All About Bass Fishing With Live Bait

By Rick Seaman and Dan Westfall

It is a proven fact that bass, and especially big bass, are easier to catch with live bait than artificial lures. It is a bit more work using live bait and by nature slows down your fishing approach, but the rewards can be worth it at times.

3 Most Important Factors About Live Bait

3 Most Effective Fishing Methods & Lures

Live bait often catches some of the bigger bass.

This book is focused on artificial lures but the same techniques for finding bass can apply to live bait. If you have already found the bass, you may be surprised to see that you can catch some of the bigger and wiser bass from the school by switching to live bait. A wide variety of live bait will catch bass, some of which include:

Minnows

Since minnows are the mainstay of a bass’ diet, at least in their younger years, most bass will eat live minnows. To keep the minnow from dying, it is important to use the right hook. Small, Aberdeen hooks or similar, in size 4 or 6 seem to work well. Larger baitfish like the threadfin shad can handle bigger hooks, based on the size of the shad. Hook minnows through the back, just under the dorsal fin, or through the eye sockets or up through the lower jaw and out through the nose area hooked through both lips. Be careful to handle the minnows lightly to help keep them alive longer. Lively minnows and shad catch more fish.

Crawfish

One of the mainstays of a bass’ diet, including bigger bass, is crawfish or crawfish. Small bass prefer the soft shell, smaller crawfish and big bass will eat up any size they can find. This is a good bait for fishing structure, but bring your patience. Fish them by hooking them under the back shell, or by inserting a weedless hook under a carefully wound rubber band around the body several times being careful not to get it too tight. They work best with no weight allowing them to walk and swim naturally. When you get a bite, the bass has it in its mouth so begin setting immediately with a reel set using pressure. If you miss the fish, let the bait free spool back to the bottom immediately. The same bass or another is likely to pick it up again.

Waterdogs

These members of the salamander family make a hearty live bait option for bass. Bass seem to love them. Hook the waterdog up through the lower jaw and out through the nose area on a 1/0 to 3/0 weedless hook (with wire guard). You can use a small weight or fish them without any weight. Experiment with the type of cover you are fishing and the size of waterdogs available.

Earth Worms

You catch almost any fish on earth worms. Bass love them and will eat them any time they are presented to them. Use a light wire hook in size 6 or 8. If you are fishing around brush, a weedless hook is recommended. Hook the worm once through the collar which will allow it to move and squirm to attract bass. Spinning gear with light line works best. If the wind is a factor or you need assistance with casting, add a small weight rigged drop shot style. If the bass are shallow, try using a bobber set to the most effective depth.

Others (frogs, mice, etc)

Live frogs can be fished shallow or deep hooked up through the lower jaw and out through the nose area on a 1/0 to 3/0 weedless hook (with wire guard), no weight required. Use heavy line, preferably braid to get bass out of heavy cover. Live mice can work well in areas where grass or lily pads scatter the surface or in shallow water with submerged cover. Hook the mice through the nap of the neck on the back behind the head using an open 4/0 hook. Make easy casts and let the mouse swim to cover.

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AA Bass Fishing Knowledge Base

• Bass Fishing Overview
• Life Cycle Of Bass
• Seasonal Bass Migration
• Bass Migration - Mid to Late Winter
• Bass Migration - Spring
• Bass Migration - Early Summer
• Bass Migration - Late Summer
• Bass Migration - Fall
• Bass Migration - Early Winter
• Fishing For Bass
• It's Now WHAT You Throw, It's WHERE
• Research The Fishery Before You Go
• Review Contour Maps
• Types Of Cover Used By Bass
• Bass Fishing In Grass Beds
• Bass Fishing In Wood & Timber
• Bass Fishing In Brush & Vegetation
• Establishing Patterns
• Learn To Recognize Bites
• Review Lunar Tables
• Choose The Right Lures
• Find Bass Based On Conditions
• Conditions - Fold Fronts
• Conditions - Wind
• Conditions - Cloudy Days
• Conditions - Fishing In The Rain
• Conditions - Water Clarity
• Conditions - Rising Water
• Conditions - Falling Water
• Conditions - Fishing At Night
• Equipment & Tackle
• Equipment - Fishing Rods
• Equipment - Fishing Reels
• Equipment - Fishing Line
• Equipment - Fishing Lures
• Fishing With Live Bait
• Shallow Water Techniques, 0 -10'
• Shallow Fishing - Spinnerbaits
• Shallow Fishing - Crankbaits
• Shallow Fishing - Top Water
• Shallow Fishing - Pitching & Flipping
• Shallow Fishing - Artificial Worms
• Shallow Fishing - Jigs
• Shallow Fishing - Flukes
• Shallow Fishing - Stick Worms
• Shallow Fishing - Swimbaits
• Fishing Mid Range Depths, 10' - 25'
• Mid Depth - Spinnerbaits
• Mid Depth - Deep Diving Crankbaits
• Mid Depth - Artificial Worms
• Mid Depth - Jigs
• Mid Depth - Swimbaits
• Fishing Deep Water & Structure
• Fishing Deep Water - Jigs
• Fishing Deep Water - Jigging Spoons
• Fishing Deep Water - Artificial Worms
• Planning Your Attack
• Bass Fishing Questions & Answers
• Conservation - Protect The Fishery

Bass information by state.