# DANG! What do you do for bait when you get an impulse to fish?



## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Is there anything in the kitchen that could be used for bait? I once used Tuna and gelatin that made a DANDY bait, but it would melt within minutes on the hook. That was OK because the fish were biting that day, so I cought enough to satisfy me, but fishing is slow this time of year so I think that this time it will not work.

I have never caught a fish in this state on a lure. Ever. I have given up on lures.

I get these sudden urges to fish, and the nearest place to buy bait is 45 minutes away. That is 1.5 hours round trip!

So, I went out to dig worms by flashlight right before dawn, but there were no worms! The drought that has gripped our area for the last 6 weeks might have had something to do with that: it did rain 2 days ago but it might have come too late for the worms.

So, I cannot fish at dawn because there are no worms, and because frost has killed the grasshoppers. Also because no store will open early on a Sunday, and even then a store that sells bait is far away.

Rats. Maybe another day. I can hit Walmart some time this week and buy bait.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> DANG! What do you do for bait when you get an impulse to fish?


A lot depends on what you're trying to catch


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## TenBusyBees (Jun 15, 2011)

dog food, bacon, hot dogs, bologna...

really anything that we can get to stay on a hook and that gives off a "meaty" scent has yielded catchable results.


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## poorboy (Apr 15, 2006)

Corn, cheese, fresh lightbread squeezed into doughballs. One summer it was extremely hot an not wanting to go chasing(or get out of the shade)grasshoppers, I pulled a blade of grass and ran hook through a small portion a couple of times. With no weight on line I flipped it into the creek and some small perch struck at it, so I kept up until i caught one. I then proceeded to cut it up and used it for bait, caught a few smallmouth and some more perch, enough for supper.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Thiws is very good to know!

This late in the year, Wal mart might not have any bait. There are almost no fishermen to be seen, which will mean that demand is down, which will mean that the stores will soon stop selling them entirely! If they haven't already.


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## mplatt4 (Mar 24, 2007)

I use to live in SE Kansas and those strip pits were great to fish in I used a broken back lure and tossed it up into the shady areas along the bank and caught a ton of large mouth and minnows worked great also lake Perry we used water dogs and fished at night and caught some huge Flatheads most of the other Big Lakes crappy bite real well on Minnows and I have never failed to catch at least one on chicken livers or shrimp the bait kind is cheap this time of year you have to reel in your lures slower and in the heat must go deeper or in the shade in the spring along the banks they are spawning there Kansas has some great fishing try wetting down some cardboard and laying it on the ground in a few days pick it up and there should be plenty of red wigglers under it also try crickets you can always find them at pet stores and they are good bait or buy one of those small grasshopper lures at walmart they work good also the brown is best in the fall


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## mplatt4 (Mar 24, 2007)

also if you start you a compost pile even a little one you can get red wigglers with wet carboard and you put them in the compost pile and will have a never ending supply of worms even in winter


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## pheasantplucker (Feb 20, 2007)

I've used canned corn before, on a small hook. Good for panfish. Also you can take some velveta cheese. I like to let it soften up a bit. Take some cotton balls, and stretch them out so they get elongated and not so densely packed. Toss them in the bowl with the softened cheese. Stir, and mash so the cotton gets imbedded in the cheese. Use enough cotton. Then take little spoonfuls and roll them up so that they're the size of marbles. You can use them just like this, or you can also add them into a jar that has some chicken livers in it. Put this on a hook and toss it in for catfish.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Again, what kind of fish are you fishing for? This will make a difference on what to tell you.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Honestly, I do not care as long as it is big enough to cook.

I mostly catch crappie, though I also catch the odd bass and catfish.

Sometimes a person just feels like CATCHING something, LOL!


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## shebeen (Oct 21, 2011)

Forget about finding bait.....find a hard core fisherman and ask him/her. These can usually be found bopping around bait shops early in the morning. The propieters will work as well....anytime of the day.

Lure....bait....presentation.....retrieve.....location.....ask, ask, ask!!!!
Unlike their quarry, fishermen love to talk....and won't bite. This is the 'social' part of what often is a solitary sport. But a REAL bait shop is the key. Wallyworld won't cut it.

I fish the salt so I can't give you specifics about Kansas, but I can tell you it's all about species, water temp, the structure, the season and the depth regardless if its fresh or salt.

Have fun and best of luck.

