As important as gear, location, and technique is, the bait is what catches fish. As controversial as this subject is, what we suggest and use is tried and true for the best results. Remember we fish the banks and therefore different bait may be used on a boat due to the current and shifting position you may experience. We have found that artificial baits do not work. Lures, plastic, jigs, and the like run a chance of getting snagged and being forever lost in the powerful current. The same is true of the stink baits. The strong current has a tendency of slowly pulling the bait off of the hooks or plastic worm. The best we have found is either live or freshly dead bait. They are described in more detail below. Unfortunately, not all live bait is great either. Like in most cases, try to get bait native to the area. We have tried goldfish, cricket, crawdads, salmon eggs, and even corn, but to no avail. Again, these baits we have tried and they did not work, but they may work on another part of the river. Just remember to keep it local and as alive as possible.
WORMS
Worms of course are the most popular kind of bait. They work wonderfully in the muddy river. There are many different kind of worms though. Leaf worms are thin little red guys and you may need to put multiple worms to fill you’re hook. These worms will have to be harvested manually. A few members of the our party work at cemeteries and they bring these worms from there. They work marvelous. Another kind of worm, and probably the most popular, are the canadian nightcrawlers. Large fat dark worms, you will need only one on you’re hook. I personally think they work the best, and they are easily found in sporting goods stores and Wal-Mart. I have also seen them for sale in quantities of 500 from Cabellas and Bass Pro... Skewer these bad boys through the middle (butt to head), so they are not eaten off easily. We have yet to try meal worms to my knowledge, but I plan on experimenting with them in the near future. One of the best things about worms is their availability and storability. I have seen worm farms for sale and I am very tempted on purchasing one. With these containers any worms you have left can be saved and reused, and they may even reproduce. I have also seen a container which will somehow color the worms with some sort of chemical, but I am not sure if the florescent green/yellow pigment will affect their attractionability.
HELLGRAMMITES
Boy I hope I spelled that right. Hellgrammites are worm-like, grub-like, centipede-like insects. I do know that they are a larvae of something. They have little pinchers, legs, and a somewhat flat segmented body. I hope that’s a good enough description. They are found mainly in small streams and runoffs. They usually frequent under rock an inside rock cavities. Use exceptional caution when harvesting these guys, ‘cause once they latch on they don’t wanna let go. Try to skewer them through the middle like you would a worm. They are a little hard to find, but they do make great bait, due to the fact that they live in the exact same habitat as the fish do.
BAIT FISH
Before anything else, make sure that you check you’re state’s laws pertaining to bait fish. What we use most is shad. The best thing about them is that they live with and are fed upon by the inhabitants of the very waters you’re fishing. All you need is a throw net and you’re set. We use them whole if they are roughly under the size of you’re middle finger. I’ve heard alot of people that say to hook them though the mouth so they swim around a bit. It really doesn’t make much difference, cause they die so quickly anyway. I usually hook them right behind the eye so they stay on a bit better. If they are rather large ones, cut them up in pieces. For some reason all fish seem to like the heads the best. I have heard of a few people using frozen silversides that you buy in pet stores. I haven’t used them, but since they’re not fresh and they cost money, I wouldn’t bother. I would assume that other bait fish may work as well, though we have basically only used shad.
