Sensitive subject 2024

jerkw8nonajerk01 reply :

Today I had a somewhat heated discussion with a fishing buddy during a trip...now..I am not opposed fishing live bait sometimes..I have a 9 yr old and he'd much rather let a minnow do the work...understanable. being the competitive natured person I am I took offense to his smug attitude about catching bigger fish on minnows...me on the other hand struggled to find a bait that consistently caught fish. I tried to explain that part of the experience is to learn the pattern of the condition and exploit it. this to me is where I find enjoyment. Does anyone share my feelings or should I just throw a bobber and minna and shut up?? lol

ksboy reply :

I'm with you!!

Dan: reply :

do a search for a thread called "is live bait cheating" or something like that. It wasn't too long ago and it was several pages long.

Carrington reply :

for freshwater i would rather use artificial lures, but in saltwater i use live bait almost all the time.

rookiesmallmouther reply :

i told a friend in a argument about having our own contest. whose the best fishermen

he said alright who can catch the most wins

i said "hey i can sit and catch literally 50 LMB tomorrow or i can catch one Giant to prove I'm the better angler"

he simply shrugged and called off the bet

same can be said about live bait

i said to my noob fishermen uncle "i can catch bottom feeders all day or i can catch real game fish"

i said to my live bait using friends "i can let the live bait do the fishing for me or i can have a challenge using LURES"

when I'm having fun with friends socializing i will tie a drift rig hook a worm or minnow and just sit relax and stuff and stuff chat

when I'm fishing for the game fish i use strictly lures because i want the knowledge i possess to work the lure and entice the fish to bite... otherwise it wouldn't be a challenge

teach your son how to work lures and what it really means to fish maybe he might like it. show him what it means to catch a honest fish

teach him live bait rigs teach him all the fishing factors!

but maybe shut up as well because he still young i didnt learn about the factors and conditions to fishing and how to work lures until i was 13 and it was all self taught from YOUTUBE!

Daniel My Brother reply :

To each his own.

8-)

5bass reply :

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To each his own.
8-)

Thats it.

basspro215 reply :

i agree with you i cant stand sitting there watching the tip of my pole wen i can feel the slam my line its much more fun

RippinLips86 reply :

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Today I had a somewhat heated discussion with a fishing buddy during a trip...now..I am not opposed fishing live bait sometimes..I have a 9 yr old and he'd much rather let a minnow do the work...understanable. being the competitive natured person I am I took offense to his smug attitude about catching bigger fish on minnows...me on the other hand struggled to find a bait that consistently caught fish. I tried to explain that part of the experience is to learn the pattern of the condition and exploit it. this to me is where I find enjoyment. Does anyone share my feelings or should I just throw a bobber and minna and shut up?? lol

i have found this worm works in Virginia and here in SoCal to consistently catch fish year round. just a side note.

Grey Wolf reply :

Why take it personal , every one is allowed to use what they want as long as it's legal.

newriverfisherman1953 reply :

Bass Brat has it right.....you use what you want to use, let other folks use what they want to use. As long as it's legal, both groups can have fun fishing and not argue about it.

Matt Fly reply :

I seem to remember the first two BR road trips to Lake Fork, both times, I slipped off and bought a couple pounds of minnows.

Seems like after most had finished supper, we ended up on the big dock soaking some minnows for some crappie and whatever else decided to play.

We had great time, and every one there was big time basser.

I'm sorry, you put 10-20 guys on a forty foot dock casting and then you get another thread,

How I hooked my buddy in the ear while casting in close quarters. lol

When I was a little kid, I learned my trade by drowning worms and minnows, got start somewhere.

Its amazing, guys travelled along ways to fish one of the US is best bass lakes, and guess what shows up to the dock party at night?

Some of the parents busted out the kids snoopy poles and I don't remember any kids on the trip, yet the snoopy poles made the trip and soaked a shiner or two.

Its all good.

Quinte bass reply :

One method requires, thought, consideration and a modicum of water craft. The other much less so...

Whatever floats your boat...enjoy!

