Live Minnows Or Artificial Bait 2024
TWMstr reply :
What catches more bass?
AK-Jax86 reply :
Live minnows by far catch more bass
BUT
Artificial lures IMO give me a sense of accomplishment that's why I prefer fishing that way
Hyrule Bass reply :
really i think it varies. ive fished places where i tear them up with artificials but they wouldnt touch a live minnow. then ive fished places where it was vice versa.
but honestly, i dont care how i catch them, live bait or artificial, i just love to catch fish. i dont feel more accomplished one way or the other. the fish still has to want your bait and you still have to set the hook and fight it and land it. to me the accomplishment is catching a fish, not how i caught it...
MarkH024 reply :
I think I can catch more bass in less amount of time pitching into docks and cover, rather than sitting in the middle of the lake with a minnow on my line waiting. That's just me though.
Sitting in the middle of the lake with an artificial plastic on the end of my line waiting....I'd give minnows the win on that scenario.
KansasAngler reply :
Def artificial. More strategy involved so I feel more "accomplished"
Bankbeater reply :
It depends on what I am fishing for. I have better luck with minnows fishing for catfish, but I think in some of the lakes around here the bass hit artificial baits better.
BadContrakt reply :
Live bait? What's live bait? I thought we were talking about bass fishing here?
Wait... Now I'm confused. Live bait? Live bait... Live bait!? Texas Rig man! Carolina Rig man! What's live bait got to do with Bass fishing? 
TWMstr reply :
Shiners or Minnows are live bait. Can catch monster bass on them. Just depends on what the bass want. Sometimes when you can't catch a single bass, you can slaughter bass all day long on a medium to large minnow. But when it comes to feeling accomplished, artificial is the way to go. Minnows are almost cheating. Went to a tournament 2 years ago and caught 21.3 lbs ( 5 fish ) in one period on minnows. you never know. haha
On 7/19/2013 at 12:35 AM, BadContrakt said:Live bait? What's live bait? I thought we were talking about bass fishing here?
Wait... Now I'm confused. Live bait? Live bait... Live bait!? Texas Rig man! Carolina Rig man! What's live bait got to do with Bass fishing?
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 7/18/2013 at 8:41 AM, TWMstr said:What catches more bass?
A live crawfish 
flyfisher reply :
live bait is more consistent but to be an accomplished love bait fisherman isn't nearly the toss out a minnow in the middle of the lake as has been mentioned.
There is plenty of strategy and rigging an technique involved but most bass fishermen become snobs and act like live bait is cheating....I would bet 95+% of people on this forum started fishing with live bait for panfish.
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 7/19/2013 at 3:44 AM, flyfisher said:live bait is more consistent but to be an accomplished love bait fisherman isn't nearly the toss out a minnow in the middle of the lake as has been mentioned.
There is plenty of strategy and rigging an technique involved but most bass fishermen become snobs and act like live bait is cheating....I would bet 95+% of people on this forum started fishing with live bait for panfish.
Learned this the hard way when I started trying to catch walleye. During the winter I use a jighead or a jigging spoon tipped with a piece of night crawler. If the bait isn't within 6-12" of the fish they won't hit it. Live lining minnows or trolling a crawler harness is also a good example. If the speed is too fast or too slow, the fish will ignore your offerings. Bass fishing with live bait is the same thing. Finding the fish is the most important thing, and presentation and accuracy are at a close second.
With that said I have been outfished pretty hard by anglers using live minnows for smallies while I'm tossing similar looking artificials. But they knew where to place the bait, and had the casting accuracy to get it there as well as the right rigging to keep it in the strike zone.
RoachDad reply :
On 7/18/2013 at 8:41 AM, TWMstr said:What catches more bass?
There is a reason live bait is not allowed in tournaments! If your not catching dinner, live bait is cheating. ANyone can catch fish like that.
Fish Murderer 71 reply :
I fish for crappie and catfish with live bait, and catch a few bass(black), but I fish for black bass with artificial only... It's just my thing, I believe, to each his own, and as long as your having fun and your live well is full then keep on doing what you have been.
