenge and personally I dont think live bait fishing is a challenge..If I caught a 15lber on live bait I would get excited but not as much as if I caught it on artificial..Just my two cent Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted February 28, 2007 Super User Posted February 28, 2007 [There is not much skill in live bait fishing besides finding the bait fish and catching it..The first time I went by myself with this technique two weeks ago a buddy of mine and me caught 25 in 4hours time with the average around 6lbs...] Man, I hate it when that happens! Quote
craigaria Posted February 28, 2007 Posted February 28, 2007 The biggest skill of all in bass fishing is to be able to locate active fish, and and figure out what they will bite. Just because you have a bucket full of live bait doesn't mean you can just put one on the hook and automatically catch fish. You can drag shad or throw lures around the lake all day, but if you can't locate the fish or establish a pattern, you may not catch fish with either. The real skill is learning the water that you are fishing, and learning the habits of the fish. Then you will be more successful no matter what kind of bait you are using... Just to set the record straight, I fish with artificials all the time. If I had a choice between catching a trophy on live or artificial, I would choose artificial. But if I caught the world record bass on live bait, I still would of caught the world record Quote
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