How to Rig Live Bait
A lot of people who are new to fishing may be a little nervous about learning how to rig live bait – and even if you’ve been fishing all your life you may be wondering if you’ve been doing it right.
Rigging bait means to put whatever bait you plan on using on the hook. Do it right, and you won’t have to worry about it falling off or the fish stealing it without you getting a catch and going away. Do it wrong, and well, you might as well just be feeding the fish from your boat instead of trying to catch them.
First, it’s important that you have the right size and kind of hook for the type of fish you want to catch. The type of bait you use will also make a difference – you wouldn’t rig a minnow the same way you would rig a worm or the same way you would rig a larger bait fish. Your hook needs to be big enough that the bait will stay on it without falling off, and it also needs to be big enough for the fish to get on it. However, don’t think that bigger is always better – some fish can easily get off the big hooks while others struggle with a smaller one. You have to think about what type of fish you are trying to catch. Most of us are after big fish, but some people are just as happy with a smaller sized one. Some fish have very hard mouths, others not so much. Your line will also factor into this – as if its not the right type you’re also going to run into some issues and problems you may not anticipate.
Most of us can learn better by seeing than by writing instructions, so I found this great and easy to follow video to try that can help you see one method of how to tie on the fish to the hook.
Another video I found to be interesting was this one for rigging sand shrimp. Sandshrimp is best for when fishing for Steelheads or Salmon, though they may work for catching other types of fish as well, depending on your location and what other types of fish are native to the area.
And, lastly, if you want to learn how to put a worm on a hook (aka Nightcrawlers), this video is excellent for showing you how to do it.
Do you have any tips or resources for how to rig live bait? What is your favorite type of live bait to use? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Category: Bait