Do you need some fancy swimbait? Or will a more basic crankbait do you just fine? It’s hard to know what to get until you decide what you’re planning to catch. If you know you want to snag a catfish, then you need the best catfish bait, right?
Some lures are real workhorses, and they’ll attract a variety of species. Others are a bit more specialized, and may require some special handling. Give some thought to your preferred catch, including how it likes to eat, where it feeds and how it acts at different times of the day.
Try to put yourself in the fish’s shoes – or fins, perhaps. A few time-tested options I’ve found include:
- Plastic worms work great for largemouth bass in a variety of rigs. Bass also tend to go after skirted jigs year-round.
- Flies are the go-to bait for fishing trout. These lures usually have a single hook with a skirt made of hair, feathers or other natural materials. Powerbait can be another successful bait for trout.
- Spinnerbait works well for bass and any other species that like to hang out in the weeds, since they’re unlikely to get tangled up in debris or laydowns.
Once you’ve searched for “fishing bait near me,” you may be able to find a local shop that can give you the lay of the land (or water) for fish in your area. Keep in mind, though, that anglers are an opinionated bunch (myself included).
There are many tried-and-true baits for popular species, such as bass or trout, but your choices may be less clear for other types of fish. For example, if you’re looking for the best catfish bait, you’ll quickly notice every angler has a different recommendation (and every angler is sure his preference is the best).
