Bait Fish Species Overview

There are many types of bait fish that anglers use. Bait is often divided into two main categories; live and dead. Live fish like menhaden, mullet, mojarra, and shad are very commonly used to entice larger predators. Some can be purchased from bait shops, while others are normally caught in nets or with sabiki rigs on the way out to fish. They are often the key to a successful day of fishing. Many types of bait are frail and must have plenty of fresh water pumped into their well. Keep handling of the fish to a minimum to maintain frisky baits. Dead fish like ballyhoo, sardines and cigar minnows are normally sold frozen and are much more convenient to handle. There are many ways to fish dead bait, but two main methods would be trolling and bottom fishing.