Bait
What you should use for bait also depends on the kind of fish you're after. The best all-around bait is probably a worm or a part of a night crawler, both of which will catch panfish and trout as well as most larger species.
Keep your bait fresh. With few exceptions, fresh bait will attract more bites than old bait.
Live bait
Using live bait can be very effective. Be sure to use it responsibly and don't dump unused bait into Missouri waters. Unwanted animals can invade local water and ruin your fishing!
These live baits work well:
- Fish
- Crickets and grasshoppers
- Worms
- Crayfish
Other baits
The following food-based items work well as bait:
- Cheese
- Hot dogs
- Chicken livers
- Stink bait (a fermented mix of cheese, chicken livers, blood, and flour)
- Dough bait
Artificial lures
Most fishes will eat just about any animal they can fit in their mouth, and artificial lures typically work best if they resemble one of the following:
- Fish
- Crayfish
- Worms
- Insects
- Frogs and other amphibians
Bait and lure suggestions to attract specific fish
Here are some ideas for baits and lures to attract specific fish. Note how sizes and lures are based on the size of the fish. Don't expect bluegills, for example, to eat a big minnow or muskellunge to attack a small fly.
|
Fish |
Bait and lure suggestions |
|
Bass |
crankbaits, jigs, minnows, night crawlers, plastic worms, spinnerbaits |
|
Bluegill |
insect larva jigs, flies, small spinners, worms |
|
Carp |
dough balls, worms; usually do not strike artificial bait |
|
Catfish |
cheese, stink baits, worms; occasionally take crankbaits or jigging spoons |
|
Crappie |
jigs, minnows, small crankbaits, spinners, worms |
|
Muskellunge |
bucktail spinners, large minnows, oversize plugs |
|
Trout |
flies, grasshoppers, minnows, small plugs (especially crayfish imitations), spinners, worms |
|
Walleye |
crankbaits, jigging spoons, jigs, minnows, night crawlers |