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Fishing bait

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For other uses, see Bait (disambiguation).
Fathead minnow, a common bait fish
A container of earthworms (nightcrawlers) used as bait

Fishing bait is any luring substance used specifically to attract and catch fish, typically when angling with a hook and line. 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.[1]

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. nightcrawlers, insects, crustaceans and smaller bait fish), and such baits are both procured from and used within the same environment.[2] Artificial baits, conversely, are not naturally acquired and must involve some kind of production process. These can be processed foods (e.g. bread, cheese, dough, cutlets, fish food or pet food pellets, etc.), commercially made mixtures (e.g. boilies), and inedible imitative replicas known as lures (e.g plastic worm, swimbaits, spoons, stickbaits, hybrid spinners or even bionic robot fish). The various bait 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 yield when fishing.[3]

Fishing with baits does come with potential environmental concerns, especially when large quantities of non-native ingredienot s are involved. A common concern is that some live baits are invasive that can escape (e.g. crayfish), or have the potential to spread diseases or serve as vectors for parasites (e.g. zebra mussel). It is also known that the use of artificial edible baits (especially groundbaits) 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 jigheads), plastics and paint, can degrade after prolonged exposure to the elements and release harmful toxic heavy metals and microplastics that are harmful to the environment.

Types

Natural baits

See also: Bait fish and live food
Threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense)

The natural bait angler, with few exceptions, will use a common prey species of the fish as an attractant. The natural bait used may be alive or dead. Common natural baits include worms, leeches (notably bait-leech Nephelopsis obscura), minnows, frogs, salamanders, and insects. Natural baits are effective due to the lifelike texture, odor and color of the bait presented. Studies show that natural baits like croaker and shrimp are more recognized by the fish and are more readily accepted.[4] Live bait being used to catch native species is a sustainable and desirable activity in a social and economical aspect.[5] The availability of live bait and cost factor can inhibit the use of natural baits year round.[6] Anglers can get various live baits from tackle shops at the limitations of price and season. Other ways anglers get natural bait is through methods of catching e.g. hook and line, fish traps and casting nets.

Artificial baits

Boilie balls, a common commercial artificial bait for carp fishing
Mussel meat used as cutbait

Artificial baits are baits that are not directly acquired via natural means, but are made from other materials via some kind of artificial processing. These can be fish food that are either homemade (e.g. dried food paste) or commercially purchased (e.g. boilies and feed pellets). Homemade artificial baits are often prepared/processed food such as cutlets, offals, dehulled kernels (e.g. pea and corn), dairy products (cheese and curd), bread or doughballs made from various ingredient mixtures (e.g. cooked rice, semolina, cornmeal, bread crumbs and fishmeal, etc.), which can be used to attract omnivorous or even herbivorous fish.

In subtropical lakes such as those in Florida, panfish such as sunfish 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 softened by chewing, then squeezed into a small fish bite-sized ball and mounted onto the fishhook.

Lures

Green Highlander, an artificial fly used for salmon fishing.
See also: Fishing lures, soft plastic bait, and artificial fly

Lures are inedible artificial baits that are replica "fake foods" designed to mimic the appearance of different prey (usually small fish, as well as worms). Because lures are made of non-biological materials, they do not use scent to attract the target (although chemical attractants can occasionally be added), and instead rely on movements, color/reflections, vibration and noise to attract and "fool" predatory fish into striking.[7]

Using lures is a popular method among North American anglers, particularly for catching vision-oriented predators such as black bass, trout and pike. 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 hooks in order to increase catch rate.[8] Artificial baits are manufactured to be durable and fished repeatedly unlike edible baits, which are generally single-use. Some common artificial baits include: swimbaits, jerkbaits, crankbaits, surface lures (stickbaits), spoons, spinnerbaits, 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 rays being reflected off of lures.[9] Companies have taken information like this into consideration so that they can make their lures in a way that maximizes efficiency.

Groundbait

A bucket of groundbait made from baked beans
Main article: Groundbait

Groundbaits are fishing baits that are thrown into the water as an "appetizer" in order to olfactorily attract more fish to a designated area (i.e. the fishing ground) and increase the chance of catching some. Groundbaits are typically scattered separately from the hook and usually before even casting any rod or net, although in bottom fishing they can be deployed synchronously with hookbaits while contained inside a gradual-release device known as a method feeder.

Groundbaits are often used in freshwater coarse fishing, where the target fish are commonly omnivorous or algivorous 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 "chums", which usually consist of freshly cut up parts of a slaughtered fish often mixed with fresh blood and offals, in order to attract large predatory fishes such as sharks.

Impacts on environment

See also: Human impact on the environment

Spreading disease

See also: Fish diseases and parasites
Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) disease in a gizzard shad.

The capture, transportation, and culture of bait fish can spread damaging organisms between ecosystems, endangering them. In 2007, several American states enacted regulations designed to slow the spread of fish diseases, including viral hemorrhagic septicemia, by bait fish.[10] Because of the risk of transmitting Myxobolus cerebralis (whirling disease), trout and salmon should not be used as bait. The Non-indigenous Aquatic Nuisance Act of 1990 focuses on the effect of aquatic nuisance species. The introduction of these invasive species in various bodies of water have spread disease, killed fish, clogged water intakes, and covered beaches and boats.[11]

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.[12]

Nutrient pollution

Further information: Eutrophication

Environmental effects

A floating bobber attached to fishing line stuck in a branch.

