Bass fishing can be a hobby, a sport, or even a career, especially if you live and fish in the USA. It is a fishing activity that has a dedicated following and, as is typical among fishermen, they have a particular way of doing things, and no one can tell them differently! Many bass fishermen use artificial lures to go after this predatory fish, but is there any merit in using live bait for bass, and which ones work best?
Top 10 Live Baits For Bass
- Shiners or Minnows
- Bluegills
- Crayfish
- Hellgrammites
- Worms (Nightcrawlers)
- Frogs
- Salamanders
- Grasshoppers
- Crickets
- Leeches
Many bass fishermen stick to either live bait or artificial lures, and it is difficult to entice a fisherman to try something different. Many fishermen who use live bait and catch their own live bait say that fishing for the live bait is almost as much fun as fishing for the bass!
It sometimes pays to be open-minded with your fishing tactics and be willing to change things up once in a while. If you are fishing artificial lures and not having much success, a switch to live bait can turn the tables for you.
The converse is also true, particularly if you are running out of luck with your live bait. Try a couple of casts with a variety of artificial lures; the results may make the difference of landing a catch or not!
Make sure to check out My Recommended Bass Fishing Gear and Tackle Guide to ensure you have the right gear for your next fishing adventure.
Best Live Baits For Bass
Some people who have never fished for bass with live bait may not even know what some of the items are on the list we have given for the top 10 live baits for bass. For the purposes of education, we will give a short description for each one, which will give you an idea of a couple you can try on your next outing to the dam.
Shiners Or Minnows
A Shiner is a type of baitfish, as are all minnows, but Shiners are singled out because they make such a great baitfish for bass. Shiners are basically young fish, or small fish, with the distinctive characteristic of having shiny scales.
Bass are predators, hunters, so they are attracted by movement and flashes of light. The movement of the live bait and the flash of light on their shiny scales make shiners the perfect live baitfish for bass fishing!
Shiners can be silver in color as well as gold; the main characteristic you are looking for in these baitfish is that their scales are bright and reflective.
The problem with using shiners is their availability. Because they are so popular among fishermen as live bait, shiners are often in short supply at bait shops. If the bait shop does not have stock, or you got there too late in the day, then you may have to catch your own shiners if you want to use them that day.
Catching your own shiners will make sure they are lively and healthy and give you a better chance to catch that monster bass!
The downside to shiners is that they are a relatively delicate fish, and it is difficult to keep them alive during your day out fishing. They need cool, aerated water in order to stay active and healthy throughout the day.
Bluegills
Bluegills are another baitfish that require a special mention separate from the general baitfish category. These little fish are popular among bass anglers because they are very lively and active, and they are much hardier than Shiners.
The Bluegills are part of the freshwater Sunfish family and are sometimes referred to as American Bream. They have rounded bodies in comparison to the more elongated Shiners. Bluegills are active in the shallows of dams and lakes and can easily be caught with soft plastic grubs or small spinnerbaits as well as smaller crank and jerk baits.
Fishing for Bluegills as baitfish can almost be as much fun as fishing for bass. It can be especially rewarding for younger anglers accompanying you for a day out at the dam.
Crayfish
Crayfish, crawfish, crawdads, shrimp, and crabs all make excellent live bait for bass angling. Bass love to eat these crunchy morsels and start eating crustaceans from a young age. They, therefore, easily recognize this bait as food and will almost certainly give it a go!
You can use crayfish or crawfish to catch both largemouth and smallmouth bass, but this bait is a particular favorite of the smallmouth bass.
The problem with the crustaceans is once again supply. Not many bait shops stock them, and when they do, they get sold quickly. You can, however, catch these crustaceans yourself in the shallows and under rocks in most of your local fishing waters, especially if the water is clean and flowing.
Hellgrammites
Hellgrammites are very strange looking creatures that look like they belong to some prehistoric era rather than the modern age. They are the larval stage of the Dobsonfly and can be found in rocky areas of streams and rivers and are easily caught by lifting the rocks and scooping them up with a small net.
