Dead Baits

[Little Roachess]

 

 

Hi All!

 

What is the popular opinion? Do you use dead baits or not? I don't use dead baits, and am not keen on this method of catching critters from the deep blue or green or grey wherever you happen to be fishing. I do however, like live baits like maggots, worms, etc, and I do have some artificial baits, too, but I find luncheon meat, salami, corn are just as good at catching a wide variety of fish without the use of deads. I just wondered what the consensus of opinion is on the use of dead baits?

[Andy_1984]

what do you mean by dead baits. that would suggest you were targeting Pike with dead fish but then you go on about live baits, again that would suggest pike or any other predator but then you say such as maggots and worms.

 

sorry im a little confused

 

ill go on and guess you mean dead baits such as ones that are not alive like as bread, sweetcorn, luncheon meat etc.

 

All the baits mentioned have their place and should always be considered, as maggots might not be working too well that day but bread might. i would hazard a guess and say most anglers like to keep a varied option of baits dead or alive.

[Phone]

Andy,

 

Weren't alive in their present form - YOU know - yucky.

 

Lil,

 

Most of my live baits are dead by the time I get a bump. I think it is Mox-Nix really.

 

Phone

[Steve Burke]

I use deadbaits quite a lot in the form of dead fish and dead maggots.

 

There are times when dead maggots outfish live ones, possibly because they don't burrow into the bottom. This can be an advantage or disadvantage depending on the swim and how the fish are feeding. To kill them I freeze them for at least 48 hours. Any shorter and they appear to be dead but soon start wriggling.

 

I haven't livebaited for pike for many years, so when I'm not lure fishing I'll be using deadbaits. By the way, I often catch on half baits well up in the water, especially when the pressure is rising.

 

I also use deadbaits a fair bit for perch, and in fact half the "Predators" program I was involved in for Sky TV was about deadbaiting for perch. I've also posted about them many times here on the Forum, plus written about them in 2 of my articles. To save me repeating myself here are the links: http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/Coarse-Fishing-Articles/perch-baits.html and http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/Coarse-Fishing-Articles/deadbaits_for_chub.html. The latter also mentions that I've caught many species on deadbaits by accident.