Favorite BAIT!

[Pelagic Magic]

I have been cut off from the world for three weeks. I have been fishing every fishable day and have learned a lot about core sound and the creeks around Marshallberg! When its flat I fish with my dad on the Merry Marlin and when its blowing I'm cathing drum and other inshore fish! During this time frame I have found some prime spots for making bait. I'm just wondering whats YOUR favorite Bait?
Is it Shrimp?( We are filling a 5 gallon bucket in an Hour.)



Is it Threadfins or Northern Mackrel?



Is it spanish sardines or Cigar minows?



Maybe Its my dinner, Crabs?



All these were caught within 5 miles from Cape Lookout!

Summer Rocks,
Jacky D.

[sportfishingusa]

All i can say is darn!!1 lol that is some serious catchin!! i will take 5- 5 gallon buckets of shrimp, 4 bushels of crabs,, and maybe like 200 of those silver bait thingys! lol

let me know where i can paypal the cash and you can ship it to me! lol hahahah

Sounds like a lot of fun jacky!

Get out on the MM and bust them fish open will ya!

[SeaBiscuit]

Excellent post and pictures Jacky!
As you already know, the best bait changes depending on target species.
For fishing off the hill (both bottom and live bait, drifting, balloon fishing etc) live, big cigar minnows are hard to beat. Northern macks would be my second favorite and sardines third. Cigar minnows and macks do best in a live well and swim like champs. It goes downhill fast with sardines and shads. Hard tails and goggle eyes show up later in the fall and are fantastic live baits as well.
Inshore, the live finger mullet (not around in CL yet?) is king of baits until November, at which time live shrimp becomes deadly.

Time to go fishing!
SeaBiscuit

[babalaza]

shoot I would give up pelagic fishing if I knew how to catch shrimp

how do you guys do it?

fav bait

followed closely by

[Dobie1966]

I have to say pogies(bunker/menhaden,whatever you want to call them)From blues to stripers to tuna you just can't miss with them.Mackeral are a very close second though.

[Sea Draggin]

Mine is a taylor bluefish.

[Anders]

I like using a butterfly

[gottaflylee]

Great therad Jacky. For me there is no single favorite bait, but there is a bait that I pefere the most for each species of fish I target and sometimes it changes from spring to fall. Couple of the baits that you left off my list is the Pin Fish, small Croaker, Pigfish and Spot (3 to 4" size) For live baiting Gags, live pin fish is hard to beat. Large Flounder or Speckle Trout, can't beat small Croakers or Spots. God I love Fall fishing...

[EMTAE]

RIBBON FISH,HARDTAILS AND BLUEFISH WHEN IM HUNTING KINGS AND THEM BIG HARKERS SHAD.

[clt_capt]

Pogies, Cigars, blues for live baits
Cigars and squid for bottom - if not jigging
halfbeaks for offshore, or maybe a spanish or 2