It is amazing to me that more fisherman do not use live baits to catch bass. You do not need a expensive boat and rod and reels either, many large bass have been caught from the bank using live baits on simple live bait rigs. Some of the largest largemouth bass trophies have been caught using live bait. Actually you find very little fishing pressure from other bass fisherman if you fish for bass using live baits and you can use this fact to your advantage. My article today will focus on two proven bass living baits that I have had great success using to catch some nice largemouth bass.
Fishing for largemouth bass using live shiners, and bluegills.
There are two types of shiners that make excellent live baits for bass. Both types of shiners are similar in size, but have some distinguishing differences in appearance. They are the golden shiner and the striped shiner. You can purchase either type of these shiners at your local bait shop, but if you can catch them in the wild they are more hardy. You can catch them in small streams in the deeper pools using very small hooks and using bread crumbs as bait.
The golden shiner's main habitat is in the Eastern States but they have been introduced throughout the United States as bait fish. Their normal size is 3 to 6 inches and they have a deep body with back being a dark green or olive color. The larger golden shiners develop a golden color. To identify them count the dorsal fin they will have 8 rays.
The striped shiner is similar in size to golden shiner but they have silvery sides with a darker color back. The also have distinguishing stripes that form a v behind the dorsal fin. They are native to the north but can be found throughout the Eastern States also.
The bream, bluegill or sunfish fish is a very common fish that is part of the sunfish family. You can catch them with small hooks or plastic jigs throughout the United States. You want to keep bluegills , bream or sunfish you catch that are 3 to 4" in length they make the best live bait for bass. Before you fish with blues check with your states DNR fishing regulations.
How to set up your live bait rigs for largemouth bass using golden and stripped shiners.
1.0 Pick the right largemouth bass rod and reel combo.
I use a heavy duty open face reel spooled with 15 to 20lb test fireline. Fireline is a bit expensive, but you can reduce the diameter of your lines by 50% witch is great when you want to fish higher test lines. The rod I use is a 7ft heave duty spin cast rod.
2.0 Here is the setup method for a live bait slip bobber rig for largemouth bass fishing.
Slide a slip bobber about 4 to 6 inches in length up your line. Next slide a bead and a bobber stop up your line. You will need this to adjust your depth. Tie on a three way ball bearing swivel to the line next. Cut off a 14 inch piece of fireline and tie one end to the open bottom eyelet on your ball bearing three way swivel. Next tie on a 1/4oz bass sinker to the other end of the line. Cut a 12 inch piece of fireline and tie one end to the open eyelet of the three way swivel. Next Tie a number 4/0 or 5/0 circle hook to the other end of the line. Make sure the leader and circle hook can rotate freely 360 degrees, because the bass live baits need to be able to move freely in a circling motion.
3.0 Here's the correct method to hook your live golden, stripped shiners and bluegills, bream, or sunfish to your live bait bass rig.
It is very important how you hook you live bass bait because the bait needs to swim freely to attract the bass. Largemouth bass do not normally hit a dead bait so you need to check your baits frequently. To hook your shiners slide the 4 / 0 circle hook either through the eye socket on larger baits or right behind the dorsal fin on smaller baits. To hook your bluegills either hook them through the lips or right behind the dorsal fin. Make sure that either the shiners or bluegills can swim freely after you cast.
Well folks that concludes my article on catch bass with live bait,catch bass with live shiners,catch bass with bluegills,live bait fishing for bass,using live bait to catch largemouth bass,using bluegills to catch largemouth bass,using shiners to catch largemouth bass,golden shiner,striped shiners. May your next fishing trip be a success!
Check out Mark's website to get some amazing fishing information and fishing articles loaded with fishing tips about using bluegills to catch largemouth bass that really work!
Download your Free Copy of Bass Fishing Secret Weapon Special Report At:
http://www.oldfishinghole.com/blog/index.php/2009/06/15/bass-fishing-secret-weapon-special-report/
Get Your Free Fishing Tips About
using bluegills to catch largemouth bass Here!
