When someone wants to go fishing, often what comes to mind is a worm wagging at the end of a hook. Of course, worms are always the first choice for fishing bait, but they are sticky and slimy, and some even find them disgusting. Actually, you don't need to use worms for fishing. There are many other alternatives you can consider as bait, some of which are already in your kitchen cupboards.
Step
Method 1 of 5: Recognizing Fishing Conditions
Step 1. Decide what type of fish you want to catch
Each type of fish has its own food preferences and preferred prey. This information will help you choose the perfect bait. In general, worms are quite effective at attracting all types of freshwater fish. So making bait that has worm-like characteristics can be very profitable.
Step 2. Make sure that the bait you use is allowed in the fishing area
There may be some rules with regards to baiting, for example you may not use or release certain baits in warm water lakes. It is always a good idea to check the local regulations that apply where you are fishing.
Step 3. Respect the fishing season imposed on freshwater lakes and ponds
If you fish in a place that has four seasons, for example, during spring through autumn, warm water drops from the surface to its lowest point. During the summer, the water is stagnant, and from autumn to spring, the cycle is reversed. Understanding this kind of process and knowing the temperature your fish prefer can help you choose the right bait.
Warmwater fish usually feed on the surface during the summer (when the weather is hot), and feed on the bottom during the fall. Choose the appropriate bait with regard to these conditions
Method 2 of 5: Using What's in the Kitchen
Step 1. Attach pieces of bread, chicken, fish, corn, cheese, sausage, or raw meat to the hook
For catfish fishing, use strong-smelling food and wrap it in cheesecloth or in a sealed container with holes. This method works if you are fishing in shallow water without a rod. The only foods you shouldn't use for fishing are trout and salmon because they can spread the parasite Myxobolus cerebralis which causes “whirling disease” and can kill many fish.
Step 2. Use cereal chips
You just crush it, add water and make it into a ball. Then, you can attach it to the hook. Whole grain cereals are perfect for this purpose. Also, you can use red soda instead of water as this can attract more fish.
Step 3. Make a bait using wheat crackers and strong smelling food
You can buy biscuits at warungs or supermarkets. Don't forget to add strong-smelling bait, such as caterpillars or chicken liver. Crush the biscuits to crumbs, then put them in a bucket or bowl. Add another feed.
Then, add a little water to make a kind of wet ball. Mix the ingredients together. Now you have a homemade economical bait that is also ideal for attracting fish
Step 4. Use canned corn as bait
This type of bait is a favorite among fishermen because it can work as well as live bait, but is not a hassle. You simply hook as many grains of corn as you can onto the hook. Throw in the rope, and be prepared to catch small-mouthed fish, such as cotton fish, as soon as the bait hits the water.
Step 5. Use turkey liver as bait
Chicken liver is one of the most popular bait options among catfish catchers, although it's not as popular as it should be. You can catch some fish, but the hassle is not worth the payoff. On the other hand, turkey liver can attract more fish than chicken liver and is stronger so it's less of a hassle to use.
Method 3 of 5: Using Natural Prey
Step 1. Attach a small grasshopper or cricket to the hook
You can catch these insects yourself or buy them at a bait shop. Guaranteed you can catch freshwater fish. To set it as bait, hook the insect through the back. Then throw it into the water and let the bait hang about 1 meter below the float cork.
Step 2. Use grass prawns, snails, leeches and other aquatic invertebrates
This bait is very effective for catching walleye, sauger, panfish, sunfish and trout. It's a good idea to look for this bait in the area where you're fishing because fish usually recognize it and attack it right away.
Step 3. Lure catfish with shrimp
Most people buy “bait shrimp” at bait shops. However, it is better to buy regular whole prawns at the supermarket and cut them into small pieces. This way, you get high-quality bait to catch more catfish, and if you do the math, you'll save even more.
