Shallow water or an abundance of the natural food source are considerations when targeting fish. A bait that rides near the surface in shallow water is easier for fish to spot than one resting on the bottom. In areas that hold schools of bait, or the surface is teeming with insects, having your bait in the action increases the chances of a strike. In situations where fish are feeding on the rise, fly bait is an effective approach.
Freshwater Fly Bait
Many people confuse fly bait with fly-fishing. Wet and dry flies are artificial, and as such, are not bait in the true sense. Freshwater fly bait can be crickets, frogs, worms, grub larvae or salamander, and you can use them without a sinker. Light line is best for freshwater fly bait. Placing hooks near the tail of the body ensures that the bait stays alive when you cast.
Fly Bait in the Ocean
The motion and flashes that bait fish create attract top water species, such tuna and barracuda. Anchovy and sardine are abundant in many oceans, and when you cast them as fly bait, they attempt to find safety in numbers by joining other bait fish. Hooking a bait fish just behind the gill allows it to swim naturally, and peeling off several yards of slack following your cast helps the bait gain momentum. Once this happens, a strike can come at any time.
Chum
In most instances, chumming the water with cut or live bait excites the fish into biting with enthusiasm. In freshwater, chum may be pieces of worm, salmon eggs or live bait. In the ocean, fishermen sprinkle cut or live bait is sprinkled in the area where they case fly bait. When fish are not striking live bait, you can cast a piece of chum as fly bait, and allow it to drift through the water column.
Hooks and Leader
When fishing fly bait, smaller hooks allow the bait to move naturally. Typically, No. 10 gold is ideal for crickets, No. 8 for grubs and small frogs and No. 6 barbed hooks for worms or night crawlers. In the ocean, No. 4 live bait hooks are best for anchovy or sardine, and No. 1/0 ring hooks are ample for mackerel and herring.
Fluorocarbon is the most effective leader, since it is lighter than monofilament of the same test, and virtually invisible in the water. Barrel swivels designed for a particular line class ensure a strong connection between the leader and line.
Fresh Fly Bait
Twist-top containers or vented tubs work well to keep insect bait and worms alive. You should keep salamander and frogs in a bucket of cool freshwater, with netting that prevents them from escaping.
Anchovy and other ocean bait fish are kept alive in a bait tank that provides a continuous supply of fresh sea water. The bait is dipped from the tank with a small hand-held net.
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