Baits

How to bait a hook (Source: Wikihow)

Artificial Bait (Source: Field and Stream, 2018)

As Frank Gorshin said ‘the finer the bait, the shorter the wait’ which is absolutely true as it’s definitely an integral factor in making the difference in actually getting a bite or just watching the fish swim by.
So what exactly is a bait? For people new to the world of fishing; a Fishing bait is an object either artificial or organic used to attract/catch fish. Baits are used in various applications from fishing hooks to fishing traps.For simplicity, I usually categorize baits as either artificial or organic/natural.
The types of baits I use are listed below:
Artificial:



Saltwater fishing:
Crankbait : Strike King KVD 1.5 Shallow Square Bill Crankbait
Jerk-bait: Strike King KVD Jerkbait
Swimbait:  LIVETARGET Blueback Herring Swimbait Slow Sink 3 1/2"
Freshwater fishing:
Finesse Worm: Zoom Bait Finesse Worm
Craw: Yum Lures YCRP202 Craw Papi Fishing Bait, Watermelon/Red, 2.75"
Jig : Terminator Pro's Jig

Organic/Natural:
Saltwater fishing:
Herring
Sardine
Squid
Mullet
Shrimp
Freshwater fishing:
Freshwater shrimp
Freshwater Conch
Earthworm

Live Bait:
Occasionally, especially in saltwater trips; live baits can be used to lure fishes that are strongly attracted to live/moving bait like the Mackerel, Baracuda and Tarpon. These fishes are sensitive to the natural movement of bait in the water. The Live Bait (usually an alive mullet or Herring) is placed on the hook without severely hampering the fish’s movement, begin very careful to avoid organs etc so that you maximize the life of your bait. The only challenge storing the bait properly to ensure that they remain in good health until placed on the hook.

Simple technique I use to bait a hook.
First of all, you should note that natural baiting takes a great deal of determination.
Below, I will show you the technique I use to bait a worm on a hook for Freshwater fishing.

Freshwater Bait: Earth worm (commonly called Night Crawlers)
Fishing for Tilapia:
Rig: Shakespeare 5 feet Agility Spinning Combowith 14lbline and size 3/0 carbon steel hook
Tip* Remember to keep your worms cool at all times. Excessive heat will dry out the worms and eventually kill them which make them very difficult to place on the hook.
Step 1:  Insert the point of the hook through the worm’s head, keeping one hand firmly on the hook and the other on the worm.
Step 2: With the worm’s head pierced; feed the rest of the worm onto the hook slowly moving upwards toward the eye of the hook, ensuring that the hook is kept inside the body of the worm.
Step3: Be very careful not to protrude the body of the worm with the hook’s point. Continue sliding the worm’s body onto the entire hook until you reach the eye.
Step 4: At this point, based on the size of your hook you should be left with a half of the worm’s body hanging of the point of the hook. This excess should be left alone as the wiggle of the worm helps to attract bites.
Step 5: Cast out and periodically retrieve your bait to ensure that the worm stays firmly on the hook.

What are your techniques for baiting?
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