D4u2s0t reply :

I would never knock someone for using live bait, that's their choice. I only use live bait for panfish and trout, I never use it for bass or other species (except through the ice) But if someone wants to use live bait, that's their choice, just like it's my choice to use artificials. Everyone is at a different level of knowledge, and everyone wants to catch fish, especially when they're just starting out. When I take out people that haven't been on the water too many times, I pick up a pack of night crawlers. Why? It's easier to catch fish. I'm ok sitting on the water all day and not getting a bite. My 15 year old brother, or nephews, are not. We went out 2 weekends ago, and caught about 70 panfish in maybe 2 hours... this past weekend, we got about 30-40. Better believe my brother had fun! We were getting big perch, they were pulling drag on the ultra lights. Thats alot of fun for someone just starting out. If my brother keeps coming out, eventually he'll want the challenge of using artificials. But, until he gets to that point, I see nothing wrong with him going out and catching a ton of fish on worms, which makes the whole experience fun.

I think most people will naturally progress away from live bait as their experience builds, but if they don't, that's their choice. I think it's similar to how most people starting out are more concerned with #'s as opposed to size. I don't want to catch 100 10" dinks... no thanks. I'd gladly catch one quality fish a week and not have a single bite the rest of the time. My brother (keeping the example) doesn't really know the difference in sizes yet, especially with panfish. I caught a HUGE perch the other day, looked like a small bass. Biggest i've ever seen. I was real excited about it, always great to catch a pb regardless of species. But, to someone who doesn't now about perch, they'd look and think it was a small fish. So, it all comes in time. But ultimately what, how, when or where someone decides to try to catch fish is up to them, as long as they're within their legal right to do so.

zero limit reply :

How about jigin a minnow under a slip float? your still working the bait.

For prech,trout and crappie i always have better luck w/live bait

tyrius. reply :

Great, another "My way is better than your's" thread.

Just go out and fish how you want to fish and be done with it.

Drewhop reply :

Just depends on my mood. Most of the time I use artificial. If I am feeling lazy and want to relax and let me son do some fishing as well. I will get bait and enjoy a nice calm sit down.

D4u2s0t reply :

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Great, another "My way is better than your's" thread.
:

Just go out and fish how you want to fish and be done with it.

you're the only person that said anything like that. if you want to keep that stuff out of the thread, don't bring it up. 8-)

chromedog reply :

My buddies and I have talked about this many times. My brother and I cut our teeth with Zebco 33's with worms and minnows. My dad, to this day, rarely throws any kind of lure other than maybe a Mister twister tail, lol. Now as I got older and smarter (I like to think at least) the excitement of choosing the right lure, the right location and the right presentation is unparalleled.....to me. When I take the kids, if they want a lure, I give them something that they can keep reeling, but mostly I set them up with live bait and bobbers. When I am out with my brother and father, or buddies, I use nothing but artificial, they use a mixture of live and artificial. I like the challenge and satisfaction that comes with "getting it right". But which one is better? Well, that is up to each person, fishing is supposed to be fun and relaxing (lol, for the most part) and whatever gets you there, have at it. On a side note, we have bets all the time when there are three of us on the boat about who will get the most weight for the day, and between me and my artificial only, my one buddy who is all live and my other buddy who will use both.....I usually win, hehehehe).

tyrius. reply :

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you're the only person that said anything like that. if you want to keep that stuff out of the thread, don't bring it up. 8-)

really?

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being the competitive natured person I am I took offense to his smug attitude about catching bigger fish on minnows.

D4u2s0t reply :

Quote

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you're the only person that said anything like that. if you want to keep that stuff out of the thread, don't bring it up. 8-)

really?

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being the competitive natured person I am I took offense to his smug attitude about catching bigger fish on minnows.

Forget to read the rest?? Nobody in this thread said you're wrong to use one over the other, so let's keep that out and actually have a civilized discussion about it.

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Does anyone share my feelings or should I just throw a bobber and minna and shut up??

tyrius. reply :

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so let's keep that out and actually have a civilized discussion about it.

Good luck with that.

