Best Live Baits for Saltwater Fishing

Best Natural And Live Baits To Use In Saltwater

According to the experts, to be successful in saltwater fishing, you need to use the right bait for the right type of fish. That is why it is important to know what bait to use if you want to catch a particular kind of fish, such as bluefish.

Fish will detect their next meal in only three different ways, including movement, sound, and scent. So when you choose your saltwater bait, you need to take the way fish feed into consideration to be successful.

Come find out what types of live and natural bait you need to have a good catch and how to use it.

The Best Live And Natural Bait For Saltwater Fish

Many experts have found that saltwater fish are not fooled easily with a lure, so you need to find live bait to catch saltwater fish. Luckily for us, there is a myriad of live and natural baits that can be used to catch the big fish.

To use natural and live bait to catch fish will cost you nothing more than a couple of minutes of digging in the sand. Most people love to make use of live bait to catch saltwater fish to improve their overall fishing skills.

It is also the best way to trick saltwater fish into believing it is real fish in the water, so they will go after it. There is an extensive range of live baits that can be used for fishing for saltwater fish that are easy to obtain.

These types of baits can be bought from any fishing shop near you or where you may go to do some fishing. You can also catch these live baits yourself and save some on the go while improving your knowledge of these baits.

We will take a look at what types of baits are best for what fish and how you can catch it yourself if it is possible.

Bloodworms

For those anglers who want to fish for stripers and spots, bloodworms are the best type of bait to use. There is also a wide range of other saltwater species that can be caught by using bloodworms as bait, such as bluefish.

Some people say it is the red color of the bloodworms that attracts the fish when they want to feed. It is not certain whether it is the color or the fact that they wiggle in the water or just their smell.

You can easily dig for them on a rocky beach when the tide is low, and you find them with a little bit of scooping. If you are lucky, you may also find some other bait types while digging for bloodworms in the sand.

They look a lot like earthworms but come with that distinctive red color; just be wary when you look for bloodworms. Use gloves to prevent being bitten by them because they have a nasty sting when they bite you.

Getting enough bloodworms for a day’s catch will only take a few minutes of your time for a lot of great catches.

Sand Crabs

Sand crabs, or sand fleas as they are known among anglers, are a very popular type of live bait for surf fishing. They are a good bait to catch a wide range of fish from the shore, such as redfish and black drums.

You can also use sand crabs to fish for sheepshead, which is the favorite type of food for this species of fish. Simply hook it through the side of the shell and start fishing. You may find even other fish species going for this live bait.

To catch these sand crabs on the beach is easy. You only need to go to the beach with fishing gear and a small net. Look at the swash zone to find small bumps in the sand, and you will find sand crabs.

Simply use a net to scoop up those small bumps in the sand, and they will land inside the net. Make sure the net is strong enough to dig into the soft sand of the beach, and you will have no problem scooping them up.

Luckily there is no wrong way to catch sand crabs; you can even use your hands to scoop them up with the sand.

Mussels

Since mussels are a main type of food for most saltwater fish types, you can easily use them as bait to catch fish. It is also better to use fresh mussels instead of frozen mussels because the smell will attract fish much faster.

Mussels can be easily attached to the hook, and if you are using small ones, several mussels can be added to cover the hook. Mussels can be used to catch a wide range of saltwater fish species, and harvesting them yourself will cost you nothing for bait.

Because mussels can be a bit loose and sloppy, you need to wind a bit of cotton string around the mussels to secure them. Try to pierce the mussel more than once with the hook, then slide it up to make space for more mussels.

You can easily harvest mussels from the rocks if the water is not polluted and clean, just to be on the safe side. The best time to harvest for mussels is when it is low spring tide, so when the water is low, it will expose the mussels.

Squid

Squid is a very popular type of bait when it comes to saltwater fishing all around the world to secure great catches. Snappers, lingcod, as well as trout, are some of the many different saltwater fish you may catch by using squid.

If you are looking to catch larger fish with squid, it is best to use whole squid or large portions for salmon or bigger fish types. Squid can easily be obtained for any fishing or bait shop near you or wherever you want to catch saltwater fish.

