# Live bait vs. Artificial bait?



## Bowhunter57 (Feb 9, 2011)

What's your bait preference for stripers?
* Live bait such as leaches, minnows, crawlers or chicken livers and simular bait.
* Crankbaits, spoons, spinners, etc.

So far, I've only tried trolling with floating crankbaits. I have yet to catch one, but the water temps have been very high, in my opinion, around 82 to 84 degrees. Perhaps they'll become more active when the water temps are in the mid 70s.

Thank you, Bowhunter57


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## boonecreek (Dec 28, 2006)

i do extremly good/w all the above, with the exception of live bait. and the addiction a grubs and swim baits os different colasr. AND DON,T FORGET THE SMACK.


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

Which is "best" ? Live bait, hands down. I prefer artificial for numerous reasons but when it comes to probability of catching fish, there's no beating a live fish as bait, can't get more natural than that!


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## Mean Morone (Apr 12, 2004)

You would think that live bait would be the best choice in most instances, but I've had times when the fish weren't active and wouldn't hit live bait. Toss a lure in the same area and it's on.


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## fishing247 (May 12, 2007)

a few weeks ago i was at watts bar dam using large shiners. we went through 2 dozen the 1st day catching stripers, smallies, channel and blue cats, drum and white bass.

so the next day we bought 4 dozen to make sure we didn't run out again. well, we couldn't get them to hit so started throwing swim-baits and crank baits and tore them up. i caught 4 stripers on a bandit 100. we threw out 2 dozen shiners and the other 2 dozen probably only caught us 5 fish.

so how's that for an answer. it's up to the mood of the fish i guess.


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

All that tells me is that you weren't using the _right_ live bait.


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## fishing247 (May 12, 2007)

we were using the _left_ bait not _right_ bait.


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## katfish ken (Feb 5, 2010)

I like the bait the fish will hit!!! So I have used both live and artificial with fair results.. When I go for striped/hybrids I start with artificial, but will use live if I have to..


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## Intracoastal (Sep 12, 2009)

Live bait is often too much hassle and maintenance, so I vote artificials. Plenty of times I'd say lures have a better chance of getting hit than a live bait, plus it's easier to adjust/adapt size or weight, so rod loading/casting is simplified. It often requires more rigging for live bait. And what of color? Are there not times where non-natural colors seem to be preferred? 

I agree that it takes more work to convince a fish to not eat a live bait than to eat it, whereas lures require a lot of deceptive work. But sometimes they are the ticket.


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

Was out with the cast net tonight. Quickly reminded me why I love lures & flies so much.


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## nitsud (May 22, 2010)

I actually like the castnetting part of fishing live bait pretty well. It's pretty gratifying to see a nice pancake hitting the water and coming back with a load of shad. It's the hauling the net and bucket that I'm not so fond of.

As far as the fishing goes, I like it all. Sometimes, you just want to catch a fish. Sometimes, you want a challenge and are willing to accept lower probability.


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## boonecreek (Dec 28, 2006)

i never could through one, looks like a ball hitting the water. its funnie looking. lol


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

My buddy Buzzin' showed me how to throw one a while back & it has served me well. I can throw a 6 footer to the end of the rope with the net wide open. 


I even caught the bottom of the river a couple times!


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## I Fish (Sep 24, 2008)

I seem to do better with artificials. I'm really lucky in that my wife is a natural born net thrower. I've never seen anything like it! I showed her one time, and she gets a perfect circle every time, and makes me look like a total newb!


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## The Yeti (Mar 17, 2009)

boonecreek said:


> i do extremly good/w all the above, with the exception of live bait. and the addiction a grubs and swim baits os different colasr. AND DON,T FORGET THE SMACK.


Does your bait come in a baggie you got from a guy standing on a street corner?


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## boonecreek (Dec 28, 2006)

i,m not to sure how to anser that ? the baggie and street corner thing through me off. may the miss spelling of of thje word adddictions . any way its all good ,long as it don,t get back to work. !!!!!


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## boonecreek (Dec 28, 2006)

referring to smack tackle; not the other thing ur thinking about. had to think on just what u were referring to SMACK LOL.


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## USMC_Galloway (May 13, 2011)

Went out to my spot to try to catch one a striper. Went out with lures from the get go. Running one larger, and one small, nothing besides some LM. 

Switched up to live bait, some 6-8 inch chubs hooked though the back behind the dorsal fin on a slip bobber to a depth that I kept marking big fish. It only took 20 mins to get what I was looking for! 

Only thing this shows is ya gotta keep switching it up until you find what they want.


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

Good to see those young striper coming out of Kiser! Hopefully they grow into more giants.


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## ShutUpNFish (Apr 17, 2007)

I know they are hard to get, but try soft shell crabs....Best bait I have used for wipers by far. They never even hit the bottom without getting bit!

As far as artificials....believe it or not wal-mart used to carry an off brand lure called a Renegade stick bait....tenesse shad with holographic sides was the hot color and just twitched on the surface at night was deadly in my parts.


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## boonecreek (Dec 28, 2006)

ShutUpNFish said:


> I know they are hard to get, but try soft shell crabs....Best bait I have used for wipers by far. They never even hit the bottom without getting bit!
> 
> As far as artificials....believe it or not wal-mart used to carry an off brand lure called a Renegade stick bait....tenesse shad with holographic sides was the hot color and just twitched on the surface at night was deadly in my parts.


do they work in fresh water like the ohio river?


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

boonecreek said:


> do they work in fresh water like the ohio river?


Surely. Anything that has that kind of legitimate, seafood smell is going to work. It gets through the water column quickly & will bring fish in. Same reason shrimp works so well.


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