Fishing Rhino reply :

Baitcasters vs. spinners. Fiberglass vs. aluminum. Live vs. artificial. Mercury vs. Johnson vs. Yamaha, etc.

Fish what you like, the way you like, and when you like. As long as it's legal, no problems mate.

Insecurity is a terrible thing.

I've never understood why so many feel so threatened by those who are different or do things differently, and seek comfort by criticizing what others do.

D4u2s0t reply :

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Quote
so let's keep that out and actually have a civilized discussion about it.

Good luck with that.

If you want to argue, take it to pm. problem solved. everyone else is talking like big boys so far.

D4u2s0t reply :

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Baitcasters vs. spinners. Fiberglass vs. aluminum. Live vs. artificial. Mercury vs. Johnson vs. Yamaha, etc.
Fish what you like, the way you like, and when you like. As long as it's legal, no problems mate.

Insecurity is a terrible thing.

I've never understood why so many feel so threatened by those who are different or do things differently, and seek comfort by criticizing what others do.

x2. too many people get caught up in what others are doing, and forget to just enjoy the experience.

fishinghusker reply :

when isn't it fun to have a good time with friends, or family, and throw in a worm or minnow or heck even a hot dog and try and catch some fish on a nice day? i love throwing artificials..but some days it's just FUN to use a bobber, and sit back, relax, and let something elsedo the work for you..maybe have an adult beverage ;D

Sam reply :

This is what I do:

Live Baits - For kids and adults who do not know how to fish.

Artificial Baits - Me and others who know how to fish.

Works all the time, especially when you realize that kids have the attention span of an ant and adults get frustrated and bored if they are not catching anything, no matter what the species.

tyrius. reply :

Quote

Quote
Baitcasters vs. spinners. Fiberglass vs. aluminum. Live vs. artificial. Mercury vs. Johnson vs. Yamaha, etc.
Fish what you like, the way you like, and when you like. As long as it's legal, no problems mate.

Insecurity is a terrible thing.

I've never understood why so many feel so threatened by those who are different or do things differently, and seek comfort by criticizing what others do.

x2. too many people get caught up in what others are doing, and forget to just enjoy the experience.

Exactly the point of my original post. Fish how you want to fish and don't worry about anyone else.

Seems like you agree with me then.

D4u2s0t reply :

Quote

Quote

Quote
Baitcasters vs. spinners. Fiberglass vs. aluminum. Live vs. artificial. Mercury vs. Johnson vs. Yamaha, etc.
Fish what you like, the way you like, and when you like. As long as it's legal, no problems mate.

Insecurity is a terrible thing.

I've never understood why so many feel so threatened by those who are different or do things differently, and seek comfort by criticizing what others do.

x2. too many people get caught up in what others are doing, and forget to just enjoy the experience.

Exactly the point of my original post. Fish how you want to fish and don't worry about anyone else.

Seems like you agree with me then.

I wasn't dis-agreeing with that part of the post at all, i agree 100%.

pitchNbass reply :

I don't have a problem with guys using live bait. Whatever makes you enjoy the experience is what counts. Some people feel it's more relaxing to sit watch their pole with some live bait on the other end, maybe with a cold one in their hand. But please don't let yourself get into an argument with your friend over it. More than likely your friend won't stand up and say he's a better fisherman than you when he caught more fish on the day using live bait. I've never seen it. He's just using what will let him catch and enjoy fishing for him. There shouldn't be a debate. You can disagree with it, but frankly it shouldn't be discussed. Let those who want to use live bait do so. I've fallen in love with the art form of catching bass on artificial. It is more difficult and I get so much more enjoyment from it. But lets not hate on live bait fisherman. In all honesty, I don't see many live bait fisherman on these sort of websites anyway, because they really don't have the passion for the sport. The most passionate fisherman I've met are all artificial bait fisherman. I know some trophy fish with live bait, but I personally wouldn't want a trophy on my wall that was caught on anything that wasn't my own doing in tricking the fish to bite it.

Blue Streak reply :

Do your own thing, who cares what other people think.

Raul reply :

Sensitive why ?

