Anglers use many different types of fishing baits and lures. Fish live in a variety of habitats and waterways, so fish eat different foods.
Baits are any live or dead food item put on a hook. Lures are made of plastic, metal, wood or feathers and come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Some swivel and spin in the water and some just float.
Baits
Many types of baits are available to try when fishing, but worms are the most popular and work well with simple fishing rigs. Crickets, grasshoppers and caterpillars are other baits to try when getting started.
Stores and tackle shops also sell effective artificial baits, or anglers can make baits at home. Try these recipes to catch more fish!
- Fish Cereal – Mix cornflakes, water and powdered cheese until doughy. Roll balls and freeze over night.
- Fish S’Mores – Smear fire-cooked hotdog chunks with marshmallows and garlic.
- Dough Boy – Roll bread bits into balls, and add cinnamon or tuna juice.
Here are few more tasty treats fish love:
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- Little Smokies – This mini sausages are fish magnets.
- Rubber Chicken – Fish love sun-cured, garlic-soaked chicken liver.
- Sticky Situation – Chewed and rolled into a ball, teaberry gum catches fish.
- The Big Cheese – A cheesy alternative to live bait, cheese balls are irresistible.
- Worm Bath – Soaked in vanilla extract, these worms are appetizing.
Lures
Lure fishing is full of action. Fish attack these plastic, metal or wood objects as if they are live bait.
There are many different kinds of lures, but these are some of the most common:
- Surface Lures – Treble hooks with bodies made of wood or plastic. These lures imitate mice, frogs or injured fish when reeled across the water.
- Artificial Flies – Constructed of hooks, feathers and synthetic materials. Flies imitate small, aquatic or terrestrial animals and insects.
- Jigs – Weighted lead head hooks covered with minnows or plastic worms. Jigs are bobbed in a vertical motion to attract fish.
- Plugs – Lures that dive or dart back and forth in the water. Also known as crankbaits, plugs imitate minnows or deep-bodied prey and are fished on top of the water or deep down in the water.
- Spinners – Named after metal blades that spin when reeled in, spinners flash and vibrate to look like baitfish.