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 7/19/2013 at 4:38 AM, Fish Murderer 71 said:I fish for crappie and catfish with live bait, and catch a few bass(black), but I fish for black bass with artificial only... It's just my thing, I believe, to each his own, and as long as your having fun and your live well is full then keep on doing what you have been.
Your screen name kills me (no pun intended ) Welcome to the site.
flyfisher reply :
On 7/19/2013 at 4:14 AM, RoachDad said:There is a reason live bait is not allowed in tournaments! If your not catching dinner, live bait is cheating. ANyone can catch fish like that.
Not true at all....so by your schewed rationale all the record hooks should be wiped clean of those who used live bait?
RoachDad reply :
On 7/19/2013 at 4:51 AM, flyfisher said:Not true at all....so by your schewed rationale all the record hooks should be wiped clean of those who used live bait?
MMMM Flyfisher, please go to the top of the page. "What catches more bass." Not what sets all the records. And without doing any research I bet most records are held by live bait. But that is not the question.
WHat does nearly every old grandma and nearly every youngster starting fishing use for a lure? Worms, or crickets. Why?
Why do you think that live bait is not allowed in tournaments?
flyfisher reply :
But not for bass....catching big bass on live bait isn't super easy as people claim. Yeah you can catch smaller bass but to truly understand live bait fishing is not an overnight deal.
And most kids start out fishing for panfish which is easier to catch with live bait.
I would imagine that the tournaments choose not to use live bait because there is a greater chance of injury to the fish.
RoachDad reply :
On 7/18/2013 at 9:53 PM, MarkH024 said:I think I can catch more bass in less amount of time pitching into docks and cover, rather than sitting in the middle of the lake with a minnow on my line waiting. That's just me though.
Sitting in the middle of the lake with an artificial plastic on the end of my line waiting....I'd give minnows the win on that scenario.
You know you can pitch minnows under docks also, right?
Bassguytom reply :
I don't use live bait to fish for bass but have no problem with those who do. I like to hunt around and use my electronics and try to find a pattern to catch. It just is more fun for me.
MarkH024 reply :
On 7/19/2013 at 7:38 AM, RoachDad said:You know you can pitch minnows under docks also, right?
I'll take the accuracy and control of pitching a jig, t-rig, or fluke bait that I can land 10 or more fish with versus using a live minnow that will survive only 1 bass. You simply can't cast a live minnow into some of the same places an artificial will go. I never said anything was wrong with using live bait, but that I think i could bag more fish in a shorter period of time with artificial.
You'll be more successful on the water as a bass fisherman if you know where to find fish as opposed to the fish finding you.
38 Super Fan reply :
I've almost always found live bait to be superior in cold water, it's hard to snob away from it if you like fishing in the Winter IMO. Outside of that, I don't use it much though, I'd rather fish artificial.
TWMstr reply :
Again guys, I made this post to see who would rather use live bait vs artificial to catch bass. My opinion? Catching bass on artificial to feel accomplished is the way to go, but when your out on a pond/lake with your wife and kids and I'm catching and their not, in order to have a semi-decent day, sometimes breaking out the minnows isn't such a bad idea. I appreciate a lot of the opinions posted on this topic and hope the greatest of luck on you all fishing this summer.
RoachDad reply :
On 7/19/2013 at 9:57 PM, MarkH024 said:I'll take the accuracy and control of pitching a jig, t-rig, or fluke bait that I can land 10 or more fish with versus using a live minnow that will survive only 1 bass. You simply can't cast a live minnow into some of the same places an artificial will go. I never said anything was wrong with using live bait, but that I think i could bag more fish in a shorter period of time with artificial.
You'll be more successful on the water as a bass fisherman if you know where to find fish as opposed to the fish finding you.
I think you woudl lose that bet almost every time.
You buy minnows by the bucket because you do only get one per fish but that was not the question.
Your last point is true, of course, but if you find fish it will be easier to catch them with live bait. I can't imagine anyone even arguing about it.
I only fish artificial. I'd bet almost everyone on here only fishes artificial. But you will hear many say that they do it to make it more "sporting". In other words, it is just too easy to catch them with live bait.
Isn't nearly every lures goal to imitate live bait? Pick up just about any lure other than a SB or Buzz bait and somewhere on the package they try to compare themselves to live bait.
