weirdest bait you have tryed?

[Phone]

All,

 

I'll try not to make this story to elaborate.

 

Among the non-traditional ways to fish in the US are "hand fishing" (catfish) and "grabbing (drum)"

 

We have a fish called - among other things - freshwater drum (crokers, sheepshead, etc. X10). There are a zillion names and kinds of drum but in Missouri drum are drum and you can catch them by grabbing which is distinguished in the regulations from hand fishing.

 

While it's not "weird" the way you "grab" is by stretching out on a horizontal limb of a sycamore tree that is close to the water. The "weird" bait is a white handkerchief (some use red). As a shoal approaches gently place the handkerchief in front of the fish and "grab" it with the other hand.

 

You shinny back and forth on the limb bagging your catch and returning for another attempt. Not weird to us but maybe to you guys.

 

Caught on a rod and reel drum can get up to 40 lbs. I believe I've told the story of collecting the giant ivory otoliths from drum?

 

Phone

[corydoras]

Maybe not that strange, but when I was in the Merchant Navy I always used to tote around a boat rod with me and fish over the side when in harbour or lying at anchor, but bait was always a bit of a problem. I used to nick a kipper out of the fish room or a rasher or two of raw bacon from the galley fridge. One of them would usually catch fish.

 

I've seen Hong Kong Chinese seamen catch squid. They used to make a hand-line from a long length of stout cord, with a big nut or a shackle on the end of it for a weight. At 2 foot intervals the would whip a bit of white terry towelling to the cord. The cord was lowered into the water and the would jig the hand-line up and down. The squid would attack the towelling but when they grabbed the towel the couldn't let go again because the little "hooks" on their suckers would get snagged in the fibres of the towelling.

 

Unfortunately we didn't get many opportunities to get a line over the side mid-ocean. This was only possible when the engine broke down, something that big marine diesel engines don't do too often.

Edited March 28, 2012 by corydoras

[Phone]

Cory,

 

Interesting! Reminds me - - - that's the way you catch a "gater gar". Use a ladies stocking filled with raw fish or chicken. Gar teeth face toward the gullet and can't get loose. (plain old nylon rope dipped in chicken blood will do the trick also)

 

Phone

[corydoras]

Cory,

 

Interesting! Reminds me - - - that's the way you catch a "gater gar". Use a ladies stocking filled with raw fish or chicken. Gar teeth face toward the gullet and can't get loose. (plain old nylon rope dipped in chicken blood will do the trick also)

 

Phone

I've heard of eels being caught in a similar fashion, using lobworms threaded onto wool.

[Ken L]

I was wondering whether a variation might work in our own marinas. There are enough squid present in UK water for competitions to be held in April but as far as I know, they all use jigs.

[robtherake]

I used to nick a kipper out of the fish room or a rasher or two of raw bacon from the galley fridge. One of them would usually catch fish.

 

There's some potential in bacon, methinks. I recall an afternoon at Woodlands, Thirsk, when the carp were refusing to play.

 

I dropped a bacon buttie from the caff and was almost hungry enough to dust it off and eat it when it occured to me to use a piece on the hook. The first fish took the bait before the float had chance to cock, and I followed it up with several more before running out of bacon.

 

I couldn't buy a bite on anything else that day.

[davedave]

There's some potential in bacon, methinks. I recall an afternoon at Woodlands, Thirsk, when the carp were refusing to play.

 

I dropped a bacon buttie from the caff and was almost hungry enough to dust it off and eat it when it occured to me to use a piece on the hook. The first fish took the bait before the float had chance to cock, and I followed it up with several more before running out of bacon.

 

I couldn't buy a bite on anything else that day.

 

That may be the case however I'm buggered to be frying up bacon to give to carp when they'll eat much cheaper alternatives

[robtherake]

Anybody tried sand fleas? As kids, we'd come across lots of them whilst digging below the dunes on the beach. I really don't understand why I didn't make the connection back then, but they're a seriously active type of burrowing crustacean (a bit like a prawn I suppose) and strike me as having huge potential.

I imagine they'd kick out loads of vibrations into the water and they should last ages on the hook.

[robtherake]

Anybody tried sand fleas? As kids, we'd come across lots of them whilst digging below the dunes on the beach. I really don't understand why I didn't make the connection back then, but they're a seriously active type of burrowing crustacean (a bit like a prawn I suppose) and strike me as having huge potential.

I imagine they'd kick out loads of vibrations into the water and they should last ages on the hook.

 

Maybe not such a good idea. Apparently they bite and carry diseases (although I don't remember being bitten).

[steveking]

Once caught a tench whilst spinning for perch, the tench totally engulfed the spinner - took it on the drop. Very odd