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Artificial bait?

dougo83

dougo83

Joined
Feb 28, 2008
Messages
4,834
Ok..I am re-engineering my daypack. I was wondering, do any of y'all throw in artificial bait for fishing or just rely on worms or whatever you can find?
 
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When bass fishing I only throw artificials, but in my survival kit I rely mostly on hooks intended for live bait. However for winter months I would toss in a few ice fishing jigs. Rappala makes the best in my oppinion.
 
Ok..what do you use for survival fishing? I carry only the hand reel-deal that came with an old bamboo pole, some hooks, a few small weights, and a small cork. If I buy the Emmrod, I will probably include some more gear.
 
I haven't tried them yet, but I was thinking along the same lines as you a few months ago. I bought some psuedo salmon eggs and some fluorescent yellow+green goop called powerbait that is made for "trout." I admit that I am a novice fisherman, so if I can't find live bait I'm hoping the fake stuff will get me a few hits. I also bought a bunch of smallish pre-snelled hooks too, in case my gross motor skills aren't up to snuff. I'm planning on adding a couple of speedhooks, a minnow net, and a gill net. When people are theoretically hungry and hurting, you can't eat pride. At those times, I'm not much of a sportsman. I'd probably just want to get some fish and move on.
 
The only time I messed around with survival fishing I was catching sunfish. I spooled my line around a poland springs water bottle and pulled the fish in by hand. worked well enough. I don't have an Emrod since I have alot of fishing gear and a couple of high quality 3 and 4pc fishing rods that pack up quite small. But they do seam pretty cool.
 
I really prefer live bait to the fake stuff. I have never had good luck with the artificial stuff, but then again, I wasn't very skilled at fishing when I was using it either. You can scavange live bait in most places, so that's what I rely on. I prefer crawlers, but I have used meal worms, maggots, snail, other crwly things, little pieces of chicken out of Campbells soup (didn't catch any with that, but did did get some good bites). I tried corn once, it didn't work for me.

I use a Zebco telescope rod and an inexpensive Shakespeare spincast reel in my BOB- and for a surprisingly high amount of my recreational fishing. Another word of advise- I put all my terminal tackle (hooks, links, sinkers into one bag- a sinker pack IIRC- it stores easier that way).
 
Malibou jig(with feather skirt), couple of small white grubs, small spoon and a small bare spinner.- along with a few bare hooks. you can always dress up an artificial with caught insects. Any of these articials will work with the line tied to a limber branch- slightest breeze gives them a touch of life. Whether the feather skirt floating or the spinner/spoon catching light.

2Door
 
Top picks for me are small spoon and a 1/8th ounce ball head jig with a plastic grub. The grub can be taken off the jig and a natural bait used in its place.
 
Are you talking about artificial bait like Powerbait? Or lures like a spinner or rapala?

For a small kit a couple Mepps spinners in #0 and #1 size would be good. Maybe a small 1/8 ounce spoon or a Kastmaster. A Mister Twister worm on a jig head is good for bass and such.

Never underestimate a fishes sense of smell. Rubbing something that might smell good to a fish on your lures can increase your chances.
 
lmalterna said:
Malibou jig(with feather skirt), couple of small white grubs, small spoon and a small bare spinner.- along with a few bare hooks. you can always dress up an artificial with caught insects. Any of these articials will work with the line tied to a limber branch- slightest breeze gives them a touch of life. Whether the feather skirt floating or the spinner/spoon catching light.

2Door
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That's a good combination of lures to carry. This kind of thing is heavily dependent on where you are. The lures you'd carry are much different, say, in the mountains as compared to around here. But marabou and some small spinners will catch you something in most places.
 
tonym said:
When bass fishing I only throw artificials, but in my survival kit I rely mostly on hooks intended for live bait. However for winter months I would toss in a few ice fishing jigs. Rappala makes the best in my oppinion.
Click to expand...

I'm with tony on this one. But I only bass fish...
 
Around here in the Sierra's, I use a small spinning reel w/ 4lb monofilament, a 5' telescoping rod, and a ziplock baggie w/ dry flies, bare hooks for bait, small spinners, kast masters and salmon eggs. This combo works very well for Trouts.

To add enough weight that you can cast your dry fly, you can use:
-casting bubble, or
-very small split shot or snap swivel, 3' from the fly.
 
ilbruche said:
Are you talking about artificial bait like Powerbait? Or lures like a spinner or rapala?
For a small kit a couple Mepps spinners in #0 and #1 size would be good. Maybe a small 1/8 ounce spoon or a Kastmaster. A Mister Twister worm on a jig head is good for bass and such.

Never underestimate a fishes sense of smell. Rubbing something that might smell good to a fish on your lures can increase your chances.
Click to expand...

To put it simply, yes. I am not sure. I have never really packed much gear and have always relied on digging worms, etc. Just trying some re-engineering
 
I have caught fish all around the world with tube jigs. fresh and salt water. Sometimes the big fish don't cooperate with me but I have always been able to get a few pan sized fish on a 1 1/2" tube jig. Even my desert bob has tube jigs in it. I have used them to ketch snakes frogs and birds as well.
 
I'm with you on the tube jig Bikermike. Its an excellent lure for all kind of fish, but I don't think I would pack it in a survival kit. You can't fit many 1" 1/2 tubes in a small kit, and one fish can tare up one tube. Plus you may not have a rod to fish with and its hard to hop a tube without one. It's still a great lure that many have forgotten about !
 
I would first rely on natural bait or the entrails of the first fish I caught. In my kit I carry a couple of # 8 woolley bugger flies, a few chartreuse grubs, a Mepps bucktail spinner, and a couple of 1/4 oz. chartreuse jigs. (all for fresh water). I have a pre-rigged double dropper rig which I would use first. Then a Carolina rig.
 
lmalterna said:
Malibou jig(with feather skirt), couple of small white grubs, small spoon and a small bare spinner.- along with a few bare hooks. you can always dress up an artificial with caught insects. Any of these articials will work with the line tied to a limber branch- slightest breeze gives them a touch of life. Whether the feather skirt floating or the spinner/spoon catching light.

2Door
Click to expand...


I "third" the marabou jig. Ive used them for years. They flat out catch fish and are more durable than plastics. The doll fly brand use to be included in one of the military branches survival kit.
 
I carry a couple rubber minnows

I have has some luck with them but only in clear water , thats the rub , around here , the water isnt real clear most of the time

I carry a 4 prong fishing spear head as well . I like to go get the fish that are reluctant to come to me :)

I can get eels and turtles and crayfish with meat ( turtles are protected here its pretty much illegal to eat native animals tho killing them inadvertently while fishing or driving and NOT eating them is totally OK ... I dunno why , I didnt make the laws ) with fresh meat as bait , I can get catfish , and other fish ( Im not into names much , sorry ) just about everything will bite at fresh cray / yabbie when its used for bait

some crew use bread crust and a small bait hook with no sinker , they toss it out on a handline , I like it and use it myself , toss some crumbs out on the water , if they get eaten , chuck some more out , with a hook in one or two of them this time :) its almost like cheating :)
 
throw in a few Small jigs or spinners and look for live bait in the area.
The bait would be the first choice as it has texture and taste, add to your artificial as they would get thier attention.
 
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