The Everything Fishing Book by Ronnie Garrison

Author:Ronnie Garrison
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: F+W Media, Inc.
Published: 2003-03-25T16:00:00+00:00

Keep a sharp knife and cutting board with your fishing tackle and make cut bait anytime you want to use it. You can chop up a fish you catch or cut up one you brought along. A bigger fish is easier to handle and carry if you keep it whole until you need to cut it up later.

How to Fish Dead-Fish Bait

A mullet can be purchased cheaply in most grocery stores and cut into quarter-size pieces for catfish bait. Those pieces make good bait for still-fishing with rod and reel and also for baiting trotline and other set hooks. A six-inch gizzard shad or blueback herring can be cut in half and each half used to catch stripers, hybrid, and catfish. Troll with the tail section or fish it on the bottom on a fish finder rig for both species.

Chop menhaden in half for a bite-size bait for smaller saltwater cats, grouper, and other bottom-feeding fish. For big fish like sharks you might need to cut a ten-pound fish in half and use each half for bait. Cutting it releases blood and oil into the water to attract the sharks. Suspend big baits under a big cork or even use a balloon to keep it at the right depth for the fish you’re after.

It’s easy to cut fish into pieces on the spot for whatever purpose you need at the moment. Cut a long thin strip for more action and less drag in moving water. Cut a chunk with several skin tails for even more action. A cube might work best for bottom-fishing while a long teardrop shape will cast and retrieve better. Experiment with different shapes and sizes to see what works best.

Attractant Additives and Dyes

Over the years fishermen have dipped their bait into attractants to improve the bite. Bass fishermen have used everything from anise oil to blood, and saltwater fishermen have used blood, chum, and other mixtures to add smell to their baits. As a result, a big commercial industry has developed, and now some companies produce nothing but attractants. You can still make your own or buy a wide variety of products. You can also buy products that dye your bait and lures, and some of those also add smell.

Kinds of Additives and Dyes

There’s just about any kind of additive you could possibly want on the market. One company, Jack’s Juice, produces the following spray-on additives:

• Clam scent

• Crab scent

• Crawfish scent

• Garlic scent

• Lizard scent

• Menhaden oil

• Salty shad scent

• Shrimp scent

All these additives are put on live bait and lures to make them more attractive to fish. Other companies offer other scents so there’s a wide range to choose from. No matter what kind of fish you’re after in both salt and fresh water, there’s a scent available to attract them.

How to Use Additives and Dyes

Spray your bait with the attractant or dip your bait into it. Refresh the attractant every few casts because it wears off. When using garlic or other strong scents, you can smell them and know when they need refreshing.

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