Step 4. Use the crayfish as bait
This bait is ideal for all types of water and fish, including bass, walleye, catfish and large trout. If you're using a dead bait, cut off the head and attach the body to the hook by tucking it under the tail and sticking it in as much as possible. If the shrimp are still alive, you can attach them by piercing the base of the tail from the bottom up.
Method 4 of 5: Using Artificial Bait
Step 1. Choose an artificial bait similar to live bait (math the hatch)
Basically, this means you're using a bait that's similar to the food that the fish you're trying to catch will like. By applying this concept, you will catch more fish, regardless of species. If you want to catch catfish, know that these fish eat a wide variety of foods, not just strong-smelling bait as everyone believes.
Although "match the hatch" is very popular among trout hunters, the expression is often applied to catching all types of fish. This expression comes from the efforts of fishermen to use artificial baits by imitating insects in the area where they fish to trick the fish
Step 2. Lure fish with artificial bait
Spoons, jigs (artificial metal baits), small spinners (artificial baits that spin when pulled) and other plastic lures can be used if you want to catch cotton fish or bass. Make sure the artificial bait mimics the movements of the fish's natural prey. Place the bait around the hook until it reaches a size that fits the fish's mouth.
The components of the artificial bait will determine its movement in the water. For example, jerk baits have an oval shape and are designed to float and create spasmodic movements on the surface of the water
Step 3. Try different baits to catch cotton fish
Cottonfish (also known as sunfish, panfish and brim) are not picky when it comes to food. In addition, these fish are relatively easy to catch, regardless of what bait you use. However, whatever you choose, make sure the bait is small enough to fit the mouth size of the notoriously small fish.
If the bait is too big, the fish will pull it little by little until there is nothing left on the hook
Step 4. Use sponge bait and dip bait (sticky and smelly bait) to catch catfish
You can buy them online under various names, at bait shops or sporting goods stores, or make your own. Sponge bait and dip bait have something in common, namely that they smell very strong. These baits are usually made with at least two substances that smell very strong or foul, such as blood or offal, such as chicken liver or the entrails of other fish.
Both types of bait are used with small containers or sponge tubes to hold them in place. The downside to using this type of bait is that tubes and sponges require additional costs and equipment
Method 5 of 5: Catching Carp with Homemade Bait
Step 1. Take advantage of the carp's love of sweets
Carp like sweet bait because it comes from Asia, and usually eat fruit that falls into the water. By providing this favorite bait, you can catch a very large carp at the end of the fishing line.
Step 2. Make bait from cornbread
Set aside a box of sweetcorn flour, a can of creamed corn and 2 slices of bread. Cut the bread into small pieces and place in a container. Add the cornstarch and can of creamed corn, then use your hands to mix until smooth. Just that. The bait is ready to use.
Step 3. Make carp bait in the form of a peanut butter sandwich
Prepare the ingredients needed: 4 slices of bread, cup of bird food grains, cup of peanut butter, and cup of water. Use peanut butter and bread to make 2 sandwiches. Add bird food to the bowl. Then, cut the sandwich into small pieces, and add to the bowl.
Add the water to the bowl, then use your hands to mix until smooth
Step 4. Prepare carp bait from Kool-Aid
Set aside the ingredients needed: sachet of Kool-Aid, 2 cups instant coarse cornstarch, 1 cup plain coarse cornstarch, and 1/8 to cup warm water. Pour flour into a bowl, and add Kool-Aid, mixing until smooth. Add warm water, and stir until you get a Play-Doh-like consistency.
Step 5. Make carp bait from jelly and bread
Prepare the ingredients: 4 slices of bread, 1 sachet of strawberry jelly flour, cup of flour and cup of warm water. Dissolve the jelly flour in the warm water, then put the flour in a bowl. Break the bread into small pieces, and add to the bowl. Slowly pour in the water jelly solution and mix until smooth.
- Add a little water to the mixture until you get a Play-Doh-like consistency. When you're done, you can go fishing.
- Keep in mind that you can always add jelly to other recipes so the bait will appeal to the carp more.