I think I understand all your points and I agree with your sentiments. But the question is which way catches more fish. I don't think there is really a doubt as the correct answer.
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 7/20/2013 at 12:35 AM, RoachDad said:Your last point is true, of course, but if you find fish it will be easier to catch them with live bait. I can't imagine anyone even arguing about it.
This isn't necessarily true. If the bass are feeding on bluegills, then you might possibly fair better using a bluegill patterned lure than you would throwing out a live shiner, crawler, etc. Bluegills are considered game fish in my neck of the woods, and using them for bait is not lawful. Same would apply if the bass are feeding on crappie, certain species of darter or killifish, crawfish and many other protected species of preferred forage. There is also a moratorium on harvesting most species of shad along the entire east coast, but bass feed heavily on them. All of these prey can be imitated with lures.
RoachDad reply :
On 7/20/2013 at 12:47 AM, Snakehead Whisperer said:This isn't necessarily true.
Come on Snakehead, when you put Necessarily in front of any argument, you are admitting that I am right 99% of the time. Yes, I suppose there may be some rare circumstance at some particular moment in time when what you say is true. But I say if they are feeding on Blugill and I drop a live minnow and you drop whatever you want, I am still going to catch a fish before you do. Almost every time.
Your stretching.
Come on snakehead. you know that I am right in nearly ever situation. Right? Come on, you can admit it. if you and I were net to each other for a million dollars, you woudl drop a night crawler in a heartbeat, right?
Hyrule Bass reply :
On 7/20/2013 at 6:23 AM, RoachDad said:Come on Snakehead, when you put Necessarily in front of any argument, you are admitting that I am right 99% of the time. Yes, I suppose there may be some rare circumstance at some particular moment in time when what you say is true. But I say if they are feeding on Blugill and I drop a live minnow and you drop whatever you want, I am still going to catch a fish before you do. Almost every time.
Your stretching.
Come on snakehead. you know that I am right in nearly ever situation. Right? Come on, you can admit it. if you and I were net to each other for a million dollars, you woudl drop a night crawler in a heartbeat, right?
its just not true. i fish a pond that the fish totally prefer artificials. they would not touch a minnow, and ive seen them swim up to a nightcrawler, look at it and swim off. but when i throw a weightless plastic out there, they crush it. white spinner bait, they crush it. and various other lures. and ive outfished a guy there using live bait vs me using rage tail plastics. he caught one bass to my 11 in an hours time. i even caught more bass then he caught bluegill using nightcrawlers...
also, ive seen a bass at Smith Mountain Lake, had been seeing this same bass for 3 years before i finally caught it. i know it was the same bass because it was on the same pattern. it had 3 stops it made on a "route" it would follow all day long almost. i could walk down there and see this bass in one of the 3 spots an any given time. ive tossed minnows out in front of it, i tossed nightcrawlers right in its face and it would ignore them completely, act like it was offended and swim to one of the other two spots it sat it. i finally got it last year on a weightless t-rigged baby rage craw in summer craw color. i spent a little over 2 years throwing live bait at this bass because i thought it would be easier, only to catch it on artificial when i finally tried it...
you can put down live bait all you want, but it isnt always easier. at the same time youre forgetting artificial baits cover a lot more water than live bait fishing.
but really, if you only fish artificial baits, then you have no basis for comparison.
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 7/20/2013 at 6:23 AM, RoachDad said:Come on Snakehead, when you put Necessarily in front of any argument, you are admitting that I am right 99% of the time. Yes, I suppose there may be some rare circumstance at some particular moment in time when what you say is true. But I say if they are feeding on Blugill and I drop a live minnow and you drop whatever you want, I am still going to catch a fish before you do. Almost every time.
Your stretching.
Come on snakehead. you know that I am right in nearly ever situation. Right? Come on, you can admit it. if you and I were net to each other for a million dollars, you woudl drop a night crawler in a heartbeat, right?
Really what I am trying to say is that it's what I know to be true (mileage may vary for you or others.) If your experience leads you to a different perspective, then so be it. I'm just happy that you're enjoying the environment and the sport as I do.
