There are plenty of great lures out there that will no doubt help you catch big bass. But if you are after a true giant, a 10-pound largemouth bass, you may want to consider some live bait! Big bait means big fish, so learning how to fish with live bait can do wonders in your search for catching truly massive largemouth bass.
So what are some of the best baits that you should be considering? Let’s take a look at 3 of the best live baits to use if you are targeting 10+ pound bass on your next fishing trip.
Minnows
One of the biggest food sources for bass is smaller fish like minnows, so it only makes sense that they make for some great live bait. While other fish can be caught with minnows as well, largemouth bass loves an easy meal when they can get it. Whether you are buying the minnows from a bait shop or catching them yourself, try to keep them alive as long as possible before you put them on your hook. Once you have some minnows on hand, the best way to rig them up is to hook them through both lips, bottom to the top. This method of hooking them gives you the most natural and best presentation in the water.
Crawfish
Another popular prey item for largemouth bass is crawfish. These are usually plentiful no matter what waters you are fishing and are generally easy to catch. In fact, one of the easiest ways to catch a few crawfish is to throw some food on the end of a fishing line (hotdogs work excellent) throw it in the water, and after a few minutes, you should have a few crawfish hanging onto it. To hook a crawfish, simply take your hook and penetrate the tail. This will leave them alive long enough to attract some bass.
Nightcrawlers
Last but certainly not least, you have a staple amongst any fish species. And just like the previous species, you can either purchase them from a store or dig around and find them yourself. Almost every fish species will love a good worm, so it can be a little tricky to specifically catch bass if there are other fish species in the water at the same time. To hook a worm, thread it onto the hook and try to cover as much of it as possible. Don’t be afraid of rebaiting your hook as many times as needed if the worm does not seem to be moving anymore.
Final Thoughts
While most anglers prefer lures for catching bass, they are overlooking the great opportunities that using live bait provides. If you haven’t tried them yet, take the time to give one of these three baits a try on your next fishing trip and see how you like it!
For more great ideas on how to fish and hunt from the experts, check out the awesome articles on our Bradley Smoker Hunting & Fishing Blog for more great tips & tricks.