Over time, the popularity of artificial baits has increased drastically. With this, concerns of harm to the environment have been brought up. One of these concerns comes from the loss or disposing of used baits into the environment. The discarding of line and lures, loss of baits, and snapping of line while hooked to a fish can cause potential harm to the ecosystem. Another concern would be towards the health of the fish. It is not uncommon to find lures with treble hooks lodged into the digestive tracts of fish when caught. Along with that, fish will swallow and get tangled in discarded fishing line.[13]

Some common baits that fish will go after.

References

  1. ^ Karpiński, Emil Andrzej; Skrzypczak, Andrzej Robert (2021-11-27). "Environmental Preferences and Fish Handling Practice among European Freshwater Anglers with Different Fishing Specialization Profiles". Sustainability. 13 (23): 13167. doi:10.3390/su132313167. ISSN 2071-1050.
  2. ^ Ruxton, Graeme D.; Hansell, Michael H. (January 2011). "Fishing with a Bait or Lure: A Brief Review of the Cognitive Issues: Review of Bait Fishing". Ethology. 117 (1): 1–9. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.2010.01848.x.
  3. ^ Eighani, Morteza; Paighambari, Seyed Yousef; Herrmann, Bent; Feekings, Jordan (2018-03-01). "Effect of bait type and size on catch efficiency of narrow-barred Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) in the Persian Gulf handline fisheries". Fisheries Research. 199: 32–35. doi:10.1016/j.fishres.2017.11.023. ISSN 0165-7836.
  4. ^ Gunnar Miesen; Steve Hague; Steve Hauge (2004). Live Bait Fishing: Including Doughbait & Scent. Creative Publishing. ISBN 1-58923-146-5.
  5. ^ Henriques, Marcelo Barbosa; de Araújo Nunes, Fabio Alexandre; de Souza, Marcelo Ricardo; Castilho-Barros, Leonardo; Barbieri, Edison (2022-02-01). "Live bait or artificial bait? Efficiency in recreational fishing for sea bass (Centropomus parallelus)". Ocean & Coastal Management. 216: 105976. doi:10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2021.105976. ISSN 0964-5691. S2CID 244701171.
  6. ^ Wilson, Alexander D. M.; Brownscombe, Jacob W.; Sullivan, Brittany; Jain-Schlaepfer, Sofia; Cooke, Steven J. (2015-08-18). "Does Angling Technique Selectively Target Fishes Based on Their Behavioural Type?". PLOS ONE. 10 (8): e0135848. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0135848. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 4540471. PMID 26284779.
  7. ^ Bailey, Christopher T.; Noring, Austin M.; Shaw, Stephanie L.; Sass, Greg G. (2019-11-01). "Live versus artificial bait influences on walleye (Sander vitreus) angler effort and catch rates on Escanaba Lake, Wisconsin, 1993 - 2015". Fisheries Research. 219: 105330. doi:10.1016/j.fishres.2019.105330. ISSN 0165-7836. S2CID 201195030.
  8. ^ Beukemaj, J. J. (April 1970). "Acquired hook-avoidance in the pike Esox lucius L. fished with artificial and natural baits". Journal of Fish Biology. 2 (2): 155–160. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.1970.tb03268.x. ISSN 0022-1112.
  9. ^ Alderson, A. (2016-05-01). "Sports Tech: Fishing lures". Engineering & Technology. 11 (4): 78–79. doi:10.1049/et.2016.0427. ISSN 1750-9637.
  10. ^ "LSC - Fish Disease Leaflet 83". 2007-06-15. Archived from the original on 2007-06-15. Retrieved 2022-10-30.
  11. ^ Bacheler, Nathan M.; Runde, Brendan J.; Shertzer, Kyle W.; Buckel, Jeffrey A.; Rudershausen, Paul J. (March 2022). "Fine-scale behavior of red snapper ( Lutjanus campechanus ) around bait: approach distances, bait plume dynamics, and effective fishing area". Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 79 (3): 458–471. doi:10.1139/cjfas-2021-0044. ISSN 0706-652X. S2CID 237810319.
  12. ^ Murray, Alexander G (2013-02-01). "Epidemiology of the spread of viral diseases under aquaculture". Current Opinion in Virology. Virus entry / Environmental virology. 3 (1): 74–78. doi:10.1016/j.coviro.2012.11.002. ISSN 1879-6257. PMID 23206337.
  13. ^ Raison, T.; Nagrodski, A.; Suski, C. D.; Cooke, S. J. (2014-02-01). "Exploring the Potential Effects of Lost or Discarded Soft Plastic Fishing Lures on Fish and the Environment". Water, Air, & Soil Pollution. 225 (2): 1869. doi:10.1007/s11270-014-1869-1. ISSN 1573-2932. S2CID 42949733.
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