Like in all sports ruled by an almost infinite number of variables there 's no guarantee with what will work best on a given time, so why it should be a sensitive subject ? I do not fish with live bait, not because of some sort of " lacking in glamour " sort of point of view, I know that live or artificial you first have to find the fish and then make the fish bite. I don 't fish with live baits for these practical reasons:

1.- In my neck of the woods there are no bait shops

2.- I 'm too lazy to "cultivate" bait

3.- No way I 'm going to dig my beautiful hard worked lawn and flowerbeds in search of worms

4.- I ain 't gonna run after roaches nor crickets to use them as bait

5.- Live in a warm climate like mine and your "live" bait quickly becomes purty darn fast stone cold dead bait. For the similar reason I gave up pork trailers.

6.- I 'm in no mood to baby sit live bait to keep it alive

7.- Shure, some will say, "you don 't need to purchase it", "you don 't need to cultivate it", "you don 't need to chase it", "you can catch it", hell, if I 'm gonna catch bait I better fish for it, it 's more fun than using it to fish for it, anybody here has tried to catch shiners with a rod and reel ? challenging and fun.

So that brings up to another point, I 'm in the: " I don 't care how many or how big, all I care about is being there having fun" frequency, it 's been ages since I last cared how many or how big. All I know is that I 'm there from dawn to dusk doing .... nuthin other than fishing ( notice I didn 't say catching ).

Lund Explorer reply :

Boy, there just aint nothing better than worm dirt under your fingernails while I'm filleting a bunch of big ol'bass for dinner.

Now where's those Senko Threads?

Raul reply :

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Boy, there just aint nothing better than worm dirt under your fingernails while I'm filleting a bunch of big ol'bass for dinner.
Now where's those Senko Threads?

Yeah, ole mr/mrs bass meet mr frying pan and mrs butter.

Don 't see a problem in that either.

Fishing Rhino reply :

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Sensitive why ?
Like in all sports ruled by an almost infinite number of variables there 's no guarantee with what will work best on a given time, so why it should be a sensitive subject ? I do not fish with live bait, not because of some sort of " lacking in glamour " sort of point of view, I know that live or artificial you first have to find the fish and then make the fish bite. I don 't fish with live baits for these practical reasons:

1.- In my neck of the woods there are no bait shops

2.- I 'm too lazy to "cultivate" bait

3.- No way I 'm going to dig my beautiful hard worked lawn and flowerbeds in search of worms

4.- I ain 't gonna run after roaches nor crickets to use them as bait

5.- Live in a warm climate like mine and your "live" bait quickly becomes purty darn fast stone cold dead bait. For the similar reason I gave up pork trailers.

6.- I 'm in no mood to baby sit live bait to keep it alive

7.- Shure, some will say, "you don 't need to purchase it", "you don 't need to cultivate it", "you don 't need to chase it", "you can catch it", hell, if I 'm gonna catch bait I better fish for it, it 's more fun than using it to fish for it, anybody here has tried to catch shiners with a rod and reel ? challenging and fun.

So that brings up to another point, I 'm in the: " I don 't care how many or how big, all I care about is being there having fun" frequency, it 's been ages since I last cared how many or how big. All I know is that I 'm there from dawn to dusk doing .... nuthin other than fishing ( notice I didn 't say catching ).

I'm surprised that such a knowlegable person would even think about digging for worms.

The next time it rains, that evening get a flashlight, and a container. Unless you use some kind of "cide" chemicals on your lawn, you should be able to get all the fat, juicy nightcrawlers you want.

You'll develop a sight sense of spotting them in the periphery of the light before the bright spot hits them and sends them into a hasty retreat below the earth's surface.

And, you might even be treated to the sight of worms copulating. They join at several places along their bodies. At this stage, it is difficult for them to retreat even when hit with the brightest light.

This is not for the faint of heart, or weak of back. Walking around bent at a ninety degree angle from the waist can work up a mighty kink. Kink as in crick in your back, not as in kinky as the worms are carrying on.