There are several instances when bass feed on a particular forage base and will not eat much else. Crawfish for instance. Sure during this time a live craw will most likely outfish a jig-n-pig or soft plastic in the same color; but the jig-n-pig in similar coloration to a natural craw will likely outfish a live shiner or a crawler in the same waters if presented well. In the waters I fish it is not legal to use a live crawfish as bait, so even if I wanted to use live bait I still must simulate it with artificials to get that crawfish strike.
I simply do not believe that live bait will outshine artificial if the person fishing just uses any old live bait. If one is calculating and knowledgeable of what the bass are eating then throws a live specimen of it in the bass' face, then sure it will catch more fish. But to assume that a bass will eat any old minnow or worm on any given day is just not true. How many times have you seen bass swimming within a few inches of baby bluegills or other minnows completely ignoring their presence? I've seen it more times than I can begin to remember.
shimmy reply :
On 7/20/2013 at 8:13 AM, Red Earth said:its just not true. i fish a pond that the fish totally prefer artificials. they would not touch a minnow, and ive seen them swim up to a nightcrawler, look at it and swim off. but when i throw a weightless plastic out there, they crush it. white spinner bait, they crush it. and various other lures. and ive outfished a guy there using live bait vs me using rage tail plastics. he caught one bass to my 11 in an hours time. i even caught more bass then he caught bluegill using nightcrawlers...
also, ive seen a bass at Smith Mountain Lake, had been seeing this same bass for 3 years before i finally caught it. i know it was the same bass because it was on the same pattern. it had 3 stops it made on a "route" it would follow all day long almost. i could walk down there and see this bass in one of the 3 spots an any given time. ive tossed minnows out in front of it, i tossed nightcrawlers right in its face and it would ignore them completely, act like it was offended and swim to one of the other two spots it sat it. i finally got it last year on a weightless t-rigged baby rage craw in summer craw color. i spent a little over 2 years throwing live bait at this bass because i thought it would be easier, only to catch it on artificial when i finally tried it...
you can put down live bait all you want, but it isnt always easier. at the same time youre forgetting artificial baits cover a lot more water than live bait fishing.
but really, if you only fish artificial baits, then you have no basis for comparison.
Yeh, just reading this you can tell that the mere fact that people are trying to force an argument about how artificials are just as good if not better than live bait is mind boggling. Fish are as big as they are because...they are eating live bait. That is what they eat. That is what they are looking for. That is what their instincts tell them to eat. That is what their little pea brains are programmed to do. Yes you can switch the ACTION of live bait. Make it very fast, very slow, eratic, tail hook em, side fin hook them, or just put on a big blue gill and catch a world record. I have just seen it personally too many times where live bait has caught the biggest fish i know of in a particular lake. I understand it that it may seem like in some instances that artificials may out produce live bait but you have to consider that a seasoned angler would tailor his live bait fishing to that which the fish want in a way that would catch just as much if not more than someone fishing artificials. The thing is, how often do you see an elite type fisherman apply the same theory of artificials with livebait? Very rare. I know a few on this forum that do so. It just seems like the artificial standpoint is too strained and that alone should tell you that you are probably just trying to make an argument for it, not necessarily being combative, but kinda reminds me of an old high school debate class we had to take. Live bait, that is what fish eat; are we really having a discussion that anything other than their 100% diet will catch more of them? I feel like i am taking crazy pills.
MichiganFishing1997 reply :
I think there's places for both techniques in the great worl of fishing. Peeaonally I get more satisfaction out of using artificial baits. And even more satisfaction when I made it myself!
Jolly Green reply :
Fishing is fun. Fishing with artificials is fun for me; fishing with live bait is boring to me. Fishing with artificials is boring to my kids; fishing with live bait is fun for my kids. Fishing is fun.
SirSnookalot reply :
Live bait or artificial is a personal choice, my observation and own experience lead me to believe live bait catches bigger fish. Sometimes it's more time consuming and difficult to catch bait than it is to toss a lure and score, being a bait fisherman can have it's challenges too. I probably have not used live bait for bass in about 50 years and don't care to. Fishing for snook nearly everyday of the year I may use live bait 4 or 5 times a year, haven't done it yet this year. I do it for "sociable fishing" just hanging on the jettie and shooting the bull my buds, my serious fishing is casting, I do find it more fun and rewarding.
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