Live Bait???

[20inchbass]

I've been thinking about trying live bait like minnows for freshwater fishing. I've used them to catch flounder in saltwater and they worked great then. But not i want to try them in freshwater for like bass and crappie. Maybe even catfish. Can anyone give me any tips? Should i use a bobber or no? Will they even catch bass? Please help if you can...[:/]
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[albinotrout]

Make sure your local regs will allow it first. Here in UT if you use minnows they need to be dead.
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[20inchbass]

yea we are aloud to use live minnows in Maryland
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[albinotrout]

You might want to try dropshoting them. Since I have never used live bait other than off the coast of San Diego once, I would guess that should work.
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[gdn443]

Try a bobber with 3-4ft of leader. Drop shotting does work to get the bait to the fish.
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[Tarpon4me]

Live bait is the best option for many species, but only if fished properly. How you rig the bait really depends on the water conditions and what you're fishing for.

For crappie, you might be marking fish 5' down, holding on structure, in 15' of water. So, a bobber rig would be best for keeping your bait in the strike zone; and out of the snags. Consider what size bait the crappie are feeding on. You don't want to use a two inch minnow if they are feeding on hatchlings. "match the hatch"

For catfish, there isn't a finer bait than live bait or fresh cut bait. When I say "fresh" cut bait, I mean it's kept alive in the livewell until it's time to put it on the hook. The fresher, the better. if you're using live bait for big flatheads and blues, you better have heavy gear. A fish finder rig with a heavy fluorocarbon leader is my choice of rigs. If you're going to drift for catch, it's a different rig. Suspending a livey over rocks, different rig.

Lots of variables when you fish live bait. How you rig your terminal gear and present the bait are more important than the bait you're using. Sounds like you need to purchase a couple books and study up.
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