Hellgrammites make great bait for fishing all the bass species, and the bigger the Hellgrammite, the bigger the bass that you can potentially catch.
This live bait has the advantage in that they keep easily. Simply place them in a jar with some leaves and small sticks and fill the jar about halfway with water. Keep the hellgrammites in a cool location, and they can last up to a few days in this way.
Worms
Worms are a popular live bait among bass anglers, and one of the main reasons for this is that they are probably the easiest form of live bait to get your hands on. Most bait shops will have an ample supply of a variety of worm species, but they are also easily found in the wild, or you can even breed them yourself.
Many anglers have their own “worm spot” that they frequent where they know they can catch good-sized worms in large amounts for their day out fishing.
Nightcrawlers, red wrigglers, and normal earthworms all make good bait for any type of bass that you are looking to fish.
Frogs
Bass love frogs, and the larger bass will readily take swimming frogs from an ambush position. You should be able to find an ample supply of frogs at your local bait shop, but you can quite easily find them near the water’s edge at your fishing location.
Frogs are easy to keep as live bait, just put them in a damp pillowcase, and they will quite easily last the days fishing.
Salamanders
Salamanders are not commonly used as live bait for bass fishing. The most common forms of live bait are baitfish, crustaceans, and worms. However, if these traditional baits are not working, then trying the more exotic food types may change your luck.
Many bait shops don’t stock salamanders, but occasionally you will find them in local bait shops. Salamanders are not only food for bass, but bass see them as a threat since the salamanders often raid the egg beds in the breeding grounds of the bass.
The bass will therefore attack the salamander bait not only for food but in defense of their breeding grounds.
Because salamanders are generally fairly large bait, in the region of 7 inches, they normally attract larger bass. You will have to keep your line moving with this bait, however, as the salamanders tend to sink to the muddy bottom and either settle on the mud or burrow into it. You will need to force them to swim by lifting them off the bottom with your line.
Grasshoppers
Bass will basically eat anything that moves and looks like food, and this includes grasshoppers that fall onto the surface of the water.
The bigger the grasshopper, the bigger the bass you are likely to catch. Bigger bass will generally not bother to try and take a small grasshopper, so if you are going for big fish, use the largest grasshopper you can find to tempt the big bass out of the shadows to take a bite!
Most bait shops will stock these insects, but they are also really easy to catch right at your local fishing ground. So if you are not having much luck with artificial lures, catch yourself a live hopper and give it a try.
Grasshoppers are also easy to keep alive compares to many of the other aquatic live bait options.
Crickets
Crickets are another insect bait that is often overlooked by bass fishermen. Similar to grasshoppers, crickets make great bait for fishing areas that are close to the bank and that have overhanging trees. Bass will often hang around in these locations waiting for crickets and grasshoppers to fall into the water.
Most bait shops will stock crickets as live bait, but often with the intention of them being used for fish other than bass.
As with grasshoppers, the bigger the cricket, the bigger the bass you are likely to catch as a large bass will seldom expend the energy to take a small cricket.
Leeches
Leeches make a great bass fishing bait and should be used more often than they are. Leeches are good for both largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, but they are a particular favorite food of the smallmouth bass.
Leeches are one of the easiest bait animals to keep alive; they are not sensitive to water temperature changes and can simply be kept in an open container with natural water in it. They will survive like this for a long time, even without food.
Is Live Bait Better For Bass?
There is no particular right or wrong in the type of bait you prefer to use for bass fishing. Some people prefer to use artificial lures, and some prefer to use live bait. Both have their application and can produce great results.
Live bait is not necessarily better for bass fishing, but in some cases, it may be easier than fishing with a lure. Live bait that moves around and is lively do all the work for you. The swim, gyrate and flash to attract the bass. You do not have to do as much work with your rod and reel to make the live bait attractive to the fish.
