WINTER COLD WATER BAIT OPTIONS Some options: Mud minnows are the best live inshore bait to use at this time and here’s why! This is bait that doesn’t seem to be affected by the cold water temperatures. So this is good for you in the transporting department and better for the fish that eat them. I am not going to say that live mud minnows are better than live shrimp used as bait, because they are not. However, here’s what I will say, “If this is all you have then I suggest using it, because a fish prefers live even if it is a mud minnow!” Now if you don’t have any live bait there are still some pretty good catching options, but this is where you have to think like a fish. So therefore, into your cold water bait equation to need to consider this: At your local seafood department or maybe in your own freezer you most like can find some frozen shrimp. The only thing is that you need to make sure that the shrimp used for bait is wild not farm raised. It has come to my attention as well as my taste buds that farm raise shrimp don’t taste nor does it have the consistency as the wild ones do. And I also know that in most cases when it comes to farm raised shrimp, not even good cocktail sauce can make the difference in eating them or not! Now, don’t get me wrong, I am sure there are some that will say, “They taste the same! Well, when you live in Savannah and have eaten fresh seafood all of your life, they do not!” My point being, fish has lived in the water and eaten the wild stuff all of their life, so therefore you best chances are to give it to them. So when using dead wild shrimp as bait here are some suggestions! If the shrimp are large ones better known as pawns I suggest peeling and then cutting them up in small size bite pieces. Now, not your bite size pieces, but the size a fish would like. With it being cold fish don’t want to spend a lot of time getting their soon to be dinner in their mouth! Also once you have cut your bait up I suggest not putting it back into your cooler, leave it out so that it can air/sun dry. The secret about air/sun drying is so simple, it seals in the juices only letting them out once introduce back into the water and this is when is becomes a prize bait.
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 10:45:37 +0000