Live Bait Fishing?

[The Urban Fisherman]

Yeah that's right I'm asking it. I don't use live bait....ever. But when my 2.5 year old comes out on the water with me I'll be spending most of my time putting gulp waxies etc. on her outfit and taking off her panfish. And just generally trying to keep her interested.

 

BUT, I know there's big gators in the same area we'll be panfishing so I figure I can hang a big ole minnow off the side of the boat and stick my rod in a holder.

 

I know this sounds really strait forward but I figure some of you live bait guys out there might have some tricks or ideas when it comes to live bait fishing with big minnows for big gators.

 

Thanks,

UF

[Greencoachdog]

A live bait circle hook will hook the fish without setting the hook, the circle hook "sets" when the fish swims away from the rod. When you see the rod bowed, just start reeling!

 

And you don't have to worry about deep or gut hooked fish either, the circle hook will dig into the corner of the fishes mouth as he swims away 95% of the time.

 

These are my favorite Circle Hooks, and I prefer the 3/0 size.

Edited March 20, 2009 by GCD

[wallyboss]

I agree with GCD on the circle hooks. When I icefish at our crappy spot, I usually set up a tipdown on a weed edge for pikes and I use is a circle hook and one day I caught 12 pikes and they were all caught in the corner of the mouth and I never ran for my line knowing that it would set the hook by itself. I think that the circle hook is the best invention (for the fish) in a long time. No more deep hooks.

[BillM]

Funny thing is, circle hooks have been around a loooong time.

[family guy]

Believe it or not but dead bait can be the key to early season gators. 5-7" sucker minnows on quick strick rigs (2 smaller trebel hooks in series on a wire lead, scene them at CT). You can present it in a couple different ways, just cast it out and let it sit on bottom or suspend it just off bottom with a slip float or let it sit on bottom with a small slip float above it to us as a strike indicator, don't use any weight unless in deeper water and fish close to the enterance of the bays, deeper depresions in the bays or creek channels. This is a big fish technique so use equipment suitable for the larger fish in your area.

 

After spending a week in northern Manitoba fishing early season gators I manage to pick up some good experience, the small jacks would nail anything that moved around the edges of the bays, but we only picked up the big sows (40"+) when we started fishing dead bait on the bottom in the middle of the bays. We were shallow enough to see the large dark outlines move in on our baits, which could be scene very easily against the dark bottom, watch the bait disappear and the line start moving, our hearts would start pounding as we lifted up on the rod, becuase you new that all hell was about to break loss!

 

I hope this helps and have fun with the 2.5 year old, I have one 7 and one 4 and they are both hooked on fishing which makes it easier to get more time on the water, I also have a 2 year old that will get initiated into this addictive persuit this year.

[OhioFisherman]

I was never too concerned with numbers, nice to catch a lot of fish, have some action all day, but? I have had a lot of days catching 30-50 bass a day, 10-20 pike. Nice to catch a bigger fish than normal or average?

 

For me live bait was a way to thin the numbers, eliminate some of the smaller fish from the inbox. You can do it with large lures also, but it involves work, and sometimes it is nice just to be on or by the water and relax. Also a way to put my wife and kids that don`t cast well, not real interested in learning on a bigger fish for some excitement.

 

Also a way to learn, a lure might not get some fish that frequent an area, especially larger ones? It can give you an idea where to concentrate more time, the right time of day to target an area with lures. They might not grab a lure anytime but an easy natural looking meal?

 

Never had any serious issues with hooks, if you are paying a reasonable amount of attention they don`t usually swallow a hook, and if the fish is bigger you don`t have to wait for a hook set. 6-8 inch chubs are easily small enough for 19-22 inch bass, 3-6 pound walleye, just about any pike to take.

 

Strong hook for bigger fish bigger chubs and minnows, 3/0-5/0 never used circles because they weren`t around much. Never used gorge hooks, or any deal like that.

 

If the bottom is a flat I like fishing near an edge using a slip float, a point groove in the bottom like a creek or river channel leading to the flat can be a path for them. Same with a visable point leading to the flat, a deep edge they might travel around.

 

Deeper water a carolina style set up slip sinker swivel leader and hook can be used, keeps the bait near the bottom while you drift, slip bobber also works.

 

Jig instead of a slip bobber works also fuzzy grub, foxie grub, football jig with a grub and tipped wit a larger minnow, a swim jig, used trailer hooks on them for walleye on Lake Erie.

 

Mixed bag fishing, in waters with a mixed bag, cats walleye pike skis bass gar pike bow fin hooked or caught them all using big chubs-shiners. Some walleye on suckers and pike and skis on perch where it was legal.

 

Years ago my buddy got 5 pike in about 10 cast using a good sized perch threaded on a hook like a swim bait, none were very large and the perch was tore up and turning in circles on the retrieve, but we had fish the same area using lures and hadn`t got a hit.

