Product Code Database
Fishing bait is any luring substance used specifically to attract and fishing fish, typically when angling with a fish hook and fishing line. There are generally two types of baits used in angling: hookbaits, which are directly mounted onto fish hooks and are what the term "fishing bait" typically refers to; and , which are scattered separately into the water as an "appetizer" to attract the fish nearer to the hook. Despite the bait's sole importance is to provoke a feeding response out of the target fish, the way how fish react to different baits is quite poorly understood.
Fishing baits can be grouped into two broad categories: natural baits and artificial baits. Traditionally, fishing baits are natural food or prey items (live or dead) that are already present in the fish's normal diet (e.g. , , and smaller bait fish), and such baits are both procured from and used within the same environment. Artificial baits, conversely, are not naturally acquired and must involve some kind of production process. These can be (e.g. bread, cheese, dough, , fish food or pet food pellets, etc.), commercially made fish feed mixtures (e.g. ), or imitative replica "" made of inedible materials known as fishing lure (e.g plastic worm, , spoon lure, surface lure, hybrid spinnerbait or even bionic robot fish). The variety of baits that a fisherman may choose is dictated mainly by the target species and by its habitat, as well as personal preference. Both natural and artificial baits frequently demonstrate similar efficiency if chosen adequately for the target fish. The overall bait type, size and techniques used will affect the efficiency and ecological yield when fishing.
Fishing with baits does come with potential environmental concerns, especially when large quantities of non-native ingredients are involved. A common concern is that some live food (e.g. crayfish and pond loach) can escape and become invasive species, or have the potential to spread or serve as disease vector for (e.g. zebra mussel). It is also known that the use of artificial edible baits (especially ) can potentially cause eutrophication in the local water, which may lead to harmful algal blooms. Using inedible lures, on the other hand, is associated with the issues of littering or loss of said lures, which typically do not biodegrade and can cause problems for the ecosystem, especially if ingested by wildlife. Many materials used to make lures, such as lead (ubiquitous in ), plastics and paint, can degrade after prolonged exposure to the elements and release harmful toxic heavy metals, volatile organic compounds and microplastics that are harmful to the environment.
Live bait being used to catch native species is a sustainability and desirable activity in a social and economics aspect, although it is subjected to fisheries law which may restrict usage due to ecological and animal cruelty concerns. The availability of live bait and cost factor can inhibit the use of natural baits year round. Anglers can get various live baits from fishing tackle shops at the limitations of price and season. Other ways anglers get natural bait is through usual methods of fishing, e.g. hook and line, fish trap and casting fishing net. Once live bait has been obtained, it's important for the angler to keep it alive and fresh for it to be effective. Many anglers opt for a bait pen or small fish cages in order to store and preserve their live bait.
In subtropical lakes such as those in Florida, panfish such as Centrarchidae are such opportunistic feeders that they will even take out-of-the-packet pet food or even household wheat bread as bait. These bread baits are improvised readily from a small amount of bread, often moistened by saliva and sometimes premastication, then squeezed into a small fish bite-sized ball and mounted onto the fishhook.
Using lures is a popular method among North American anglers, particularly for catching vision-oriented predators such as black bass, trout and Esox. The lure may require a specialized presentation to impart an enticing action e.g. in fly fishing. Artificial lures are rigged with different types of Fish hook in order to increase catch rate. Artificial baits are manufactured to be durability and used repeatedly, unlike edible baits, which are generally single-use . Some common fishing lures include: , , , (stickbaits), spoon lure, , trout worms, frogs, etc.
Artificial baits are most commonly acquired online, in-store at tackle shops, and made by hand. Different manufacturers are continuously modifying lures with new hydrodynamic designs, materials and bionic technologies to better represent and attract the attention of fish. A study showed that the reason fish react to different colors of lures is due to their ability of see Infrared being reflected off of lures. Companies have taken information like this into consideration so that they can make their lures in a way that maximizes efficiency.
Groundbaits are often used in freshwater coarse fishing, where the target fish are commonly omnivorous or algivore and might not be easily drawn to strike the hookbait. Groundbaits can be custom-made by the angler, or bulk-purchased from dedicated manufacturers. Groundbaits can differ by the sizes of the crumbs, type of ingredients, smell, colour and texture/consistency. Anglers may also mix additives to alter the groundbait's firmness in order to control its rate of release and diffusion once in the water.
Groundbaits are also used frequently in blue water fishing, known as "chumming", which usually consist of freshly cut up parts of a slaughtered fish often mixed with fresh blood and , in order to attract large hypercarnivorous fishes such as either directly via the odor, or indirectly by drawing opportunistic forage fish that are prey to the predatory fishes.
Anglers may increase the possibility of contamination by emptying bait buckets into fishing venues and collecting or using bait improperly. The transportation of fish from one location to another can break the law and cause the introduction of fish alien to the ecosystem. There has been legislation passed within the last couple years in attempt of protecting big and small fisheries.
A Portuguese study showed that the use of of groundbait per angler (approximately 3–20 tons of groundbait per year) did not alter the ecological functioning of the local reservoir but higher angling pressures may lead to a significant increase in nutrient concentrations, and suggested anglers choose groundbaits with low eutrophication potential. A later study by the team showed that nutrient inputs from the use of commercial groundbaits could be compensated by sacrificing (removing) the captured fish, but if complete catch-and-release is practiced (thus no biomass is removed), the inputs of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) are about four- and three- times higher respectively than if groundbaits are not used.
Many materials used in the manufacturing of lures, such as lead (ubiquitous in and bottom fishing fishing rig), plastics and paint, can degrade after prolonged exposure to the elements and release harmful toxic heavy metals, volatile organic compounds and microplastics that are either hazardous to the and other small basal organisms, or get biomagnification through the food chain.
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