Live Bait VS PLastics?? Which do you prefer? Which works best?

[MartyMar]

I prefer to use live bait.  As a beginner, I found a little more sucess fishing live bait rather than jiging or any other plastic technique.  

[Ellesar]

I prefer to use live bait. As a beginner, I found a little more sucess fishing live bait rather than jiging or any other plastic technique.

I don't think I'm patient enough to fish with live bait. I can cover a lot more water with artificial baits, and most of the places I need to cover a good bit of water.

[Raul]

I prefer to use live bait. As a beginner

Self explanatory, as a beginner you may not know how to present and rig the bait properly so your success with artificial baits is marginal.

You can cover a lot more water with artificial baits, more water, more places ----> higher probability of catching something.

[Jake.]

Live bait takes a lot of the fun out of it for me. I like using artificials better.

[MartyMar]

I would think that using a nightcrawler would work better than lets say senko b/c nightcrawlers are real..they move naturally and smell naturally like a worm.  You can't get natural action like that from a plastic.

[zbigbadaaron]

depends where im fishing if it is the local river i will use both or if im fishing for panfish i will use live bait but if im fishing for bass at a pond or a lake i will almost always use lures

[Bassnajr]

You opened up a "can of worms" here....no pun intended.

This topic comes up every once in a while. For the most part tournament bass fishing doesn't allow livel bait although, I am sure there are live bait tournaments. I feel it takes more skill to use artificial baits but that having been said, I don't feel there is anything wrong with using live bait. But there is a difference in skill level. Some members here use both. Some of the trophy hunters, I am told, use live bait.

The question has even been brought up should there be live bait bass records and seperate artificial lure records???

I think it's a good question.... :

[Raul]

I would think that using a nightcrawler would work better than lets say senko b/c nightcrawlers are real..they move naturally and smell naturally like a worm. You can't get natural action like that from a plastic.

Dude, after a while a nightcrawler drowns, there will be no more "natural" action cuz the bait is gonna be stone cold dead, a plastic bait never drowns and the natural action is given by you.

[J Francho]

Why not throw out a float rig with live bait on it, and while you wait for that to get bit, use another rod to fish artificials.

[bigfruits]

im pretty sure they dont see the senko as an earthworm

[Calcutta]

I would use natural bait  if I was fishin for food. I fish for sport. To try to out smart the fish. I only use lures.

[DINK WHISPERER]

A lot of times live bait will produce monster bass more so than artificial. But i would not trade fishing artificial for nothing! The pride in knowing you out smarted the fish and worked that lure just like it wanted to see it is priceless to me!

[Grey Wolf]

Take the time to throw artificals and open up a new world for yourself.

[Ellesar]

Why not throw out a float rig with live bait on it, and while you wait for that to get bit, use another rod to fish artificials.

For me, when I'm fishing with artificial bait I'm moving too often to mix both together.