# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Fishing >  Best handy fishing bait ?

## Sluggo

Here is a little test that everyone can add some imput on.No answer is wrong,and it may help some one.
  Here is the question- suppose your stranded,rescue will be several days possibly weeks away.You have some fishing line,a few hooks and some misc odds and ends.You have shelter,fire and are near a fishable stream.What would be your technique for catching fish,you have no bait,what would you use for bait?.......

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## DomC

I would look for some insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, palmetto bugs ( I live in Florida), earth worms, beetles and grubs. I always pack fishing hooks (single & treble), and a few artificials (plastic beetle spin grubs). You can entice small minnows with bread if you have some. I've even caught small sunfish with bread balls .
I've caught BASS with strips of white t-shirt material on a single hook. Small lizards, frogs, and toads make good bait too and are easy to catch.

Improvise, adapt, overcome and survive...

DomC  :Smile:   :Wink: 

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk HD

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## Rangefinder

When nothing else is to be had, nip about an inch or so of 550 cord and thread it on like a worm up and over the eye. Then fray out the tail over the hook. It makes a convincing "bug" in a pinch. I've caught everything from bass to trout and perch on them.
IMG_20140125_140755_zpsd666154a.jpg

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## pete lynch

> When nothing else is to be had, nip about an inch or so of 550 cord and thread it on like a worm up and over the eye. Then fray out the tail over the hook. It makes a convincing "bug" in a pinch. I've caught everything from bass to trout and perch on them.
> IMG_20140125_140755_zpsd666154a.jpg


Had to give you some rep for that one, Rangefinder.  :Smile:

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## Lamewolf

I've cuaght sunfish on just a shiney gold hook before but theres always some sort of bugs around to use for bait - at least in the area I live in.  I've also made minnow imitating lures out of aluminum foil.  Ya just got to improvise when the chips are down !

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## Batch

You could just set up a sabiki rig and carry it in your kit. We use just gold hooks rigged in a sabiki style.

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## Wildthang

A little piece of beef jerky will catch bluegills, and it stays on the hook pretty good as well! IN my large backpack, I carry one of the small bottles of salmon eggs. They last a long time and small fish of any kind cannot resist them!

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## aktrekker

You can use flowers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEh1g...2A902B&index=1

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## phreshayr

If intersted, I did a video on my youtube channel where I did some "bushcraft" fishing.  I cut a willow branch and using it as a fishing pole, I then attached a length of monofiliment and a small fishing hook from my "survival" fishing kit.  I then showed how I go out and get some insects to put on the hook.   I then catch a couple Grayling with this setup.    Man it was fun.    The video is called "Bushcraft Fishing"

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## Wildthang

Just look underneath old rotted stumps and you will find grubs. Fish cannot resist them and if you don't catch ny fish, eat your leftover grubs!

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## WhiteHorse3340

I go fishing quite frequently, and I catch my own bait almost each and every time I do so (with a cast net).  If I were stranded, and didn't have much, I'd look for a forked stick, use the shirt off my back to make a rather large dip net and catch some minnows.  It's always a wise strategy to use what's already in a larger fish's diet  :Cool: 

I always get strange looks from other fishermen...sitting on the bank next to my large tote for shad, using a bobber...they ask what I'm fishing for, and I reply "flathead".  

Another thing you can always do...is if there aren't any minnows, and you do find some worms or grubs, and end up catching something with those but it's too small...don't throw it back...that puppy becomes bait.

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## pete lynch

In my state it's illegal to use puppies for bait.

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## Rick

Well yeah. Using puppies is just sick. Now kittens is a different matter all together.

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## aktrekker

Don't pick on cats  :Nono:

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## Lamewolf

> Don't pick on cats


Yeah, don't pick on cats, they're my favorite white meat !  :Chinese:

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## aktrekker

Didn't you know pets are survival food? As DC says, live food don't spoil.

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## Sluggo

Ok,those are all good answers and will be helpful to anyone reading this.Here is something to chew on,I will call it,Guess the bait.What bait is good to catch fish,everyone has it,some have more than others,everyone always has some with them,if you run out,you can get more for free.You can loan some to your buddy,and they can loan some to you.This bait has been around for generations,yet has never been marketed to the public.This bait requires no Refridgeration,it never spoils,in fact,this bait only gets better with age.this bait has no known function ( other than a fish bait).this bait will work whether ice fishing or open water.This bait works very well on small to medium fish as well as for crawdads.This bait is easy to carry yet during strenuous exertion can cause labored breathing.This bait is self contained for a no muss,no fuss experience.I could go on and on about this wounderous miracle bait,but now it's your turn,can anyone guess what this bait is?

