Budget Cutting Live Bait - Capture The Savings

by Ron Barefield

"It seems the cost of everything is going up, including live bait. The average angler spends over $150 a year on live bait. If you're a real hard core, you could be shelling out ten times that! The most expensive is usually baitfish, crawfish and specialty baits like suckers, pinfish, or other exotics that local fish species prefer. They don't come cheap. It may be time to check into collecting your own live bait. It's easy, it's fun and it does save you money. There are several different methods to catch your own bait..."

Locating Bait

BAITFISH:
Baitfish are fairly predictable. In small creeks or streams look for animus of reduced current. Behind larger rocks, downed trees, or anywhere else the force of the current is blocked. In periods of low water and reduced flow, the deeper holes and shaded pockets hold bait. In saltwater areas pinfish and other favorite baits can be found around structure like weedy flats, rocks or even pilings. Any type of cover will draw bait fish.

CRAWFISH:
In shallow creeks or streams look for the deeper holes or pools with rocky bottoms. Also look for mud banks out of the main current area that display honeycomb like groups of small holes. These are crawfish dens and are generally a great place to load up quickly on bait.

Live Bait Traps
Cage style traps are an effective way to catch a variety of different baitfish including crawfish. The two most popular styles are the torpedo shaped and the rectangular box shaped. Torpedo shaped traps are normally preferred for areas with current because of their streamlined shape but work equally well in calm water. Rectangular traps generally provide more capacity and are used more often for sets in calm water or around structure.

Setting And Baiting Traps
Make sure you attach a hand line to your trap that is strong enough and long enough for the intended use. Traps should be solidly secured so they don't wash away. When current is present, always place trap with the bait entry point down current. Baitfish naturally swim up current and this puts the trap entry in their path. In calm waters place the trap where the entry points are accessible and away from obstructions. Most traps feature a two-piece design or a sliding door design, which allow for easy baiting and removal of your catch. The use of bait is very effective for a variety of baitfish. When using bait in current areas many anglers enclose the bait in cheesecloth and secure it to the inside of the trap so it does not quickly wash away. On larger course baits like fish carcasses this is not necessary. Some popular baits for minnows includes brand, crackers, cotton seed cake or dry dog food. For crawfish fish entrails, liver, chicken parts or even cut up hot dogs work.

Seine Nets
Another effective way to gather bait quickly is with a seine net. Seines are nothing more than a length of small mesh netting stretched between two poles. Floats are attached along the top edge of the netting to keep it floating so baitfish can't escape over the top of the net. The bottom edge of the net has evenly spaced weights to keep the net tight against the bottom so bait will not slip under the net. A single angler can effective seine a small creek or stream quickly. A seine net is worked upstream against the current. The seine is pushed ahead of the angler being held at a 45° angle keeping the weighted bottom edge of the net tight against the bottom. As bait is captured against the net, the net is worked to shore and then lifted in a scooping motion to trap the bait. For larger stretches of water or in small ponds or lakes a larger two-man seine size should be used. ALWAYS CHECK YOU LOCAL REGULATIONS TO DETERMINE LEGAL SEINE LENGTHS.

Umbrella Nets
When used properly an umbrella net is one of the easiest ways to trap bait. Used from an elevated position the umbrella net is lowered into the water and submerged below the surface to allow baitfish to swim over the top of the net, which is then lifted to trap the bait. Many anglers lower the net and scatter pieces of bread or cracker crumbs to draw the bait directly over the net. Then they are scooped up. Another popular way is to use an umbrella net at night under a light. The light draws in baitfish, which can then be scooped up in the net.

For crawfish the net can be lowered to the bottom with bait attached to the center of the net and allowed to lie on the bottom. Many anglers will also use a smaller rock placed in the center to allow the net to sink quickly. Crawfish are greedy and will usually stay with the bait as the net is lifted until it's too late to escape.

No matter winch method you choose to collect your bait always check your state and local fishing regulations for legal applications. Each state will have their own regulations governing the use of bait traps, seines and nets.

For more information on bait traps vist www.frabill.com/bait-care-management/bait-traps.html.
For more information on seine nets visit www.frabill.com/bait-care-management/seine-nets.html.