what`s your favorite bottom fishing bait poll?

[stripermagnet]

what`s your favorite bottom fishing bait?
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[Tarpon4me]

That's a tough question, because some baits work better than others, depending on what you're fishing for. But, If I had to use only one kind of bait, it would be about a 6 or 7" mullet. Everything eats mullet.

I would have chosen Menhaden, but they are too hard to keep alive, but same concept. I consider Mullet my favorite not only because they are a universal bait for all predatory fish, but they are very hardy. [cool]
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[fillet_mingon]

My favorite bait for bottom fishing is dead shrimp. Not much that won't eat shrimp, but it does allow for a lot of bait thieves and trash fish. Many a trip has been saved for me though, when nothing else would produce and I turn to ol' reliable.
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[snook.hooker]

I like live pinfish or finger mullet. I usually fish one rig with a popping cork and one on the bottom, until I catch a couple with one of them, then I change the non-working rig to the other.
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[Len_Cody]

I have been an avid bait fisherman all my life . my favorite baits are strips of mullet , tuna or mackerel . rigged on running sinker or patinoster rigs , depending on the terrain being fished . A couple of years ago I changed tactics and started useing large 8" and 5" saltwater flies , rigged on running sinker or patinoster rigs BAITED with strips of mullet , tuna or mackerel . The results of this change of tactics have been spectactular . I now would not dream of going bottom bouncing without a supply of large flies and fresh fillets . I always need to take extra , as my fishing buddies are soon digging into my tackle box , as they are being heavily outfished by this method . cheers Lenny
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[shor]

I like the fly bait. Sounds like a good idea. I currently use pinfish, usually caught in an overnight trap, using fresh fish scraps from the cleaning station in the marina.

I also use live cigar minnows when I can catch them on a sabiki rig but that has been hard to do in my area. Live bait fish, in my opinion, are had to come by in the Alabama area. Unlike Destin where you have bait boat/barges that fill your live well for about $20, we have to catch them in Alabama.

I attribute the problem to the "Jubilee" in the Mobile area. This fanomenon occurs about twice a year when oxygen levels in Mobile bay and surrounding bays get very low and the fish began to feed on the surface. People run around in boats and scoop the fish in nets. The inland waters are just not very productive so we don't have much live bait.

I jig sabiki rigs on just about every shallow reef I fish and often catch better there than I do at the pass.
I also cut bait with fish I catch that I can't eat and that are legal. We do well on cut barracuda in very deep water. We catch snapper, grouper ,AJ, just about anything. I think, as long as it is fresh, regardless of what it is, it is great to cut up and use for bait.

Sure wish I could buy live bait in the morning and save time. Live bait fish, any kind, is my number one choice.

Shor
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