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## JT Handcraft

found feather or fur and lash to a safety pin that I aways have on me.  Makeshift fly rod (sapling and bank line).  Works great on panfish

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## pete lynch

> Well yeah. Using puppies is just sick. Now kittens is a different matter all together.


Never said nothing about kittens... :Shifty:

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## WhiteHorse3340

Well, talking about the ages-old conundrum of..."Do I use this for bait, or do I eat it?" Is making me hungry.

thats-suspicious.jpg

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## WhiteHorse3340

I remember seeing this quite some time ago...but have never tried it.  They recommend multiple traps, and they look easy enough to make.  I have successfully made crawfish traps and containers to keep them alive in, as well.  But this is another thing to consider when hunting for bait.

http://sensiblesurvival.blogspot.com...r-plastic.html

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## WhiteHorse3340

> Ok,those are all good answers and will be helpful to anyone reading this.Here is something to chew on,I will call it,Guess the bait.What bait is good to catch fish,everyone has it,some have more than others,everyone always has some with them,if you run out,you can get more for free.You can loan some to your buddy,and they can loan some to you.This bait has been around for generations,yet has never been marketed to the public.This bait requires no Refridgeration,it never spoils,in fact,this bait only gets better with age.this bait has no known function ( other than a fish bait).this bait will work whether ice fishing or open water.This bait works very well on small to medium fish as well as for crawdads.This bait is easy to carry yet during strenuous exertion can cause labored breathing.This bait is self contained for a no muss,no fuss experience.I could go on and on about this wounderous miracle bait,but now it's your turn,can anyone guess what this bait is?


It sounds like a bait that is contained within/on your body somewhere...but I don't know what it is.

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## Batch

I have built several types of minnow traps. Caught all manner of bait in them from minnows, sunfish, crawfish and even caught a Greater Siren. 

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## Sluggo

Whitehorse,you are correct,I will give one more hint that should give it away.Hint- you can't get kids to eat brussesprouts,but they will freely eat these.

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## Batch

Are they boogers?

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## WhiteHorse3340

> Are they boogers?



Boy I sure hope not...




> .Here is something to chew on...


 :No:

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## Sluggo

> Are they boogers?


You are correct,boogers are Gods gift for survival fish bait.It only takes one to get you started!

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## tnrick55

If you want something that wont spoil. Get a can of hole corn small fish and trout, suckers and carp love it.

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## postman

I always recommend and carry flies in my fishing kit. No bait required, and most fish love them.

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## Wildthang

Ex Lax is the best bait ever created for fishing!






































You crumble it up and cast it into the water, and when the fish crawl out on the bank to take a dump, you hit them with a stick :Smartass:

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## Chassit

I will second the poster that mentioned grasshoppers.  I have never found a better bait that can be easily harvested in the field (even above 10,000').  You can even eat whatever you have left (just make sure to cook 'em as they can carry parasites.  Tapeworm as I recall...)

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## Adventure Wolf

> When nothing else is to be had, nip about an inch or so of 550 cord and thread it on like a worm up and over the eye. Then fray out the tail over the hook. It makes a convincing "bug" in a pinch. I've caught everything from bass to trout and perch on them.
> Attachment 9803


That is good to know.

Back to the OP. I would go search rotting tree stumps and logs for bugs to use for bait. I like to find nice big grubs, and thread them on my hook.

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## bbb211

> When nothing else is to be had, nip about an inch or so of 550 cord and thread it on like a worm up and over the eye. Then fray out the tail over the hook. It makes a convincing "bug" in a pinch. I've caught everything from bass to trout and perch on them.
> Attachment 9803


Man! That's brilient!

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## Tokwan

Yep..good practice on the paracord as bait...another is a minnow or a shrimp crab if you only have a mineral bottle made of plastic, simply cut one third of the top of the bottle, turn it around and reverse the part with the top inside, secure it to stream bed with rocks....and come back after 4 hrs.