Raul reply :

Tom, some things to think about:

1.- The back is not what it used to be, nor the knees

2.- We got scorpions down here

3.- We got fire ants too

I still don 't think I 'm going to "hunt" for worms in my garden, they are fine where they are. besides, the garden needs them.

Fishing Rhino reply :

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Tom, some things to think about:
1.- The back is not what it used to be, nor the knees

2.- We got scorpions down here

3.- We got fire ants too

I still don 't think I 'm going to "hunt" for worms in my garden, they are fine where they are. besides, the garden needs them.

I guess that would give me plenty to think about. The worst part for us was the mosquitoes.

And, as teenagers, our backs were pretty limber.

Anybody ever try scorpions for bait?

RoLo reply :

I've said this before, but I'll say it again,

the fisherman who believes that live bait fishing for largemouth bass

is easy and a form of cheating, has not done enough live-bait fishing.

Fishing natural bait is tons of fun, but it is not easy and requires a goodly measure of know-how.

During the pre-spawn period, I'll often take live golden shiners along in addition to artificial lures.

Nearly every year without fail, we catch more and larger bass on artificial lures.

I hasten to add that I'm speaking here only about largemouth bass,

because boating a trophy smallmouth bass, walleye or northern pike

is definitely easier with natural bait. In any case, provided it's within the law

there's absolutely no reason to feel guilty or sensitive about your chosen method of enjoying your day afield.

Roger

wvbucketmouth reply :

I will use bluegills for big flatheads every now and then, but thats about all the live bait I use.

If the price of lures keep going up, I may go back to nightcrawlers!!

brushhoggin reply :

people fish for different reasons. youre fishing for the excitement of a diligent hunt, he's fishing for fun. he'll understand when he gets older. it's not smug

Blue Streak reply :

Hey Raul, I used to have a cat that could catch night crawlers. Maybe you could go that way.

Alex77 reply :

Sure live bait works, and its great for kids. But just sitting there staring at a bobber is not much fun IMO.

Red Bear reply :

for me personally, i get just as much thrill catching a fish on live bait as i do on artificial bait. i love using both. ill sit there and toss artificials all day or i will sit back and throw on a night crawler and bottom fish. i get no more satisfaction from catching a fish on artificial than i do on live bait or vice versa. i know some people get caught up in it, but not me. i have no problem with someone who fishes only live bait or only artificial or uses both. what i dont get is why some people seem to get all high and mighty over the subject, and usually its the artificial only people who do act like that. im not knocking those people for their preference in baits, i just dont understand the need for someone to act like that over fishing tactics. to me its all about having fun and clearing my mind of all other things no matter what im fishing with

Glenn reply :

With the exception of nightcrawlers, they don't sell live bait in my neck of the woods. So it's kind of a treat to do it when we travel. It's a fun deviation from the "norm". However I prefer artificials over live bait simply because there's more activity for me to do.

But hey, if you want to fish live bait 24/7, knock yourself out! Makes no difference to me!

zach t reply :

LOL. If it bothers you to lose...then go win. Do what it takes. Otherwise, to each his own.

bassman31783 reply :

I've personally never used live bait while bass fishing but I have nothing against those who do. Here is a post from Fish Chris from another thread. I'm only posting this because if anybody knows the benefits of catching big bass on both artificial & live baits it would be Fish.

"As for "wanting to do it with artificials only".... I have kind of split feelings on this. One part of me would like to tell you, that being "open minded, to any, and all legal techniques, will give you the best chance at sticking a monster".

But on the other hand, at least your picking the "easier", less challenging way to catch a big bass LOL

Here's what I mean by that; I am the first to admit, I love fishing live bait, and I have done it a ton. I certainly have no qualms about it. Yet only 1/3 of my 89 double digit bass have come on live bait, and none of my 7 bass, of 15 lbs or more, have been on live bait. That kind of bums me out a little, as I'd love to catch a 15+ giant on a crawler, and my micro-light

Sure, I love live bait fishing, but a guy has to do, what a guy has to do, if he wants to catch giants. "

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For me it's all in the eye of the beholder. Although catching 50 fish in a day is fun I would much rather catch 5-10 healthy quality fish. Some will lean towards the 50 fish day & some will lean towards the 5-10 healthy quality fish day. Do what you like to do, become really good at it & don't worry what another person does to catch fish.

