What is your favorite Salt Water Bait?

[Pferox]

There are a lot of ways to catch a fish when fishing the salt.  A lot of it depends on your favorite species, or favorite fishing spot.  Let us know what you use to get that special critter you are chasing.

I go through a lot of shrimp, it is desired by just about all species that are around here.  Heck there are times I am using shrimp as a bait for the bait I want to catch.   

[cwhite]

That depends on my target trout, spot, and other smaller fish it's all shrimp. Flounder I prefer mullet minnows, and reds are all artificial baits. King mackerel I prefer grass shads but will use a blue, and cobia I want eels, but I don't fish much salt.

[Pferox]

So you are chasing slot reds?  I know the big bulls like crabs and live croakers, or mullet depending on the day.

I agree the target fish and what is running at the time have a large effect on it, even if you are talking artificials.

[cwhite]

Yea I've never had much look with the big ones but the slot reds are as close to bass fishing as you can get to me

[Creel Limit Zero]

When going for some striped bass on the Chesapeake, I never go without some sassy shads.  I don't go crazy on colors though, chartreuse, white, and pink are all I go with.  And of course, a variety of jig heads depending on depth and current to deal with. 

[Pferox]

Yea I've never had much look with the big ones but the slot reds are as close to bass fishing as you can get to me

OH man, if you want a Bass like salt water fish, you need to hook into a Snook, I'm a little too far North for them to be common around here, but when I can I try to go a little farther South and get into some of them.  They were my favorite species when I lived in Florida.

[Pferox]

When going for some striped bass on the Chesapeake, I never go without some sassy shads.  I don't go crazy on colors though, chartreuse, white, and pink are all I go with.  And of course, a variety of jig heads depending on depth and current to deal with.

Those are the colors I use when using a hard bait.  I go through shrimp colored, actually a pink color 1/4 ounce rattle traps like I'm giving them away, seems like everything likes those things around here.  I had an impressive sized hammer hit one once, it was a thrill for sure, for a millisecond. 

Have you ever tried Gulp Alive?  The standard around here is New Penny and the white (can't remember the actual name).  Chicken on a chain is another one that was popular for a while, but don't hear much about it anymore.

[cwhite]

I want to go snook fishing but that's a long way for me to go haha. As far as Chesapeake fishing I need all the info I can get, I just moved to mayo maryland and I'm lost, I'm going crazy because I wanna fish but I don't know what to do here lol

[Creel Limit Zero]

Those are the colors I use when using a hard bait.  I go through shrimp colored, actually a pink color 1/4 ounce rattle traps like I'm giving them away, seems like everything likes those things around here.  I had an impressive sized hammer hit one once, it was a thrill for sure, for a millisecond. 

Have you ever tried Gulp Alive?  The standard around here is New Penny and the white (can't remember the actual name).  Chicken on a chain is another one that was popular for a while, but don't hear much about it anymore.

No, haven't tried the Gulp Alive.  There are a few guys that pour their own sassy shads around here, those are usually what I grab.  I do throw traps and jerk baits for stripers this time of the year as well, generally around the hot water discharges since that's where the bait usually stacks up when the water starts to cool.   

[Pferox]

I want to go snook fishing but that's a long way for me to go haha. As far as Chesapeake fishing I need all the info I can get, I just moved to mayo maryland and I'm lost, I'm going crazy because I wanna fish but I don't know what to do here lol

Hopefully we will get more members from your way.  The best way to attract attention from an area is to actually post a report with location information and date in the subject head, starting out with something like salt water report.  As people start seeing reports coming out in the search engines then more will join up and post.

Post reports even if they are skunks, you would be surprised how many people will sign up and join in on a posting to help.

[Pferox]

No, haven't tried the Gulp Alive.  There are a few guys that pour their own sassy shads around here, those are usually what I grab.  I do throw traps and jerk baits for stripers this time of the year as well, generally around the hot water discharges since that's where the bait usually stacks up when the water starts to cool.   

Yea, I have a hot water spot close by here too, have to wait until the moccasins hibernate though, it is a snake pit, but man do the reds love that area in the winter. 

[BenFishing]

Usually when I'm close to shore, I'm spearfishing or throwing lures to get my bass fishing fix, so no real bait.

Flying fish and ballyhoo are two of my most common baits for offshore fishing.  Great part about using some fresh flying fish as bait....if you get skunked, fried or grilled, flying fish is delicious!

[hunter34]

I have read the posts on this forum for a long time and at one time its primary purpose was
to readers  better BASS  fishermen   but  as I scroll done the daily posts there is  topics
on just about every thing except BASS fishing, dont get me wrong I do enjoy some of the posts I just dont understand the redundant  posts about whats favorite this or that or
what kind of boat and motor do you have  ect ect  this post is not meant to offend just some thing I wanted to get off  my chest

[cwhite]

Why not start a new thread on the subject, seems kind of pointless to post in a thread no one will see unless they wanna look in this exact thread. Just my .02

[Pferox]

I know that I ask what somebody's favorite is because I have a hard time asking what the best is of something, because in all honesty, what I think is the best is of course also my favorite.

One of the big reasons that we started this forum was just for the reason that many people on this forum could care less about salt water fishing, I mean what the heck this is a bass site, but then as the site grew many more people who are multi species anglers came on board, and they want to talk about everything, learn about fishing in general, besides bass.

That's usually what happens as a great site matures, people stay here because of the friendships that develop, and because of that there are a lot more non-bass discussions that go on.  But I'll tell you I still see a lot Bass being talked about.

[CraigP83]

I have read the posts on this forum for a long time and at one time its primary purpose was
to readers  better BASS  fishermen   but  as I scroll done the daily posts there is  topics
on just about every thing except BASS fishing, dont get me wrong I do enjoy some of the posts I just dont understand the redundant  posts about whats favorite this or that or
what kind of boat and motor do you have  ect ect  this post is not meant to offend just some thing I wanted to get off  my chest

1) Why would you gripe about this in the "saltwater thread"
2) If you don't find the conversations interesting, why don't you start a thread with an interesting topic?

[Pferox]

AND for Something Completely Different.....

Seems that Live and Cut Mullet is the bait of choice around here recently.  Guess it is because the pin fish have moved in thanks to the water cooling down a tad and them eating the shrimp clean off.

That also means that mullet imitations are the hot ones now too, I would suspect.

[hunter34]

I am some what computer ignorant I dont know how to start a new thread

[Pferox]

I am some what computer ignorant I dont know how to start a new thread

If you look up on the top right of the forum you are on, you will see a button that says "New Topic"