What Do You Guys Use For Livebait And How Do You Catch It?

[wailua boy]

Im fishing this weekend and secured these tabai(short fin molly) and red devil cichlids. They are both introduced in my region and very plentiful. I'm actually using them for saltwater fishing but I also want to hear from the fresh water guys. I'll let you guys if anything bites them. Anyone breed their own bait?

[handi2]

The bottom bait we call Mud Minnows here in the FL Panhandle. They are a good bait for Flounder and others. They look like they would do good in fresh water too.

[FatTuna]

Typically, I use whatever is in the area I'm fishing. My logic is: if schools of baitfish are in an area, the fish are most likely keyed in on that species. Fish can be really fickle at times. Other times when they are hungry, they will eat anything. When things aren't working you have to mix it up. If other boats around you are going tight and you can't get a bite to save your life, you need to rethink your baits and depth. Leader size and brand are also really important.

Usually we stack our baits. So we'll put one up top, maybe 10-15 feet down. Down deep enough that the shearwaters can't dive down and steal your bait. Sometimes we use the kite and have it flipping right on the surface. The problem with fishing up top is that a lot of sharks cruise the surface. You have to keep your eye out for them. Crank in the bait as quickly as possible if you see one so they don't foul up your expensive leader and steal a $5 hook. Could be a long and frustrating day if you chum in the sharks, seals, and birds. Once they get a free meal, they won't leave you alone. Sometimes the best technique is to relocate. The surface baits we fish are baits that live up near the surface. Either a big mackerel or a bluefish. Groundfish won't look natural and won't survive at the surface.

Mid-water we are usually using mackerel or herring. In my opinion, for bluefin, herring is the best bait. It has a lot of oil. It has greater nutritional value. Plus, they are slower moving than species like halfbeaks, mackerel, sand eels, etc. They group up in massive bait balls so the tuna can take turns swooping in on the ball. People call herring tuna candy. If there are multiple species around, the herring will typically outfish all the other baits. The schools of tuna essentially chase the schools of herring up and down the coast. Tuna are opportunistic pigs though and will literally eat anything. Everything from squid, starfish, striped bass, sand eels, menhaden, etc. If they are really hungry they even eat dogfish.

Down deep we typically use either a big cod, haddock, herring, or whiting. Macs will work too. The problem with fishing down deep is that the dogfish will hammer your baits. You can't put your baits directly on the bottom unless you want to fish bare hooks. They will eat a 20lb cod bite by bite. When fishing bottom fish, it's best to get a fresh one, bridle it, and drop it right back down. The herring and groundfish are really fragile. They don't do well at the surface because the change in pressure. The trick is to crank them up really slowly and then send them back down. If you do that, they should come right back to life.  

When bait is scarce, we either move or resort to dead baits.

Catching bait is pretty easy, just get an assortment of sabiki rigs. Different sizes. I like the ones with thicker main lines. 20lb test and up. No need to get the expensive ones. If there is bait up top you can sneak up on them and throw a cast net. In the past, I've set gill nets for pogys but that is a lot of work. If you are having a tough day making bait, hang a chum bag. They will come right over. 

[smnaguwa]

Hi, are you in Kauai? In Oahu, I have used the medaka/molly in brackish water or short time in salt water for awa awa, barracuda and papio. Aha Aha really like them. Never used a cichlid.

[oc1]

I usually use artificial but for live bait around the reef I trap freshwater crawfish.   It's red swamp crawfish, Procambaris clarkii.  They are an invasive pest in the taro loi. When there are a lot of them you can make dinner.  Out on the reef they look like lobster juveniles and all the fish love them.  The salt kills them in about twenty minutes.
-steve

[swill88]

In inland California live bait is supposed to be used only in the area that it's caught.

Not everybody follows that rule and even sometimes guys brag about it online!

steve

[wailua boy]

Hi, are you in Kauai? In Oahu, I have used the medaka/molly in brackish water or short time in salt water for awa awa, barracuda and papio. Aha Aha really like them. Never used a cichlid.

I'm from Kauai but currently live on Maui. HC&S(Hawaii Cane ans Sugar Co)has cut off  flow in their irrigation canals and vitrually 1000's of cichlids and livebearers are dying off, almost seems like a waste to not use them. After heavy rains I have seen dead mollys miles off shore, so I think they are a pretty natural prey item. There maybe better baits out there but no bad most the fish around arent too picky, if they are around you'll know it.

[wailua boy]

I usually use artificial but for live bait around the reef I trap freshwater crawfish.   It's red swamp crawfish, Procambaris clarkii.  They are an invasive pest in the taro loi. When there are a lot of them you can make dinner.  Out on the reef they look like lobster juveniles and all the fish love them.  The salt kills them in about twenty minutes.
-steve

I'm going to try the crayfish, thats another one that seems like you can always find around. I like the idea of using the invasives in some form.

