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Fishing bait is anyluring substance used specifically to attract andcatchfish, typically whenangling with ahook andline. There are generally two types of baits used in angling:hookbaits, which are directly mounted onto fish hooks and are what the term "fishing bait" typically refers to; andgroundbaits, which are scattered separately into the water as an "appetizer" to attract the fish nearer to the hook. Despite the bait's sole importance is to provoke afeeding 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 andartificial baits. Traditionally, fishing baits are naturalfood orprey items (live or dead) that are already present in the fish's normal diet (e.g.worms,insects,crustaceans and smallerbait 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 beprocessed foods (e.g.bread,cheese,dough,cutlets,fish food orpet food pellets, etc.), commercially madefeed mixtures (e.g.boilies), or imitativereplica "fake foods" made of inedible materials known aslures (e.gplastic worm,swimbaits,spoons,stickbaits, hybridspinners or evenbionicrobot fish). The variety of baits that afisherman may choose is dictated mainly by the targetspecies and by itshabitat, 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 andtechniques used will affect the efficiency andyield when fishing.[3]
Fishing with baits does come with potentialenvironmental concerns, especially when large quantities of non-native ingredients are involved. A common concern is that somelive baits (e.g.crayfish andpond loach) can escape and becomeinvasive species, or have the potential to spreaddiseases or serve asvectors forparasites (e.g.zebra mussel). It is also known that the use of artificial edible baits (especiallygroundbaits) can potentially causeeutrophication in the local water, which may lead toharmful algal blooms. Using inedible lures, on the other hand, is associated with the issues oflittering or loss of said lures, which typically do notbiodegrade and can cause problems for theecosystem, especially if ingested bywildlife. Many materials used to make lures, such aslead (ubiquitous injigheads),plastics andpaint, candegrade after prolonged exposure to the elements and release harmfultoxic heavy metals,volatile organic compounds andmicroplastics that are harmful to the environment.
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 includeworms (most commonlyearthworm andbloodworm),leeches (notably bait-leechNephelopsis obscura),insects (bothadults andlarvae),minnows,frogs,salamanders andcrayfish. Natural baits are effective due to the lifelike texture, odor and color of the bait presented. Studies show that natural baits likecroaker andshrimp are more recognized by the fish and are more readily accepted.[4]
Live bait being used to catch native species is asustainable and desirable activity in asocial andeconomical aspect,[5] although it is subjected tolocal regulations which may restrict usage due toecological andethical concerns. The availability of live bait and cost factor can inhibit the use of natural baits year round.[6] Anglers can get various live baits fromtackle shops at the limitations of price and season. Other ways anglers get natural bait is through usual methods of fishing, e.g. hook and line,traps and castingnets. Once live bait has been obtained, it's important for the angler to keep it alive and fresh for it to be effective. Many anglers opt for a bait pen[7] or small fish cages[8] in order to store and preserve their live bait.
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 befish food that are either homemade (e.g. driedfood paste) or commercially purchased (e.g.boilies andfeed pellets). Homemade artificial baits are oftenprepared/processed food such ascutlets,offals,dehulledkernels (e.g.pea andcorn),dairy products (cheese andcurd),bread ordoughballs made from various ingredient mixtures (e.g.cooked rice,semolina,cornmeal,bread crumbs andfishmeal, etc.), which can be used to attractomnivorous or evenherbivorous fish.
Insubtropical lakes such as those inFlorida,panfish such assunfish are such opportunistic feeders that they will even take out-of-the-packetpet food or even householdwheat bread as bait. These bread baits are improvised readily from a small amount of bread, often moistened bysaliva and sometimessoftened by chewing, then squeezed into a small fish bite-sized ball and mounted onto the fishhook.
Lures are inedible artificial baits that are replica "fake foods" designed tomimic the appearance of differentprey (usually small fish, as well asworms). Because lures are made of non-biological materials, they do not usescent to attract the target (although chemicalattractants can occasionally be added), and instead rely on movements,color/reflections,vibration andnoise to attract and "fool"predatory fish into striking.[9]
Using lures is a popular method among North American anglers, particularly for catchingvision-oriented predators such asblack bass,trout andpike. The lure may require a specialized presentation to impart an enticing action e.g. infly fishing. Artificial lures are rigged with different types ofhooks in order to increase catch rate.[10] Artificial baits are manufactured to bedurable and used repeatedly, unlike edible baits, which are generally single-useconsumables. Some common fishing lures 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 newhydrodynamic designs, materials andbionic technologies to better represent and attract theattention of fish. A study showed that the reason fish react to different colors of lures is due to their ability of seeinfrared rays being reflected off of lures.[11] Companies have taken information like this into consideration so that they can make their lures in a way that maximizes efficiency.