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## TXyakr

I have found that there is really no magic bait. I have unexpectedly caught bass and crappie on fish guts and rotting chicken liver (was expecting catfish). What really makes a difference is technique and timing, fish feed on cycles and can be triggered to strike both artificial and real bait. Anything flexible like a silicone strip or natural plant fiber "wacky rigged" so that it has maximum "action" and positioned just in front of where you expect the game fish to be can get it to strike. If you have masked your scent with insect/fish/animal oils the fish will not spit it out as fast giving you a second or more to set the hook. While fishing in clear water of the Frio River once I carefully wiggled a wacky rigged soft plastic stick bait in front of a black bass for almost 15 minutes before she struck it then spit it out in about 1.5 seconds. Very educational.

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## Adventure Wolf

Hmm another option would be brightly colored plastic. I've heard of it working and read about it a couple times, but I've never tried it.

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## hunter63

Shuuuuuush....secret stuff.......

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## hunter63

> Ex Lax is the best bait ever created for fishing!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Shuuuuuush....secret stuff.......

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## TXyakr

A rubber band tied to a small hook (size 10 down to 24) can work almost as well as those rubber/silicone legs sold in fly shops. I especially like thin wire "dry fly" hooks for best action. Often use a brass swivel as weight instead of split shot which can weaken light tippet. Also if light may float up if tied about 12-18" from weight. Good for trout and sun fish etc but I have also caught bass, crappie, catfish and sucker fish with this rig.

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## TXyakr

Berkley's Floating Trout worms wacky rigged on a dry fly hook are one of the easiest methods of catching trout, pan fish and small bass I have found. There are many variations to this method, weedless or not, with a weight or just floating on the surface, or sinking slowly by the weight of the hook etc etc. Weight added to line foot from the hook or wire run into the soft plastic, centered or one end. I prefer to place hook at weighted center of worm, keep weight 18" before or after hook, cast it at seam in stream where fast and slow water meet. But there are many other brands and natural alternatives to this bait, stem of leaf such as willow can work if you get the technique down, dried guts/skin from dead squirrel or fish. Here are some helpful links:

http://www.berkley-fishing.com/Power...efault,pd.html

http://www.bassfishingandcatching.co...m-fishing.html

As most experience fishermen will tell you, the bright colors generally work better in low light and stained/muddy waters but in very clear waters the more natural colors may be less likely to spook the fish or cause them to think it is just trash or plant blooms they normally do not eat. However, some caddis nymphs are bright colors like chartreuse so you never know. Best to lift some rocks and aquatic plants and find out what types of nymphs are living there. I once got stung by a aquatic bug that felt like a bumble bee, but the swelling went down after 2 hours, so no big deal. Then when you catch 1st fish, inspect its digestive system to see what it has been eating and adjust accordingly.

When sport fishing, I prefer caddis dry flies and a light fly rod, such as 3 weight. Or whatever the hatch is.
Major hatch is on, I will catch more with wet caddis fly than with plastic worm. If not plastic worm down deeper.

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## TXyakr

How to catch small minnows with just one functional hand and no other tools beside a stream, river, lake, pond, or ocean. Ideal in areas such as mountains or deserts where vegetation is scarce and there are few insects or they are difficult to catch.




This is basically a variation of a tidal pool, but on a very small scale and most tidal pool hand fishing is no longer legal. In grade school my sister and I damed up a tidal pool on an island at the mouth of the Amazon that had a fresh water stingray in it. As the water continued to drain from it we threw stones at the ray knocking its venomous barbed tail off and eventually killing it. A nice 2 pound (1 kilogram) meal of mostly protein for a couple of young kids. Much less boney than the piranha we had caught on smaller rivers. We killed those with a machete before attempting to clean them, they are very bitty, even after dead. :sweatingbullets:

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## 1stimestar

We catch salmon with pink yarn.

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## crashdive123

So that's how they get pink salmon. :Whistling:

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## Adventure Wolf

That minnow trap was going to be the next DIY project I posted on the forum. I will do something else.

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## Tokwan

I'd love to see CD wearing Pink!

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## pgvoutdoors

I'm surprised no one has suggested using a cigarette butt.  It was one of the first things I learned as a child, mainly because almost everyone smoked and many cigarette butts were thrown into the water.  Just take a bit of the filter and secure it to a hook.  Used butts work just fine.  Panfish love them!