If you want to use freshly caught squid, you can easily do that, which is much better and cheaper than buying it. All you need is a light fishing rod as well as a light braided fishing line, so you easily feel when the squid grabs.

Add a weight to the end of the line, and about 16 inches above that, you can add the jig and leader. You can now throw the line and let it sink slowly to the bottom. Then you need to start jigging it slowly until the fish grabs it.

The best way to catch fish with squid is by casting and then letting it sink to the bottom and slowly jiggle the line. Some people may fish differently for squid, but you need to find the way that works the best for you.

Cut Anchovies

With cut anchovies, you can also catch a wide range of saltwater fish which includes such species as striped bass. Anchovies can be found at any fishing or bait shop and are available all around the world for bait to catch larger fish.

Cut the anchovy into three pieces and put a piece on the hook while it is still frozen so it can stay securely on the hook. When you hook the pieces of anchovy, make sure you push it all the way up the shank of the hook.

This way, you can be sure it is adequately secured to the hook, and this will work the head, as well as the other pieces. Keep the anchovies frozen on ice when you go out fishing with them because they will fall off the hook when thawed.

You can also catch your own anchovies freshly so you will have enough bait, and it will cost you nothing at all. The best time to catch your own anchovies is when the sun goes down or when it is busy coming up.

Even if you catch your own anchovies for bait, it is best to keep them frozen so they will easily attach to the hook.

Clam Worms

Clam worms are mostly used for catching saltwater species such as flounder and sea trout, as well as blackfish, to name only a few. Clam worms are also called sandworms or ragworms and can be bought from any bait shop or fishing and tackle shop.

Clam worms can grow to become large, so you can either use them whole or cut them into pieces to fit on the hook. If you are looking to catch bigger fish, the bigger the worm, the better, so a whole worm can be hooked.

Many people catch these worms and use them as bait to catch other types of fish to use as bait for even larger fish types. But you can simply use the clam worms as bait to catch relatively large species of saltwater fish as well.

You can easily find the clam worms in beach sand wherever you are fishing, where they feed on the algae. These worms can be found the same way you will look for bloodworms.

The simplest way to find the worms is to dig in the sand and scoop the sand into something where you can quickly rinse the sand.

Clams

It is not easy to use clams when they are already dead, so the best way is to use fresh clams for fishing with them. Clams are a good bait to use when you want to catch saltwater fish, such as blackfish and striped bass.

You will be able to catch a long list of saltwater fish with clams because it is one of the main food fish are feeding on. When you use fresh clams, the meat will stay for much longer on the hook, so you can easily use it.

When you buy clams from the bait shop, make sure they are still fresh because clams quickly deteriorate. To catch your own clams is actually very easy. You only need to find their holes on the beach and put some water in those holes.

You will find that the clams will try to get rid of the water and push it upwards out of the hole. Just keep on filling the hole with water; they will come to the surface and you will be able to grab them.

See the following Youtube video for easy instructions on how to catch clams on the beach.

Crabs

There is a wide range of crabs available for you to use as bait to catch many different types of saltwater fish. These crabs include blue crabs, fiddler crabs, and soft-shell crabs, which can be easily caught by hand. But to be on the safe side, you can use a length of line with a small piece of chicken or a chicken bone attached. There are many more other types of crabs available that are high up on the list of food for all types of gamefish.

Shallow bays and creeks are some of the best places to catch crabs which can be used for bait to catch larger fish types. Crabs are also a very effective bait to catch all types of fish, even those you want to use as bait to catch larger fish.

Hardshell crabs can be used to catch saltwater fish species such as tarpon and black drum and many more other fish types. With the soft-shell crabs, you can easily catch snook, redfish, and blackfish, but also those you can catch with hardshell crabs.

If you cut the crab into pieces, you can also catch a wide range of smaller saltwater fish types quickly and easily.

Conclusion

As you can see, there is a wide range of creatures that can be used as live bait for small, medium, and large saltwater fish species. Most of these animals can be found in and around the water, so they are easily accessible for the innovative anglers out there.

Hopefully, this will help you improve your overall fishing skills and make it far more fun to go out fishing. Happy bait hunting and fishing!