[wailua boy]

In inland California live bait is supposed to be used only in the area that it's caught.

Not everybody follows that rule and even sometimes guys brag about it online!

steve

Makes sense but using freshwater bait in saltwater really isnt the worst practice in the sense virtually none of the parasites transfer from fresh to salt and no chance of introducing species(assuming they are true FW species and not brackish). I dropped my baits down 120ft, with a zero survival rate

[wailua boy]

Alright guys I'll level with you, I got skunked; didnt fish long though but heres a pic from last weekend.

Carangoides orthogrammus | Yellow Spot Ulua | Island Trevally

[swill88]

Alright guys I'll level with you, I got skunked; didnt fish long though but heres a pic from last weekend.

Carangoides orthogrammus | Yellow Spot Ulua | Island Trevally

That catch makes up for 3 skunks.

Great fishing!

Thanks.

[wailua boy]

Typically, I use whatever is in the area I'm fishing. My logic is: if schools of baitfish are in an area, the fish are most likely keyed in on that species. Fish can be really fickle at times. Other times when they are hungry, they will eat anything. When things aren't working you have to mix it up. If other boats around you are going tight and you can't get a bite to save your life, you need to rethink your baits and depth. Leader size and brand are also really important.

Usually we stack our baits. So we'll put one up top, maybe 10-15 feet down. Down deep enough that the shearwaters can't dive down and steal your bait. Sometimes we use the kite and have it flipping right on the surface. The problem with fishing up top is that a lot of sharks cruise the surface. You have to keep your eye out for them. Crank in the bait as quickly as possible if you see one so they don't foul up your expensive leader and steal a $5 hook. Could be a long and frustrating day if you chum in the sharks, seals, and birds. Once they get a free meal, they won't leave you alone. Sometimes the best technique is to relocate. The surface baits we fish are baits that live up near the surface. Either a big mackerel or a bluefish. Groundfish won't look natural and won't survive at the surface.

Mid-water we are usually using mackerel or herring. In my opinion, for bluefin, herring is the best bait. It has a lot of oil. It has greater nutritional value. Plus, they are slower moving than species like halfbeaks, mackerel, sand eels, etc. They group up in massive bait balls so the tuna can take turns swooping in on the ball. People call herring tuna candy. If there are multiple species around, the herring will typically outfish all the other baits. The schools of tuna essentially chase the schools of herring up and down the coast. Tuna are opportunistic pigs though and will literally eat anything. Everything from squid, starfish, striped bass, sand eels, menhaden, etc. If they are really hungry they even eat dogfish.

Down deep we typically use either a big cod, haddock, herring, or whiting. Macs will work too. The problem with fishing down deep is that the dogfish will hammer your baits. You can't put your baits directly on the bottom unless you want to fish bare hooks. They will eat a 20lb cod bite by bite. When fishing bottom fish, it's best to get a fresh one, bridle it, and drop it right back down. The herring and groundfish are really fragile. They don't do well at the surface because the change in pressure. The trick is to crank them up really slowly and then send them back down. If you do that, they should come right back to life.  

When bait is scarce, we either move or resort to dead baits.

Catching bait is pretty easy, just get an assortment of sabiki rigs. Different sizes. I like the ones with thicker main lines. 20lb test and up. No need to get the expensive ones. If there is bait up top you can sneak up on them and throw a cast net. In the past, I've set gill nets for pogys but that is a lot of work. If you are having a tough day making bait, hang a chum bag. They will come right over. 

I found a good seller on Amazon for sabiki rigs, 20 packs for $20 free shipping

[wailua boy]

The bottom bait we call Mud Minnows here in the FL Panhandle. They are a good bait for Flounder and others. They look like they would do good in fresh water too.
[/quote

They seem to be some of the more common fish in our irrigation canals with no predators except birds(no predatory fish for the most part) they form big schools. Probably seen a couple close to 4-5 inches in length.

[wailua boy]

That catch makes up for 3 skunks.

Great fishing!

Thanks.

[/quote]

Thank you sir. They were quite tasty.

[FatTuna]

These are the ones I use. I don't play games. We are fishing for keeps. I've tried many brands. These are the best for the money. Put a diamond jig on the bottom. http://www.ebay.com/itm/sabiki-bait-rigs-6-hooks-offshore-fishing-lure-Size-1-0-2-4-6-8-10-12-14-6-99-/181921205117?var=&hash=item2a5b594b7d:m:m8Dl0wK1iI4zFJWEgU9Uiqw

Catching bait should be pretty easy. It has more to do with time spent and jig size. Mark the bait and play with speed. It depends on the species.

Learn to bridle rig. You will be way ahead of everyone else. Big baits, big fish.