P.S. what's really funny is when someone catches a giant on live bait & all the Artificial bait guys sort of write it off. "Sure he caught a 13lbs bass but he caught it with a shiner, some fisherman he is." All the while wishing they had the bragging rights :'( :'( :'(

;D ;D ;D

D4u2s0t reply :

Like said, I fish both... but I regularly outfish people using live bait, while i'm using artificials. If people are getting outfished because someone used live bait, maybe they need to work on their presentation, instead of blaming the bait lol. Someone said it well in this thread, if you simply think using live bait is guaranteed to catch more fish, try it some more.

trevor reply :

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for freshwater i would rather use artificial lures, but in saltwater i use live bait almost all the time.

Exactly how I am.

fishinghusker reply :

For all of you who can't get live bait, work a cemetery, especially when you have to dig a grave in the rain, it's fun to go out with your friends just kick back and use worms that you got from a good hard day's work. Now, I used to fish mostly with live bait, and cranks, but I learned how to t-rig, and that is what really got me started, and I have shied away from live bait, but it is fun with my old man (who really isn't oldddd just 50), and it's good bonding time to go sit and hang out together. So, if I'm looking to go out and just have fun with dad, or friends, I tend to lean on live bait. While dad understands and appreciates the fact that I "hunt" for fish, my friends (and that special lady I love) just don't find much excitement in it. I can truly say, though I'm only 20, I love all sorts of fishing, live bait, artificials, for complements, and will never complain (unless I lose another husky jerk)!

farmpond1 reply :

About the only time I buy live bait is when I'm already at a boat dock/bait shop (which is rare). This is just a matter of convenience. I won't go out of my way to find a place-although I will wander around in the dark looking for nightcrawlers. I used to seine for minnows and crawdads. That was often more fun than the fishing trip itself.

For me it's more fun to trick the fish with fake bait. And besides, why would I spend a king's ransom on artificials and then turn around and use live bait. But to each their own.

jerkw8nonajerk01 reply :

So check it out....we go back out...bucket of minnas...I say man..gimme a minna...I have a whole new respect for it..I missed more fish than I ever have on an artificial and I'm not a treble bait fisherman.

worms and jigs so I know how to set the hook...lol...it was actually frustrating.....maybe I'll keep a little quieter about his live bait tactic..lol..thanks for the responses on the subject..I have a feeling regardless of what we are fishing it'll be a great season

BigEbass reply :

Cheating? No. Not for fun. In a tournament yes obviously. I don't use live bait personally, but I could care less either way - whatever brings one enjoyment.

Fish Chris reply :

RoLo's post was spot on !

Quote
I've said this before, but I'll say it again,
the fisherman who believes that live bait fishing for largemouth bass

is easy and a form of cheating, has not done enough live-bait fishing.

Fishing natural bait is tons of fun, but it is not easy and requires a goodly measure of know-how.

During the pre-spawn period, I'll often take live golden shiners along in addition to artificial lures.

Nearly every year without fail, we catch more and larger bass on artificial lures.

I hasten to add that I'm speaking here only about largemouth bass,

because boating a trophy smallmouth bass, walleye or northern pike

is definitely easier with natural bait. In any case, provided it's within the law

there's absolutely no reason to feel guilty or sensitive about your chosen method of enjoying your day afield.

Roger

And Bassman, thank you for finding, and quoting me in that post.

So, I've said it before, but I'll say it again, "I just love to catch big bass, and if using live bait made that easier, I'd do it even more. In reality though, that just has not been the case.

I've proven to myself again, and again, that the real monsters are typically easier to catch on artificials.

......which is why I always get a kick out of guys who talk {sometimes with their noses up in the air} about how they only use artificials Uhhh... Okay. So without even knowing it, what they are really saying to me is, they prefer to do it the easier way. Well, that's all fine. But if they only knew the truth....

Granted, all of that talk is pertaining to true monsters, of say, 15 lbs or more.