Fishing with lures may require more rod and reel technique to mimic the actions of the live prey of the bass. This requires knowledge of the bait animal and its movements as well as practiced techniques with rod and reel to dupe the fish into thinking that the lure is alive.
Live bait has the taste and smell of real food to the fish, which may also entice the fish to bite harder and longer to secure the meal. When a fish bites an artificial lure, they have sometimes been known to spit the lure out because it does not taste like food. In this instance, if you are slow with your strike, you will lose the fish.
For beginner bass anglers, live bait may be the better choice while you are learning the habits of the fish and the bait.
Artificial bait is great to introduce something new to the fish that they may strike readily and also when live bait is in short supply.
There is no definitive data that says live bait is better. But if you want to be an angler that stands a better chance of catching something on the day, then it pays to be flexible and open-minded in your choice of bait. Practice using both artificial and live bait, and you will be better able to adapt to changing fishing conditions if you have the ability to fish with both kinds of bait.
How Do You Rig Live Bait for Bass
There are many ways to rig up live bait, and many anglers will have their own personal preference. Here are some of the rigging methods you can use to rig the top 10 live baits for bass that we have mentioned.
- Baitfish, including Shiners, minnows, and Bluegills can be rigged in various ways. The best way to rig them is through the flesh just behind the dorsal fin. This will keep the fish swimming in the most natural motion and attract the predators. This method requires some practice to not hook the spine, which can paralyze the baitfish and render it unattractive for predatory fish. Baitfish can also be hooked through the lips or through the nostrils, but this can sometimes cause a problem when the bass attacks from the front. They can also be hooked near the tail, but this often results in an unnatural swimming pattern for the fish.
- Crayfish or crawfish are best hooked about a half-inch up from the tail. This allows for the most natural swimming motion for this bait. They can also be hooked through the bony projection on their heads, called the horn, and this helps to prevent your line from getting tangled when they try to scurry under rocks for cover. Smaller crayfish may not have a horn that is strong enough to hook them in this method.
- Hellgrammites have a thick collar on their backs. Push the hook under the front of the collar and out the back. Fine hooks in the range of a number 2 to a number 6 hook are best for this job. Hellgrammites can be fished with or without a bobber float.
- WormsFrogs are best hooked through one of the forelegs as this leaves the hind legs free for a more natural swimming motion. You can also hook it through the lips or through the back leg thigh, but these locations tend to inhibit the frog’s movement. About 12-inches above the hook, squeeze a small split-shot weight onto the line. The frog will generally swim towards the bottom, which will attract the attention of any lurking bass. If you do not get a bite on the frog on the way down, you may need to pull on the line periodically to lift the from off the bottom and get it swimming again.
- Salamanders, sometimes called water-dogs, are best hooked through the nostrils, through the tail, or one of the legs. Place a sinker on the line about 24 inches above the hook. Release line slowly from the reel. This will allow the salamander to slowly sink to the bottom, at which point you can drift-fish or gently troll fish, slowly pulling the salamander along the bottom.
- Grasshoppers and Crickets can be hooked through the shoulder, where the wings join the body on the grasshopper, or above the second pair of legs on a cricket. They can also be hooked through the thigh of their large rear jumping leg or with a long shank hook up the length of the abdomen with the hook protruding rear-facing through the top of the insect. They can be fished as is in this manner or suspended below a float and drifted downstream.
- Leeches should be hooked in the upper section of their suction cup, and use a finer hook to prevent damaging the leech too much. Leeches can be fished effectively with a Carolina rig, a drop shot rig, or a split shot rig, depending on how deep you are expecting the bass to be.
Final Thoughts
Live bait is a great alternative for bass fishing, and some would argue that it is a more natural fishing method.
My opinion is that we are out there to catch bass and to have fun, and if one bait type is not working, it can pay dividends to have an alternative bait fishing method in the arsenal of your fishing tactics.
Bass in some waters become habituated to artificial lures and will not take them, no matter how realistic they look or move. In these types of water, you better know how to fish with live bait, or you will be going home empty-handed!
