What Do You Guys Use For LiveBait And How Do You Catch It?

[Wailua Boy]

I'm going fishing this weekend and have secured some shortfin molly and red devil juvies. I'm actually using them for salt water but I want to hear about some freshwater baits too. Our native SW bait fish are somewhat depleted, so I like to use these introduced plentiful species. I have noticed after heavy rain these FW species do wash out into the ocean and would be a normal prey item for some saltwater species.

 

[Frank Castle]

you can do cast net or umbrella net, but a minnow trap works great on smaller baitfish. Me personally, I just use an UL rod and rell w/ 2-4lb test , some little #14-18 hooks and tiny teeny piece of worm or shrimp or clam weighted with a #B or #BB split shot

 

[Wailua Boy]

you can do cast net or umbrella net, but a minnow trap works great on smaller baitfish. Me personally, I just use an UL rod and rell w/ 2-4lb test , some little #14-18 hooks and tiny teeny piece of worm or shrimp or clam weighted with a #B or #BB split shot

Nice.

I'm in a unique situation one of local sugar plantation just caught off flow to their irrigation canals and there is 1000's of cichlids and livebearers trapped that will surely die in next couple days. Water level was 6ft and flowing now only a couple inches with a few deeper pockets. Ill try to take some pics over next couple days

 

[Wailua Boy]

you can do cast net or umbrella net, but a minnow trap works great on smaller baitfish. Me personally, I just use an UL rod and rell w/ 2-4lb test , some little #14-18 hooks and tiny teeny piece of worm or shrimp or clam weighted with a #B or #BB split shot

Also what species and pics?

 

[Frank Castle]

Nice.

I'm in a unique situation one of local sugar plantation just caught off flow to their irrigation canals and there is 1000's of cichlids and livebearers trapped that will surely die in next couple days. Water level was 6ft and flowing now only a couple inches with a few deeper pockets. Ill try to take some pics over next couple days

I would just get a big wide-mouth butterfly net and start scooping through big schools of fish. Your best bet is to do what I do when our little feeder-streams dry up and leave nothing but a few of the deepest holes with water and just target those spots w/ big nets or UL rod and reels. Nets will get you more if they in bunches and schools, but if they are spread out, you might have to have a little patience and use the ol' hook and line.

Before you do any of that, I would find a good secluded spot and set out a minnow-trap w/ various baits in it so you can triple your efficiency - the trap works on it's so you can go off and do your thing.

If I were you, I would try and keep some of the cichlids and live-bearers to sell them - i'm sure they have some WC-features hobbyists might find favorable over tank-bred fish

Also what species and pics?

I don't take pics of my bait LOL But we use rod and reel for the Sunfish, Creek Chubs, Shiners, Bullheads and other baitfish typically 3" and up that we use to catch Flatheads and other Big Game.

divemaster99 gets those same fish on Fly-tackle

 

[Oddballs]

I throw a monster cast net to catch normal forage prey. Seems easiest to match the prey

 

[Wailua Boy]

I throw a monster cast net to catch normal forage prey. Seems easiest to match the prey

Its hard to beat the cast net.

 

[Oddballs]

Right mutliple sizes with multiple weights is amazing

 

[Wailua Boy]

I have a few sizes and throw them in my tilapia ponds often. I'm still not great at throwing them but not bad.

 

[Oddballs]

Practice makes perfect is the motto. I probably can throw everything almost perfect except my modified 2 ounce per weight one. That one is for super deep bait