Sure, their are plenty of times when live bait will kick the heck out of artificials for numbers of small to medium sized fish.... but if I'm only catching small to medium sized fish, I don't feel like I'm proving anything to anyone, anyway. Besides all that, I'm probably the least competitive guy on the planet, in the first place.

The only guy I'm ever trying to outdo, is myself.

Peace,

Fish

PS, When I first saw the title of this post, I thought it might be about hemorrhoids or something ! ;D

shimmy reply :

I'd have to disagree with you Fish Chris. I have said it before, live bait (minnows) is a whole other dimension. Heavy pressured waters and cold weather can be lit up with minnows more so than artificials. When we talk about 15 plus pound bass, how many people are tossing minnows at spawning beds hittin the banks as much as the typical artificial angler? Minnows die too fast for that so most minnow fisherman don't do that cause- minnow dies quicker and they never have enough minnows so they park in one area. If i wanted some big bass and wanted it consistantly, i would buy a bunch of minnows and toss them everywhere. I just don't believe artificials are better than the real thing. When you have to try and search for explanations how minnow fishing is not as easy, that alone should indicate your stretchin it. Big bass eat live bait. That's what they do. They didn't get so big by eating crankbaits and stinkos! But, nevertheless, i don't minnow fish, not as much of a challenge and hold no grudge to anyone who enjoys it.

wisconsin heat reply :

i use livebait when im fishing for species i dont fish for alot/species im not familliar with, i mean, i am not a walleye fisherman so i am not gonna pretend that i know what im doing, id rather use some live bait and CATCH something than make a fool out of myself trying to use that fancy walleye junk.

Taylor Fishin 4 life reply :

Here is my opinion, If you want to fish live bait go for it, I do not have a problem with this at all but I prefer when fishing for bass to go artificial, its more fun and active and not as boring.

Fish Chris reply :

But shimmy, I'm not talking about my personal opinion on this one. I'm talking about what I have actually experienced. Believe me, I've thrown pretty much every kind of live bait... a LOT, especially crawlers, and dads.

And it's shown me two surprising things...

1) That making live bait work to it's maximum effectiveness, takes just as much skill, and knowledge, as making any artificial lure work to it's max effectiveness.

and 2) As much as I love fishing live bait, I seem to catch more and more of my biggest bass on artificials in spite of the fact that I still almost always have a box or two of crawlers with me... and not to brag, but I think I know how to work a crawler pretty darn well.

Ya' know, I've said before, that I've caught 2/3rds of my double digit bass on artificials, but even that doesn't tell the real story. That is taking into account that before I knew better I used to use live bait, about 98% of the time, and so it figures, that 8 of my first 10 DD bass were caught on (big surprise) live bait.

Nowadays however, I think my DD's caught on live bait are down to about 1 in 10.

Kind of sucks really. I just love fly-lining a crawler on the micro-light, then sticking, and playing a big ol' DD bass on that gear.

Of course it's not all bad sticking a DD bass on a big ol' broom stick, and ripping his but to the boat in 10 seconds either LOL

Anyway,

Peace,

Fish

slonezp reply :

Is a bass some sort of elitist fish that only needs to be fished for with artificial bait? People fish for every other species of fish with live bait. Why not bass? I only use artificial as it is my preference. I don't have the patience to sit and wait for a fish to bite. I am a hunter hunting for my prize. For me it's the whole thought process which is what makes the outing enjoyable. If I am fishing with my father (not a bass fisherman) who fishes strictly live bait unless he is trolling, I end up fishing live bait like it's artificial. Cast and reel, cast and reel.

I went out on a local river system today. My buddy , a walleye fisherman, was supposed to come with and we were going to fish live bait for walleye. All the reports said the walleye bite is ON. His wife wouldn't let him go. I spent about 15 min this morning debating. I would rather work for bass than sit and wait for the walleye and pannies to bite (and this is with 25mph north winds). Bass bite was tough only got 2 keepers in 6 hours of fishing and they were both caught at 7:00am. I challenged myself. That is the appeal of artificial bait.