 

A lot of different ways to do it. Rule of thumb for me is bigger bait heavier line, rod, and steel leader if fish with teeth are around.

[LeXXington]

I find with little kids, Live bait is the best cause they spend half the time playing with worms and minnows

 

It also feels like they are part of the fishing when you ask them to pass you a nice minnow

[richyb]

Those quick strike rigs with the 2 trebbles are illegl with live bait in Ontario. You can only have a max of 4 points when using live bait. A single and a trebble can be used. This season pike fishing i have ben having good luck with a small trebble just under the dorsal fin of a large minnow.

[family guy]

Those quick strike rigs with the 2 trebbles are illegl with live bait in Ontario. You can only have a max of 4 points when using live bait. A single and a trebble can be used. This season pike fishing i have ben having good luck with a small trebble just under the dorsal fin of a large minnow.

 

You are correct and the ones at CT have a large single hook up front and a treble trailing.

[The Urban Fisherman]

this is awesome guys - Thanks for the tips I'll be picking up some circle hooks and quick strike rigs from Bass Pro Shops while I'm there this weekend. I also picked up a minnow trap (I trapped them as a kid) and think Averie will have a blast going down to the creek to gather up our bait for the day.

 

Quick question, I'd rather just hang the line off the side of the boat so I don't have to worry about keeping an eye on a float as well as my daughter, and so on, but I'll likely be fishing in less than 8 fow (less than 4" of vis) will the fish be to spooky to hit right below the boat?

 

keep 'em comin'

 

cheers,

UF

Edited March 20, 2009 by The Urban Fisherman

[richyb]

In my experiances they would be spooked. I normaly drift and chuck spinnerbaits in shallower water and most of the fish i see are blasting off in a hurry when the boat is about to float over them.

[The Urban Fisherman]

In my experiances they would be spooked. I normaly drift and chuck spinnerbaits in shallower water and most of the fish i see are blasting off in a hurry when the boat is about to float over them.

 

Thanks dude - maybe I'll suck it up and try using a float....

 

if I wasn't fishing with my 2 year old I'd be heading for the back bays and tossing spinners/swimbaits/jerk baits/tubes etc. into 1 - 3 fow but she can't make the 15 minute run to those bays, (still to cold) nor would she be interested in watching me toss lures for very long! lol

 

Cheers,

UF

[OhioFisherman]

Debatable I guess, I have had bass hit a jig and grub I didn`t get far enough out of the water while using another rod. I also used to flip live minnows on a bobber in weed and lily pockets a few feet away from the boat and it wasn`t over 4 or 5 feet deep.

[richyb]

Dont get me wrong, i have had plenty of fish nail my baits at the side of the boat and even had a few pike run into the side of the boat. The differance is that these fish have been chasing a bait for a ways and im guessing they see the boat as a safe place for the bait so they try to nail it beore it dissapears. Just from my experiances every time i see a pike in shallow water that my boat is about to drift over they are gone like a rocket before the boat gets over them..

[Reelpro]

For Pike try River Shiners if you can get them. The larger the better. 8 - 10 " size.

 

They are Golden or Silver and big pike love em.

 

Try a quick strike rig on a big slip float. I use a saltwater version, that is popular for Redfish and Trout, when livebait rigging.

 

The float has a bead, brass clicker set up much like a carolina bass rig, hanging below the float. You cast out, let the bait fall to desired depth, let sit, then crank in with big pulls to a new spot. This pulls the bait up to the float, hitting clicker and causing a racket to get Gators attention.

 

Works well. Bait runner reels are handy as well.

 

GL MIKE

[Ramble]

Those quick strike rigs with the 2 trebbles are illegl with live bait in Ontario. You can only have a max of 4 points when using live bait. A single and a trebble can be used. This season pike fishing i have ben having good luck with a small trebble just under the dorsal fin of a large minnow.

 

This convo happened else where the other day. The Regs have changed. They redefined what a "hook" is.

 

Here is how it stands now.

 

Hook – A hook includes a single-pointed or multiple-pointed hook on

 

a common shaft but does not include a snagger or spring gaff. The

 

number of hooks includes any single-pointed or multiple-pointed

 

hooks that are part of a lure.

 

Hooks and Lines – An angler may use only one line, unless

 

otherwise stated in the regulations. Two lines may be used when

 

angling from a boat in parts of the Great Lakes (see Exceptions

 

to the General Regulations) and for ice fishing in many areas

 

(see Ice Fishing, page 11). A fishing line must not have more

 

than four hooks attached.

[Guest gbfisher]

Ramble on....yer just gonna confuse the crap out of everyone.....lol What you quoted was correct though!

Any lure with two trebles with added bait becomes 6 points. Any lure or bait rig with bait added makes each point a hook.

The ole Williams ice jig is perfect for this situation. 3 hooks with no bait. 7 hooks with bait added OR if you add another treble hook(pearl treble) again it modifies the lure. So you have 10 hooks or 10 points because of the modification...lol...How's that for confusing ...lol