PS: Drop a few bucks at the bait shop......education isn't cheap. They won't steer you wrong. They want you to come back afterall, and most likely you'll make some great contacts and friends.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Terri said:


> Sometimes a person just feels like CATCHING something, LOL!


I hear you and agree with that.

Well here's some bait ideals. During the summer time when bait is plenty you might try catching extra and freezing them. This doesn't work with worms tho! But at night time I go around with a flashlite and catch grasshoppers and stuff them into empty water bottles and freeze them. I also freeze leftover minnows and crawfish. 

But it's not summer time and your not very prepared right now. So here's a few more ideals. Take a big handfull of Wheaties, or Cornflakes and pour a little bit of flavored pop, such as grape, cherry, strawberry, or orange, onto the handfull of cereal and using your hands work it into a doe ball. This will be good for several species of fish. 

Or, you can take a can of fish or liver flavored dog/cat food and mix a bit of water to it and to make a soup like mixture. Then crumble some cornflakes into it and form into doe balls. This would be good for catfish.


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

maggots or any form of an insect larvae are deadly ice fishing baits for crappie. I suppose that kind of bait will catch them also in open water. Maybe if you have some shrimp, especially the small canned shrimp should be good bait on a small hook for crappie.


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## Guest (Nov 9, 2011)

I've used minerature marshmallows for trout. Corn for carp. 

They make a minnow trap that is a cylinder with cones facing in on each end. The minnows swim in the hole in the center of the cone and can't find their way out again. Bait the trap with bread or dogfood and you can catch your own minnows in about an hour.

Some plants that grow here on grassy and marshy areas get gaulls about the diameter of quarters. If you cut one open there is a small white grub inside that makes great bait.

I am about 25 miles from the nearest bait dealer. I scored an old laundry tub with legs at the Habitat For Humanity Recycle store. I fill it with water from the well and throw the minnow bucket with the left over minnows from my fishing trip in it. As long as I keep the water cool the minnows stay lively and are ready to fight another day. I have used the same batch of minnows on 3 trips to the lake. If it is too warm during the day, just put the garden hose in the tub and run some nice cold well water into it. This fall I broke ice off the surface. The minnows didn't mind.


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## Snowfan (Nov 6, 2011)

Terri, I used to have that problem until I took up flyfishing. No bait required. I can keep crawlers or wax worms in the basement. I also enjoy bowfishing. Again, no bait required. I must be lazy. I've thought about raising my own bait but as often as I get to go, it wasn't worth it. You may want to make a minnow trap too.


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## EDDIE BUCK (Jul 17, 2005)

I have caught crappies with foil from a cigarette pack.Used up all the minnows and they were still feeding.Put the foil on the hook and move it a little bit and they will hit it.I love to crappie fish and love them rolled in cornmeal and fried in lard.:happy: Theres a crappie bait called a "Li'l Fishy"I know a bunch of crappie fishermen that swear they are better than minnows.I have never tried them,but I have some I intend to try.I bought mine at Walmart. Heres a link,notice the ratings . http://reviews.basspro.com/2010/2156/creme-litl-fishie-reviews/reviews.htm


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## Crowbar (Dec 29, 2009)

I never buy bait because I feel that getting bait is part of fishing. I use to use road kill for catfish and I would catch my bait or dig it for other species.


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## MaineFarmMom (Dec 29, 2002)

Terri said:


> So, I went out to dig worms by flashlight right before dawn, but there were no worms! The drought that has gripped our area for the last 6 weeks might have had something to do with that: it did rain 2 days ago but it might have come too late for the worms.


If you can flood a small section of ground and place something solid like a board on top of the wet area, the worms will follow the water to the surface. Since there's a drought, it doesn't have to be fresh water. If the dish water isn't too dirty that will work. Grabbing a bucket of water from a stream will do the job. It doesn't have to be a big space as long as the water gets down to the worms.


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## Survival Bill (Jan 22, 2011)

Canned Corn and frozen peas unless you find worms....


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## Badger (Jun 11, 2010)

Learn how to use a throw net - catch perch and shad - catch big blue cat or flathead with perch or shad - Don't need to fish for a while cause now you have plenty of fish to eat. Problem is it's so fun , now you want to fish all the time!


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Nimrod said:


> I
> Some plants that grow here on grassy and marshy areas get gaulls about the diameter of quarters. If you cut one open there is a small white grub inside that makes great bait.


These are Goldenrod grubs.


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