That being said, to this day my largest bass was caught on a minnow ;D.

Lund Explorer reply :

This would probably be another good time to express a very heartfelt thank you to Glenn, Kerri, and all the mods for providing us with an open forum to discuss the subject matter we ALL enjoy.

Imagine how boring this place would be if the voices we heard from came from the same narrow mindset. I don't think it would be very much fun to only converse with fishermen that only fished from Lund Explorers, limited of course to boats that were green, with Mercury four stroke motors, and of course only used Lowrance electronics. I don't see any reason to ignore those poor misinformed fisherman that uses Shimano reels in favor of the Abu's I have. And just because I happen to like Power Worms doesn't diminish the guy (or gal for that matter) that wastes their time throwing senkos.... Gasp!

So thanks Guys & Gal, you've opened the door to this little world to all of us with only a few simple rules. No politics, no religion, and most importantly that we respect each other's viewpoints whether they mesh with ours or not. It is an incredible feat to bring together so many diverse personalities with such varied experiences and can still keep these threads so civil. Because regardless of what fishing knowledge a person could gather here, perhaps the best lesson we can all learn is that no person is somehow better than any other on these pages.

MattinOK reply :

Quote
This would probably be another good time to express a very heartfelt thank you to Glenn, Kerri, and all the mods for providing us with an open forum to discuss the subject matter we ALL enjoy.
Imagine how boring this place would be if the voices we heard from came from the same narrow mindset. I don't think it would be very much fun to only converse with fishermen that only fished from Lund Explorers, limited of course to boats that were green, with Mercury four stroke motors, and of course only used Lowrance electronics. I don't see any reason to ignore those poor misinformed fisherman that uses Shimano reels in favor of the Abu's I have. And just because I happen to like Power Worms doesn't diminish the guy (or gal for that matter) that wastes their time throwing senkos.... Gasp!

So thanks Guys & Gal, you've opened the door to this little world to all of us with only a few simple rules. No politics, no religion, and most importantly that we respect each other's viewpoints whether they mesh with ours or not. It is an incredible feat to bring together so many diverse personalities with such varied experiences and can still keep these threads so civil. Because regardless of what fishing knowledge a person could gather here, perhaps the best lesson we can all learn is that no person is somehow better than any other on these pages.

Which Moderator are you trying to brown nose?

shimmy reply :

ha, x2!

Lund Explorer reply :

Quote

Quote
This would probably be another good time to express a very heartfelt thank you to Glenn, Kerri, and all the mods for providing us with an open forum to discuss the subject matter we ALL enjoy.
Imagine how boring this place would be if the voices we heard from came from the same narrow mindset. I don't think it would be very much fun to only converse with fishermen that only fished from Lund Explorers, limited of course to boats that were green, with Mercury four stroke motors, and of course only used Lowrance electronics. I don't see any reason to ignore those poor misinformed fisherman that uses Shimano reels in favor of the Abu's I have. And just because I happen to like Power Worms doesn't diminish the guy (or gal for that matter) that wastes their time throwing senkos.... Gasp!

So thanks Guys & Gal, you've opened the door to this little world to all of us with only a few simple rules. No politics, no religion, and most importantly that we respect each other's viewpoints whether they mesh with ours or not. It is an incredible feat to bring together so many diverse personalities with such varied experiences and can still keep these threads so civil. Because regardless of what fishing knowledge a person could gather here, perhaps the best lesson we can all learn is that no person is somehow better than any other on these pages.

Which Moderator are you trying to brown nose?

I was trying to make the point that nobody on this forum is so much better than the rest of us, that they can move across the water without a boat.

Most elitists have a much higher opinion of only themselves and aside from their mothers, have a fan base of one!

bassman31783 reply :

HUH??? What does that have to do with live bait VS artificial. From what I can tell, nobody came across sounding as if they thought that they were better then anyone else. Everybody just has a preference. Besides that, there are those on here that ARE far superior fisherman then most, myself included. However this is just not THAT sensitive of a subject to begin with.

UGLY STIK reply :

I fish for enjoyment...not compition , so I mix it up. :-/

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