The hook catches the fish but the bait is what makes it possible. Without the bait, there is little to attract the fish to the hook. Baits attract fish but not all baits attract all fish. Unless one doesn’t care what they catch, selecting the right bait for the targeted species is imperative. Here, we will take a look at the different baits frequently used when surf fishing. We will look at what fish are attracted to each of the baits, where to locate the bait, and how to rig the bait. ShrimpIf I had to select only one bait to fish with for the rest of my life, I would definitely pick shrimp. It’s easy to cut, easy to rig, and everything likes shrimp. Shrimp comes in three forms; frozen shrimp, fresh shrimp, and live shrimp. As a rule, live bait is always better for catching fish than dead bait and fresh bait trumps frozen. However, if the fish are biting, even frozen shrimp is effective. Frozen, or fresh shrimp works partially well for the smaller species of fish including whiting, spot, puffer and pompano. However larger species, including black drum, red drum and the occasional trout can be caught on frozen or fresh cut shrimp. Live shrimp is effective for catching all these species. Shrimp in any form will also attract less desirable fish including croaker, pinfish, stingrays and small sharks. Frozen shrimp is readily available for purchase any place bait is sold including Walmart, local gas stations and convenient stores. Some tackle shops will sell fresh shrimp or it can be purchased at the local fish market. Live bait is sometimes available at local bait shops but it can be expensive. If there is access to a marsh or creek, a less expensive option is to catch shrimp using a cast net. When baiting a hook with frozen or fresh bait, it is best to cut the shrimp into pieces. The size of the piece should be determined by the size of the hook. Any excess shrimp hanging off the hook will be picked off by the fish. We want the fish to take the hook with the bait so the shrimp piece should fit on the hook. To hook the shrimp, match the curve of the shrimp piece with the curve of the hook. Slide the shrimp onto the hook till the point of the hook is barely noticeable to the touch. Fish tend to peck off the shell of the shrimp before taking the bait. For this reason, some people choose to peel off the shell. There are numerous ways to rig a live shrimp. Each method has a specific use depending on where and how one is fishing. For the purposes or surf fishing, rigging a live shrimp of a bottom rig is a common method. To do this, the shrimp is rigged through the head. Hook the shrimp through the bottom of the head with the point of the hook extending out the top. It is important to not allow the hook to go through the brain. To do this, avoid the dark spot in the shrimp’s head. Sand Fleas Sand fleas, also know as sand crabs or mole crabs, are small crustaceans that tend to look more like insects than they do crabs. They live in sand, right at the surf edge, and borough down at lighting fast speed. Sands fleas are an effective bait for catching whiting and black drum and are also a favorite bait for catching pompano. Sand fleas can be purchased frozen but live sand fleas are more effective for attracting fish and aren’t difficult to find if one knows what to look for. Though it is possible to catch sand fleas by randomly digging in the sand, it is best to look for a colony. The colony of sand fleas will all stick their heads out of the sand ad the wave retracts from the sand. To the naked eye, this will look like a bumpy area in the otherwise smooth sand. Target this area when digging for sand fleas. Having a sand flea scoop or rake will greatly help in this process. Sand fleas can be rigged through the top, the bottom, or the side of their shells. However, sand fleas carry their eggs on the underside of their shell. Fish are attracted to these bright orange eggs. For this reason, a preferred method for hooking sand fleas is through the top of the shell with the point of the hook placed into the triangular shaped flap that protects the eggs. Fiddler Crabs Fiddler crabs can easily be identified because the males have one oversized claw. This claw can be as large as its entire body. Fiddler crabs make excellent bait when fishing for sheepshead and also are effective at attracting black drum. Some bait shops sell live fiddler crabs but if you have access to a marsh, you try catching them yourself. Fiddler crabs live in the muddy areas near the shoreline often where pickleweed grows. They move rather quickly and burrow into holes in the mud to hide. Often, fiddler crabs will be found in large groups. Though they have a large claw, its not difficult to quickly pick up a fiddler and toss it into a bucket before it pinches. Fiddler crabs can be rigged on a simple double drop bottom rig. Small hooks are needed for rigging fiddler crabs. Pierce the crab through one side of the bottom of the shell. Allow the point of the hook to barely be revealed though the top of the shell. Some fishermen prefer to break off the large claw before rigging, but this might be to protect themselves rather than the fish. Any fish willing to eat a fiddler crab probably won’t be stopped by the claw. Blue Crabs Blue crabs are delicious boiled in Old Bay or a good crab boil and served with a side of butter. However, if you put one to the side before boil, they also are an effective bait for catching red drum, black drum and bonnethead sharks. Blue crabs are sold in most seafood markets but they are easy