[621109]

hey guys, i am not really familar with freshwater fishing and want to get into it. I like largemouth bass. I know many lures work very will for them. But what is the best bait? Do you use a sinker or a bobber? or both? thanks
any info is appreciated.

 

[billg]

If I'm using bait for Largemouth, my favorite is a live killie about 2 feet behind a bobbin. (no sinker) My 2nd choice is a nightcrawler.

 

[620277]

Bass Bait

First off Hi

Where are you fishing???

I fish the Amawalk res in westchester
and use live sawbellies(alewives) or minnows. BUT the hottest lure is the senko. Go www.nybass.com for more info it's a great site.

 

[619179]

Best Bass Bait

The best bass bait I've ever used and have had continued, consistent fish on is.......a Jitterbug. Black freckled, 3/8 oz, fished at dusk till dawn. Let it sit then bring it in very slowly so it has a continuous wiggle. Stop 3-5 seconds and repeat. I've landed a best of 7+ pound lunker at midnight off shore. Last month i took in a nice 3# on a similar lure the Hula popper 5 minuets of daylight left, 2 feet off shore, 60 yards away casting parallel w/ shore while wading. Again in black this one works slightly different than the first. Let it sit for a 1/2 minute then 3 rod tip jigs then sit 3 tip jigs and repeat. Bang your on . Most productive live bait I like is leapard or bullfrogs. Small ones 2-3" long hooked under chin and through the nose carefully. They swim around desperate to get to shore and the bass will just go nuts for one. If nothing else I keep 2-3 dozen med-lg. shiners in my fridge with an air bubbler. Throw some in a small covered bucket with a couple of those blue ice reusable ice packs and you've got live bait for hours. Tight lines.

 

[613647]

Lake George

Hi, I just came back from fishing Lake george all week. I fished using the black Kamatazo? rubber worms and used the hot sheet and fished Long Island,and the Basin and all I caught where smallmouths and not that many? Im brand new to fresh water and tried all the things the bait shop told me along with a friends advice,who is a big time bass hound. I must have done something wrong? Perhaps live bait would have been the ticket? I fished all the dark weedey areas and casted and also drifted. Any advice would help,Davey

 

[629660]

Best bass bait

I prefere buzzbaits,so versatile,It is a big fish bait.
You guys should check out nybass.com.all the info is right there.

 

[meandtheboyz]

Bass Bait

I don't think you can beat live minnows(sawbellies). Fish them anywhere from 18 to 36 inches behind a bobber(Deeper water go to 36 inches) . I also throw shot or 2 on to keep them down. there is nothing like wathing those minnows scurry around and then see the bobber disapear, give them time to eat. I have taken probably 15 bass over 4lbs in the last 3 years using this Method.

Catch and release

 

[Brown Trout]

Bait for Bass

IMHO, the best bass baits are, as stated above, minnows, frogs, and crawlers in that order. Minnows and crawlers can be fished below a bobber or without one. Frogs are without bobber or weights.

Best BIG BASS bait: Live Mouse!

Attach it to the hook with a small rubber band, lob it out and let it swim. Fish it at dawn, dusk, or anywhere in between. And be prepared!! If you've seen Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, They hit it like the white sharks feeding on seals off South Africa. Most of the bass I've caught on them are 5+ pounds.

You can get them at most pet stores.

Good Luck. Tight Lines.

 

[621109]

splitshots

you guys say " i fish the bait 18 inches under a bobber and throw a shot or 2 to keep them on "

i use prerigged porgy hooks for bluegills and small bass. i let out about 3 feet of line from the top of the rod, then tie on the hook. it comes with a 12 inch 30 pound mono leader with a loop at the end, i tie this directly to the line, 2 feet above i place my bobber. now sometimes i have trouble keeping the bait 2 feet under the water like it should. i would like to use a small 1/16 ounce split shot or 2. now how would i put this on???? would i put it on the actual leader off the hook, so it would stay down?? or would i put it above the hook leader where i tied my knot????

