How Do I Prepare Fishing Bait?

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The sun is out, the cooler is full and the fishing is prime. Now you need to rig up your reel and rod with the appropriate bait. Setting your bait to the hook and reel is a simple task, yet one that needs to follow a chronology. Your lake or river, the species you're going for and the time of year dictates your bait choice. Minnow, crayfish or worm set the rig right and prepare the bait to land the big one.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Fishing rod and reel
Fishing hooks
Sinkers
Bobber
Appropriate bait for your fish and locale

Step 1

Pick out your bait from your cooler or bait storage box. If you're new to fishing, a solid starting point is using worms, a hook, a sinker or two, and a bobber.

Step 2

Wrap the worm around the hook three times. Push the hook through the center of the worm's body once the three wraps are complete.

Step 3

Bring the remaining part of the worm over the hook and push it through the worm's body yet again, making two complete sections with the hook going through. Add a sinker to the line 6 to 8 inches above the bait. Add a bobber to the line at the appropriate height to account for the lake depth and where the fish are swimming.

Step 4

Pick out a minnow if using these for bait. Hook the lower jaw of the minnow, so the barb sticks out, but the minnow has full body mobility.

Step 5

Take a crayfish from the bait box. Hook the crayfish through the middle back, getting the hook all the way through, with the barb sticking out. Set to sinkers on the line 6 to 8 inches above the crayfish.

Article Written By Eric Cedric

A former Alaskan of 20 years, Eric Cedric now resides in California. He's published in "Outside" and "Backpacker" and has written a book on life in small-town Alaska, "North by Southeast." Cedric was a professional mountain guide and backcountry expedition leader for 18 years. He worked in Russia, Iceland, Greece, Turkey and Belize. Cedric attended Syracuse University and is a private pilot.

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