Stop Using Rod Holders With Live Bait (If You Want Trophy Fish)
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips
Most anglers think live bait is the “easy button.”
Toss it out… throw it in “Rodney the Rod Holder”… wait… let the fish come to you.
But if you’re chasing trophy fish, that approach can work against you.
Because the way many anglers fish live bait actually kills its ability to do the one thing trophy fish key in on…
Move naturally.
Watch below to see how to keep your bait alive, natural, and getting eaten.
Featured Gear:
- Rod: Slam Stick 7’6 Medium Light
- Reel: Otis 2500
- Hook: Owner Octopus Hook (Size matched to bait)
- Line: Diawa J-Braid 10lb
- Leader: Ande 15lb Mono Leader
Key Takeaways
- Rod holders limit your bait’s ability to move naturally
- A tight line can make your bait look unnatural to fish
- Keeping the bail open lets your bait swim and cover more water
- Lob your cast instead of snapping it to keep bait lively
- J hooks work best for live bait, circle hooks for cut bait
Final Thoughts
A lot of anglers think live bait does all the work.
But the truth is… how you fish that bait matters just as much as the bait itself.
If your bait can’t move naturally… It’s not helping you find and catch fish.
It’s just sitting there.
Let it swim… and you might be surprised what happens.
IMPORTANT REMINDER
The 2 core benefits we promise to Insider Club members is to be able to find and catch fish easier than ever before while saving money on fishing equipment.
So I am including links to the quickest ways to achieve each:
1) Finding Fish System
2) Insider Club’s Group Discounts
Related categories:
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish ever trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Great tips for live and cut bait. Hook size & style, presenting the bait, when and how to use a rod holder with bait. Thanks!
Thanks for the information, I learned something from every one of your videos. One thing I’d like to see a video of is how to fish and artificial shrimp.
Here’s a lesson showing exactly how to use artificial shrimp lures for great catches: https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/how-to-fish-the-prawn-usa/
Excellent video on the do’s and dont’s of using live and cut bait. They say you can’t teach an old dog tricks. At 71 I’ve keep learning new tricks every day from Saltstrong!
Fish on!🇺🇸🇺🇸
Thank you for the great feedback jon!
Even though I dont use any sort of live or dead bait and one reason why is because in my opinion fishing in the same location for sometimes hours on end and not really moving is really not finding the fish where as one who is always on the move using lures like me and obviously you we usually find the fish to me its kinda like deer hunting you find a spot on a buck trail that shows recent buck rubs and deer movements and you sit and wait for the deer to appear then there’s driving for deer where a bunch of hunters make lots of noise to try to spook the buck into moving while the shooters are placed in locations close to where the bucks should come out of the woods so there’s a difference like both in using bait versus lures but in skilled hands like yours who really knows his stuff bait can be a great catcher me I just don’t have the patience and or hate the stink and mess involved in keeping it alive or fresh if dead and although I killed a few deer in my life I never liked deer hunting as much as stalking squirrels or kicking rabbits out of brush piles meaning im a stalker hunter not a waiter but that was long ago because this yankee don’t hunt anymore its to darn hot in florida and the brush is to thick not to mention the bugs are crazy during the weird seasons that game is legal to take anyways thanks for the info and all you do🤔😉👍
I’m not big on using live bait either. Takes up a lot of time getting the bait. Then you have to hope it stays alive to fish with. Lures save much more time and allow you to move around a lot more.
Thanks Tony, good video. I use a Carolina rig with a 2/0 circle hook when I’m fishing live shrimp. Should I use a freeline Octopus or J hook when fishing live shrimp. What about high current / Low current?
If it’s shallow [~3ft or less] I usually free line the shrimp with no weight. In water deeper than that, fish are looking for food closer to the bottom to a knocker rig, carolina rig, or fish finder rig would be ideal with a sliding egg sinker to allow you to still free line the shrimp with the current, but with the weight it helps keep the shrimp closer to the bottom.
Check the regulations first. Some jurisdictions require the use of circle hooks when fishing with live bait. You can also use a “live liner” reel when fishing live bait.
Thanks for the heads up!