enough to catch. Keep in mind, blue crabs are regulated so make sure you understand the rules regarding sizes, limits, and methods for catching crabs. If you have access to a dock, a crab trap baited with fish heads and left over night will usually produce serval blue crabs. Another option is to use a crab line and a chicken neck. Drop the baited crab line off a dock on a creek, marsh or ICW. After a while, slowly pull the line. A blue crab will hold onto the bait all the way to the surface. Then, use a net to retrieve the crab before it drops off. Depending on the species of fish you are targeting will determine the way a crab is rigged. However, in general, most fisherman will use half the crab with the top shell removed when targeting large drum or bonnetheads. For black drum, the crab can be quartered. Break off one of the legs and rig the hook through the hole. Thread the hook through till the point starts to emerge through the bottom shell. Cut Bait Cut bait refers to a piece of dead fish rigged on a hook. The size and method used to rig the hook has everything to do with the species of fish that can be caught. The larger the piece of bait, the larger the species of fish. In general, blues, red drum, and sharks are all attracted to cut bait. The type of fish used as cut bit can vary as well. Cut mullet is a popular fish used for bait however, bluefish, pinfish, and croaker can work equally well. Cut bait can be purchase at seafood markets or it can be caught in the surf. One method for rigging large pieces of cut bit is called bridling. Bridling prevents the bait from falling of the hook. It also provides a method for presenting maximum hook exposure ensuring better hook up ratios. This method starts by cutting a piece of light line or braid about five to eight inches in length. The tag ends of the line are tied together forming a loop. Using a braiding needle or other thin, sharp device, a hole is punched through the middle of the bait. The line is inserted through the hole so that both sides of the loop are visible. The loop ends of the line are then threaded through the hook. This allows the bait to hang from the hook by the line. By twisting the fish, the line will begin to wrap around the hook. After several twists, all the slack in the line will be gone and the hook will be flush with the bait. Pierce the hook through the top of the cut bait, allowing for maximum exposure. Mud Minnows and Finger Mullet Using live fish for bait, such as mud minnows or finger mullet can be very effective for catching larger game fish. Red drum, bluefish, flounder, and trout are all attracted to live fish. Mud minnow are smaller and can sometimes be purchased where live bait is sold. If one has access to a marsh or creek, starting in early spring, mud minnows can be caught in a minnow trap or using a cast net. Finger mullet are larger and show up starting in the fall. When the bait is thick in the surf, it is easy to fill a bucket with finger mullet, throwing a cast net in the surf. Finger mullet are also available, sold frozen, in most bait shops. There are two schools of thought when it comes to rigging live finger mullet. A very common practice is to hook the fish in the bottom of the lip and pull the point through the top of the nose. The nose of the fish is tough and helps hold the fish on the hook. The downside of rigging through is that smaller fish, especially blues, will cut the bait in half, leaving the head on the hook. The other option is to hook the fish near the back dorsal fin. This method might have a higher hook up rational however, since the tail of the fish is not a think as the nose, it is easier to lose bait. Mud minnows can be rigged using either method but, since the mud minnows are smaller, there is less chance of a larger fish cutting them off. For this reason, hooking mud minnows through the nose might be the preferred method. Frozen finger mullet can be effective for catching larger fish such as blues and smaller sharks, especially in the spring and summer before the bait fish show up in the surf. Frozen finger mullet can be rigged hole or sliced into smaller chunks, depending on the type of rig and size of the hooks being used. Recommendation The aforementioned baits are just the beginning of the list of baits available. Squid, clams, and bloodworms are all popular baits used when surf fishing. There are also many different types of artificial baits including fish bites, fish gum, and gulp that can be effective for catching fish in the surf.
When deciding which bait to use, beyond determining which bait will catch which fish, the best advice might be to match the bait with what is available in the surf at the time. For example, if bait fish, such as finger mullet are running thick in the surf, fish using live finger mullet. If live shrimp are popping in the marsh, fish with live shrimp. If, however, you are in a situation where you can only purchase frozen bait and are trying to decide which bait would be best, the recommendation would be to use shrimp. Everything likes shrimp. Fishing on Oak Island, NC
19 Comments
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1/12/2023 07:13:53 am
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Ian SandsFish along with Ian Sands of 'Sands in the Surf' on beautiful Oak Island, NC. We’re fishing the surf and surrounding areas targeting everything from puffer, to blues, to black and red drum, to sharpnose and bonnetheads. Archives
February 2021
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