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Groundbaits are fishing baits that are thrown into the water as an "appetizer" in order toolfactorily attract morefish to a designated area (i.e. thefishing ground) and increase the chance of catching some. Groundbaits are typically scattered in large quantities separately from thehook, usually before evencasting anyrod ornet, although inbottom fishing they can be deployed synchronously with hookbaits while contained inside a gradual-release device known as amethod feeder.
Groundbaits are often used infreshwatercoarse fishing, where the target fish are commonlyomnivorous oralgivorous 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 inblue water fishing, known as "chums", which usually consist of freshly cut up parts of a slaughtered fish often mixed with freshblood andoffals, in order to attract largehypercarnivorous fishes such assharks either directly via thesmell, or indirectly by drawing opportunisticforage fish that are prey to the predatory fishes.
The capture,transportation, andculture of bait fish can spreaddamaging organisms betweenecosystems, endangering them. In 2007, several American states enacted regulations designed to slow the spread of fish diseases, includingviral hemorrhagic septicemia, by bait fish.[12] Because of the risk of transmittingMyxobolus cerebralis (whirling disease),trout andsalmon should not be used as bait. The Non-indigenous Aquatic Nuisance Act of 1990 focuses on the effect of aquaticnuisance species. The introduction of these invasive species in various bodies of water have spread disease, killed fish, clogged water intakes, and coveredbeaches andboats.[13]
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 thelaw and cause theintroduction of fish alien to the ecosystem. There has beenlegislation passed within the last couple years in attempt of protecting big and small fisheries.[14]
The use of commercially refined baits, particularly groundbaits (which are typically used in significant quantities), raises concern of alteration to nutrient balance where the bait is applied, especially in areas of more stagnantbackwaters. A 1987 Welsh study had shown that aftercereal ormaggot groundbaiting over a 12-week period, nearly allbenthicinvertebrate taxa except thetubificidLimnodrilus hoffmeisteri were reduced in density, especially thenaidid worms andcladocerans, and the recovery was not apparent after 4 months, althoughcyclopoidcopepods were significantly more abundant in treated areas. Laboratory experiments determine thatbiochemical oxygen demand can be increased 100-fold by a single application of cereal bait, and this increased demand could result in local deoxygenation under warm, calm conditions.[15]
A Portuguese study showed that the use of 5–10 kg (11–22 lb) of groundbait per angler (approximately 3–20 tons of groundbait per year) did not alter the ecological functioning of the local reservoir but higher angling pressures may lead to a significant increase in nutrient concentrations, and suggested anglers choose groundbaits with low eutrophication potential.[16] A later study by the team showed that nutrient inputs from the use of commercial groundbaits could be compensated by sacrificing (removing) the captured fish, but if completecatch-and-release is practiced (thus nobiomass is removed), the inputs of totalnitrogen (TN) and totalphosphorus (TP) are about four- and three- times higher respectively than if groundbaits are not used.[17]
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The popularity of artificial baits, especially lures, has increased drastically over time. With this, concerns of harm to theenvironment have been brought up. One of these concerns comes from the lost or carelessly discarded lures left in the environment, as these tackles are made of materials that typically do notbiodegrade easily. Thelittering of lines and lures, intentional or not, can cause potential harm to the ecosystem, especially towater birds,reptiles andsemiaquaticmammals who can mistakenly strike at abandoned lures and get entangled by the line or injured by the lure hooks (especiallybarbed hooks that cannot be easily dislodged). Another concern would be towards thehealth of the fish, as it is not uncommon to catch fish with losttreble hooked lures lodged inside themouth,gullet and evengills, and these fish often sufferstarvation from inability to properly ingest food due to the lure obstruction. Along with that, fish will swallow discardedfishing line, which can get retained in the fish's gut and causedigestive tract complications.[18]
Many materials used in the manufacturing of lures, such aslead (ubiquitous injigheads andbottomrigs),plastics andpaint, candegrade after prolonged exposure to the elements and release harmfultoxic heavy metals,volatile organic compounds andmicroplastics[19] that are either hazardous to theplanktons and other small basal organisms, or getconcentrated through thefood chain.
Some common baits that fish will go after.
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