One of the keys to successful fishing in Florida is choosing the right live bait. My favorite bait shop in Tampa Bay (if I am not catching my bait myself) is Angler 360 – give them a visit! Here are the top five live saltwater fishing baits to use.
Shrimp
Almost anything in the ocean will eat a shrimp. They’re available year-round, can be hooked in a variety of ways and are fairly easy to keep alive in a bucket or livewell. If you want to put in the effort to catch them, all you have to do is go out at night and you’ll find them hopping through lights and on top of grass flats. However, my recommendation is to just visit any bait shop, they all carry shrimp in a variety of sizes.
While I did say that anything that swims will eat shrimp, they are a favorite of redfish, trout, sheepshead, Tripletail, juvenile snook and tarpon as well as black drum.
Rigging
- Hook Size: Use a small to medium-sized hook (1/0 to 3/0), or a 1/4-ounce jighead depending on the shrimp size.
- Hooking Method: Thread the hook through the base of the tail, however, be sure to avoid the gills to keep the shrimp lively and natural-looking.
Pinfish
Pinfish are an extremely versatile bait that can be accessed and used in numerous different ways. They can be caught on grass flats using either Sabiki rigs or cast nets, or simply purchased at most bait and tackle shops. As the same suggests, they have extremely sharp spines running along their dorsal fins – handle with care! While very effective while alive, they can also be cut into chunks and soaked on the bottom near structures like docks and oyster bats.
I recommend pinfish for redfish, snook, trout, tarpon and sharks.
Rigging:
- Hook Size: Use a medium to large hook (2/0 to 4/0) or 1/4-ounce jighead (size may vary depending on pinfish size)
- Hooking Method: Hook through the lips, the dorsal fin, or the tail.
Sardines
Whether you call them greenbacks, pilchards or their actual name, scaled sardines are without question, one of the best baits out there by far. Snook and redfish of all sizes as well as tarpon, tripletail, sharks and a variety of offshore species as well all love sardines. They can be tricky to find and keep alive, but once you do it can take your day to the next level. Similar to pinfish, they can be caught using a Sabiki rig or cast net over grass flats as well as on channel markers.
The one drawback of these baits is that they are very frail and can be difficult to keep alive. Consequently, you should avoid overhandling, handling with dry hands or dropping these delicate baits on hard surfaces.
Rigging
- Hook Size: Depending on the size of the bait so will vary your hook size, however, a 1/0-4/0 should suffice.
- Hooking Method: These can be hooked like a pinfish, or optionally, through the stomach to provide an erratic swimming pattern.
Crabs
Unlike the other baits listed, there are many different types OF CRABS, each great for different types of fishing. Additionally, the only way to source your own crabs if you aren’t buying them is to set crab traps and wait. That said, there are three primary crabs that I will be referencing here, fiddler crabs, blue crabs and pass crabs.
Find fiddle crabs on mangrove shorelines, their tell-tale holes dug into the mud give them away. You can buy them at a bait shop or simply dig for them. They are the absolute best bait around for sheepshead, especially in the wintertime.
Blue crabs on the other hand are best captured using traps and are primarily used as cut bait for the biggest of the big black drum and redfish.
Finally, pass crabs, one of the best tarpon baits in existence, can simply be caught using a dip net around bridges on the full moon tides during the summer. Alternatively, you can spend serious dough (these are very highly valued) and just get them at a bait shop. Pass crabs will land tarpon and permit with regularity.
Rigging:
- Hook Size: Use a large hook (4/0 to 6/0) to accommodate the size of the crabs.
- Hooking Method: Hook through the sides of the carapace.
A Seven Mile Bridge permit that slurped up a pass crab
Mullet
Mullet are one of, if not the largest body of biomass in Tampa Bay and Florida’s many marine environments. Everything eats these things. Small finger mullet provide forage for many gamefish species while the adults are feasted on by tarpon, sharks and large snook and redfish. These guys are filter feeders, so catching them on hook and line is not a viable option. Using a cast net is the best way to catch mullet. Find them in coastal waters, particularly around grassy flats and near mangroves and oyster bars.
Rigging:
- Hook Size: Use a medium to large hook (3/0 to 5/0) to handle the size of the mullet.
- Hooking Method: Hook through the lips or just behind the dorsal fin. This allows the mullet to swim naturally.
Tips for Using Live Bait:
Remember that all these baits can be used very effectively offshore as well for species like grouper, amberjack, tuna, sailfish, snappers, dolphin and more. Below are some tips for getting the most out of your live bait offerings.
- Keep Them Alive: Use a livewell or aerated bucket to keep your bait fresh and active.
- Use bait sizes that are proportionate to the fish you are targeting.
- Pair your hook size to the size of the bait and gamefish you are targeting
In Conclusion
By selecting the right live bait, you’ll increase your chances of a successful fishing trip in Florida’s rich saltwater habitats.
If you enjoyed this post, then perhaps you will also enjoy my last one as well. You can read that post here.
Until next time, tight lines!