PS - I'm not a smoker or ever have been, just an observation.

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## Rollicks

I've seen some videos on youtube where people caught fish with gummy bears and gummy worms. I've had zero luck with that as bait. I've heard corn works, but they won't let us use it at our lakes. Stinky feet also seems to work. I was standing in a lake and a trout swam right up to my toes. I nearly grabbed the little bugger, but I reacted too quickly and dropped my pole in the water. I've stopped buying hooks, swivels and sinkers. If you walk around the banks that are commonly fished, there is an endless supply of the stuff snagged in trees or packed into mud. You can make the lake a little safer for wildlife and people by cleaning it up, so that's another plus.

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## Wise Old Owl

> A little piece of beef jerky will catch bluegills, and it stays on the hook pretty good as well! IN my large backpack, I carry one of the small bottles of salmon eggs. They last a long time and small fish of any kind cannot resist them!




Must have been a oily Slim Jim!

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## flyakker

Bump! Because I have really enjoyed peoples contributions to this thread! I have learned a few things, too!

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## hunter63

Hunter63 saying Hey and Welcome....From Wisconsin.
There is a intro section if you would like to introduce your self to the group...

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...-Introductions

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## Durtyoleman

As a kid in Florida and Louisiana I caught blue gill by simply spitting on a hook then using the eyes and guts from the first and subsequent fish as bait for more.

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## hunter63

What did you use for the first one?

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## Durtyoleman

I spit on the hook. Granted this works best in still waters like small lakes and ponds. Moving waters tend to wash the hook clean fast.

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## Graf

See what natural insects they might be eating if not worms, grubs, I would also try fish weir. Another thing that works is finding road know kill that's ripe with maggots and laying it on a branch above the water the maggots end up in the water and attract ALOT of fish.

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## Rick

I just threw up in my mouth a little. 

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## madmax

> See what natural insects they might be eating if not worms, grubs, I would also try fish weir. Another thing that works is finding *road know kill that's ripe with maggots and laying it on a branch above the water the maggots end up in the water* and attract ALOT of fish.


Man!  It's been 30 or 40 years since I heard that technique. BTW.  It works.

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## Graf

> I just threw up in my mouth a little. 
> 
> Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.


You seem to do that on a few of my post

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## Rick

We must live in different gastronomic worlds.

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## Graf

> We must live in different gastronomic worlds.


I think you were trying to use every letter in the alphabet with that word, bet you play scramble

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## Rick

I'm too old to scramble anything but eggs.

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## Shady Slim

The best bait is a silver or gold spoon.

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## crashdive123

And if you don't have one handy?

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## Wise Old Owl

> A little piece of beef jerky will catch bluegills, and it stays on the hook pretty good as well! IN my large backpack, I carry one of the small bottles of salmon eggs. They last a long time and small fish of any kind cannot resist them!


High salt products clearly are winning when fishing.

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## Wise Old Owl

> And if you don't have one handy?


Tin foil, tin can, anything shiny that vibrates the water when dragged.

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## Shady Slim

> You could just set up a sabiki rig and carry it in your kit. We use just gold hooks rigged in a sabiki style.


Sabiki rigs are killer baitfish rigs. Baitfish in Florida are 6 to 8 inches long. Also mackerel will tear them up also so the larger hook ones are better if they start hitting your rig. Most of the time if you drop a 8 hook rig down near a bouy or marker you will pull up a full load every time. Doing this though will destroy your Sabiki rig in about 15 minutes. 

By the way, on the TV show "Wicked Tuna", they use Sabiki rigs to catch their smaller bait fish.

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## Shady Slim

> And if you don't have one handy?


Just says the "best bait". Doesn't say what to use if you have nothing. However, if you are going to go through the trouble of fishing with tackle like hooks and line but maybe no rod, why would you not bring some kind of artificial?

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## crashdive123

> Just says the "best bait". Doesn't say what to use if you have nothing. However, if you are going to go through the trouble of fishing with tackle like hooks and line but maybe no rod, why would you not bring some kind of artificial?


You may want to go back and read the original post.

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## Rick

OOh. See? That right there is why you should read the posts and not just look at the pictures.

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## Wise Old Owl

Hooters.jpgDid he just post that....?

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