 

[Brown Trout]

Shot placement

Hey Flukekid, Now you ssay you are using 30# 12" leader porgy hooks for small bass and Bluegills: First of all I would use fresh water hooks with a smaller diameter line, say 10-12# max, for the size fish you are after.

If you use minnows, it will give them a more natural swimming motion as 30# mono is pretty stiff. Try eagleclaw snelled hooks size 4,6, or 8.

Now back to the split shot. If you continue to use the porgy hooks, put the shots above the leader directly on your line as again 30# mono is stiff and the shots will be flying off your rig on a lot of casts. I like mid way between the bobber and the bait down to 12" above the bait depending on the situation. Again the bait has a better range of motion. Just my $.02. Good luck, tight lines.

 

[jpd]

the best bait...

While I maintain a very large tackle box as a purist, the live bait cannot be beat. Overall night crarwlers rule (all seasons) but at peak times I prefer sawbellies/alewives. Color and motion are a killer. By the time I can use my rowboat again I hope a bait store opens near here to get very fresh bait.

jpd

 

[615965]

BEST BAIT, a 3inch sunfish livelined out under a bobber

 

[kennethdogcat]

the best bait i ever used were shiners live bait always dose it for me

 

[blitzking]

Best Bait...

Best Natural Bait on LI:

I like small yellow perch with the dorsal fins clipped off. I either fish them weightless off a boat and wait for that big smack, or I'll fish them under a slip bobber from shore. Key word here is "slip bobber." Works every time

Best Artificial Bait:

Depends on conditions, ect. I hate "best" questions in general

.

 

[flukerr]

Holy old thread Batman...

Bringing 1 back from the old days....Way back....!

Live bait for bass...Nah !

When I did use bait for largies, a stunned killie on a floating jighead pitched into weed pockets... The strikes were just as explosive as any topwater...I must admit, it was alot of fun..

 

[bassbuster789]

is not so simple as #1 "best bait for bass"... it is really realitive to the conditions u are fishing. grassy, rocky, stumpy, clearwater, muddy water, windy, ect... all lures have there own nitches. i see them like tools... u wouldnt use a chainsaw to change a tire?? so i think u should ask a lil more specific question

 

[BASSSURF]

Some form of live fish. Gotta figure out what the prefereed and available forage is in your lake. Sometimes its shiners, sometimes sunnies, and very often perch. A live perch is an awesome bait for big bass. I never bothered clipping the dorsal spines. I like to fish live bait under a float. But, if conditions allow, fishing them totally weightless is also a terrific method.

 

[FishFish27]

youll cover more water with artificials which gives you a better shot of hooking up.
if youre insisting on using live bait, id go with live sunny under 4".
but id cast the sunny out and work it in slowly like an artificial. they dont last too many casts before smacking the water kills them, but if you keep working it like a lure it doesnt matter

 

[blitzking]

FishFish27 wrote:
youll cover more water with artificials which gives you a better shot of hooking up.
if youre insisting on using live bait, id go with live sunny under 4".
but id cast the sunny out and work it in slowly like an artificial. they dont last too many casts before smacking the water kills them, but if you keep working it like a lure it doesnt matter

Im sorry, but Im gunna have to disagree here. Arificials are great, and thats what I fish 99% of the time. I love pitching jigs on MH action baitcasting rod with heavy braid. But if you are interested in catching any true lunker from LI waters, your best shot is with live bait. See LI waters are extremely pressured as you may already understand, and the largest fish holding in a specific body of water are extremeley "smart." They have been living in the body of water for quite a few years, and have seen just about every lure ever created 481324329 times and have probably been caught more than once. I garuntee you that big old bucketmouth is not going to hit your 5in. green pumkin senko on most days. If I really wanted to catch her, I'd drift a small perch on 8lb. flourocarbon with a "RED" hook. Not only that, but I'd be fishing for her during the wee hours.

 

[torirj]

bait for bass

I would prefer a berkley powerbait bass like to bite those