Bait??
 

Question.....is the success of catching a personal best or even a tourney winning trout on live bait diminished when compared to catching the same fish on hardware? There is no right answer...only opinions

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In my opinion... NO

The goal is to catch fish... it doesn't matter what bait you use.

Some guys look down on people that buy live shrimp... what if you catch them yourself?
Is this allowed? I say it doesn't matter what you use.

Just for the record, I rarely use live bait just because of the expense.
I mostly throw soft plastics.

I catch all my own bait and mostly only use bait. I feel it takes just as much skill to make that big fish bite a live bait. Still have to be in the right spot and that's most of the battle

In many years of offshore fishing there were many trips that the frozen bait stayed in the box as we would catch our own live bait and use minimal tackle. For me that meant no swivels etc.. Direct tie of leader to line, hook to leader. I received a sense of pleasure being able to leave the dock with a cast net, a few sabiki rigs, and hooks and egg sinkers and catch a box of fish. Now that I fish inshore/nearshore I still like fishing the same way although I will fish artificial also. Either way it takes skill to locate, entice, hook and boat the big ones. I'm good either way.

In the middle of summer and when fishing offshore for BIG TROUT.. Live Croaker are the way to go. U can catch a few on plastic, but have witnessed 3-4# coming over side of boat 2 casts from me. While we are throwing plastic. U can catch on plastic, but give me some live croaker everytime.

Personally I think you should be proud either way. Currently one of my personal best trout have been caught on live bait the other on plastic. The most recent was live bait we caught that morning so I fell better knowing that we did everything to make that bite happen.

But honestly I would be more proud of a fish I caught on plastic and the other good trout I caught we were fishing trout offshore with croaker and or cocahoes when I decided to walk up to the bow and make some casts with plastic to give the guys some room in back of the boat.

I exclusively throw plastic...and when i have a good day, or place in a tourney that allows bait, and can manage to cash a check against guys that are soaking....for me...it makes that success a little bit sweeter...(that being said...soakers usually beat me) lol

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I dont fish with bait mainly cause its too much hassle and you catch too much trash. I also like to trick the trout with artificial baits. I buy live bait a few times a year when I have family in from out of state that request it, and usually I will catch as much or more than them using artificial. It just not fun for me to throw a croaker out there and let it sit, but to each his own.

This brings up another point.... Does it mean less to catch a personal best with a guide than by yourself? I say no because the fish still has to bite, but I know a few people that say it wouldnt mean as much to em.

Fish in the way you enjoy and get satisfaction from. If it's meaningfull and fullfilling to you is what matters. If it's legal and ethical I don't really care how you fish. I like to fish the way I do because it's what challenges me and gives me enjoyment.

Depends on pride

I don't want my PB to come off live bait

I rather use my skills and technique to trick a big fish into eating something not natural

Soaking live bait is zero skills involved and your only casting and waiting for a bite

Catching fish with live bait doesn't mean you have zero skills.

I agree that soaking live bait might not be as skillful as working an artificial lure but working a lure is only part of catching fish.

If you can read the tides/wind/weather and know where to fish that is also a skill.

Even using live bait does require some skill level... learning to keep your line tight or using a cork at the correct depth are skills.
Lord knows I've seen enough people "try" to throw a castnet to know that is definitely a skill.

Someone might say to chunk and retrieve an artificial bait requires no skill... I don't agree with that either.

There are subtleties with all forms of fishing that are skillful... I might agree that some are more or less skillful than others but I think it is false to say ANY style requires ZERO skill.

I don't fish for trout but to me any kind of fishing is all about fish in the freezer. Get them any way you can and eat well. I enjoy fishing but don't do it for the fun of it. I do it because I love to eat fish and I'll use anything that lets me bring home more to eat. I don't play catch and release. When I hit my limit I go home. Just how I am and I know not everyone is that way. Fish the way that makes you happy.

Waiting on a bite is too passive for me to enjoy it. When chunking hardware, i think im actively trying to catch them instead of sitting there waiting on a rod to bend.

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I look at it like this. Say your hunting buddy drops a huge 10 point with his 300 mag. Is anyone going to be saying"that would be a big deer if you used a bow or muzzle loader but it's just a so so deer now?" I don't think so. End result is the same.

The question was posed as personal satisfaction....not what others think

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I understood that and that's why I said fish the way that makes you happy. Heck I'd use dynamite if they'd let me.lol

Live
 

I used to fish with a friend that would regularly tell me that I was a better fisherman than him, but I didn't think so, and I started to pay attention. I finally realized that we fished about even with artificial (our preferred) bait, but I consistently caught more than him using live.

There is no doubt that successfully fishing - and maximizing - with live bait for trout takes some knowledge.

Knowledge comes from listening, observing and through the accumulation of gear and bait and the application of technique. A commitment - not an insignificant investment in funds and time - makes success very well attainable.

Hardware fishing requires the same amount of knowledge, maybe more. But less of a commitment of disposable assets. And it takes more effort and practice to master it.

I caught my personal best on a hard bait. It'd have been less satisfying if I'd have caught it on a croaker sitting on the bottom.

Since I like catching bait better than catching fish, I have to ask myself "Do I get more satisfaction out of catching shrimp with pogy meal or without"? I would have to say catching shrimp with pogy meal is more satisfying. At 58, I don't have to throw that net as often. However, to answer your question, while I do fish with bait often and am in no way ashamed of it, I would find it more satisfying to catch my personal best fish on artificial.

My personal best came on a great top water bite several years ago; but sometimes you can wear them out on live shrimp/pogeys, while the rubber guys sit and watch!!

That said, rubber is my first choice due to its ease of use.

Some people like to feed the fish, I personally like to trick them.

If there was no effort and no cost involved with using live bait, everyone would have it in their livewell. Usually having it is an insurance policy, and if you have it, you don't need it. We've all been out there on days when there is no artificial bait that works, but the guy with live shrimp is at least catching something. Saying that you would never use live bait is the same as saying you've found the one lure that you like best, and you are never going to bring any other lures out there with you. It means you are ignoring something that works and being completely close minded.

For personal satisfaction, if I was just randomly fishing on a bank on a normal day with live shrimp under a cork and then I caught a personal best, that would be a blind squirrel finding a nut. There's no satisfaction in sitting around and waiting for fish to come to you. But if I was breaking out live bait on a day that only live bait was working, and had to grind it out and hustle before I managed to find that trophy trout, that would be one of the most satisfying days there is. On a day like that, there's no sense in leaving the best tool in the tool belt. You've gotta do what works.

Fishing w/ 2-4 poles using live bait will keep you busy. Too many times I've been hooked up almost non-stop, reeling in trout, while boat loads of guys chunking plastic just look on in envy.

Live menhaden has always filled my freezer up. If you got a problem with it, learn how to throw a cast net or shut your pie hole.

Just getting caught up on the thread...yall are very opinionated

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