17 replies to this topic

[Betta132]

Do people use only flies when fishing with the ultra-ultra-ultra small hooks? My current procedure for getting bait (I use bacon fat) onto a micro hook is to place it on the tip and just press on the bait until the hook pokes me. That usually works. I don't think it would work with those hooks that are the size of one of the letters on a coin, though. Do people just use teeny tweezers? 

[Matt DeLaVega]

You know how worms and nightcrawlers are segmented? Pretty sure Ben mentioned that he only used a single segment or even half of one. Probably stays on a hook better than bacon fat.

[BenCantrell]

This bacon fat thing has to stop.

[Betta132]

It's white, it smells interesting to fish, and it can be kept in a ziplock bag in the freezer without dying. Works fairly well for me. 

I know worms are pretty good at staying on the hook, but how do people get the bait on there in the first place? Looks like you'd need two pairs of mini tweezers- one to hold the hook, one to stick the bait on. 

[BenCantrell]

I hold the bait pinched between my index finger and thumb with one hand, and then I rotate the hook through the bait with the other hand.  If you try to do it in reverse (hold the hook steady and thread on the bait), you risk the chance of pinching the bait too hard and turning it to mush.

 

There really isn't any secret beyond that.  Tweezers seem like they would be too much effort.

[Matt DeLaVega]

But he is not using bacon fat mind you. It may work well in many situations, but it does not have a strong skin that keeps it together like a sliver of worm does.Going that small, the skin helps a good bit. I do not have hooks as small as Ben, but have done nearly the same thing with a larger hook, a 26 I think. I was able to catch two or three fish on the same sliver. So part of it was not having to reload after every fish. It is like using a nightcrawler vs. chicken liver for bait. Your cast alone can and will throw liver off a percentage of the time, unless you put on some pantyhose. Just not going to help with bait that small.

[drawer0bli]

I bait my tanago hooks with worms, by cutting a tiny (I mean minuscule) chunk off and just stick it it on the hook(holding on to the hook with one hand and the bait with another), making sure that the hook is piercing the skin. It requires a steady hand, though. Ben's tactic seems like it would work very well. If the bait is too large, I usually pinch off a piece with my nails. I usually slide the bait up the shank so that the barb and bend are exposed. I find that that helps a lot with hook-up ratios. 

[BenCantrell]

One more thing I'd like to add.  If you find yourself getting frustrated, slow down.  Find a spot to sit down, set all your other tackle to the side, and focus on the task at hand.  Think of it as a work of tiny art.  When the bait is on right, you're less likely to lose it, and you're more likely to hook up with fish.

[Michael Wolfe]

Zen and the Art of Hook Baiting.

[Irate Mormon]

Zen and the Art of Hook Baiting.

A lot of people here will have NO idea what you're talking about!  You have to be a certain age.

[Evan P]

A lot of people here will have NO idea what you're talking about!  You have to be a certain age.

Or have to have had a great humanities teacher!

[Chasmodes]

This bacon fat thing has to stop.

 

I see it as an abomination, like washing your car with beer 

[BenCantrell]

Wouldn't the bacon grease stain your pants in a funny way?

[Chasmodes]

LOL, not to mention that you may have every doggie in town following you around!

 

But I guess it smells better than Gulp Alive!  Man that stuff works, but it sure is stinky.  

[Betta132]

I usually keep my spoil-able baits in a mini tackle box in the freezer- bacon fat, corn, and shelled clams. It does end up smelling pretty bad after awhile, and my fingers get sorta greasy. Bacon fat was the first thing I tried for sunfish because I didn't have any worms, and it's worked, but I'm looking into easily-stored alternatives. Maggots are awesome bait, but they have the disadvantage of eventually pupating. Not great bait at that point. 

I've mostly switched over to Gulp baits instead of actual food. I might try a smidge of Gulp worm on a micro-hook, actually, or a bit of minnow tail. A bit of Gulp minnow is my default longear bait. 

[Chasmodes]

Just to let you know, I'm not criticizing you Betta...whatever it takes to catch them is OK by me as long as it is legal.  I was just attempting to add some humor to the discussion.

 

Funny about the maggots.  I use them often for ice fishing every year.  After the ice goes out, I use them up fishing for crappie or bluegills.  My buddy and I were in his truck heading to Maryland's Eastern Shore to fish a pond and I opened my Skoal can that I used to keep my maggots in, and a zillion flies flew out and buzzed us in the truck.  It was mayhem...so bad that we had to pull over and let them all out because my buddy couldn't drive!  We still laugh about that.  

 

Even though I carry bait when ice fishing, I always try soft plastics or Gulp first simply because if the fish are active, I can catch more fish per hour without having to rebait hooks as often.  But there are times when none of that fake stuff works, and the real thing is needed to trigger those bites.

 

Bacon:  I would probably eat it before it ever left the house for a fishing trip 

[kaliska]

My containers of soldier fly larvae caught small sunfish for 2-4weeks a container left sitting in my backpack on the porch between trips from late spring through summer.  Hardy stuff and they don't come apart easy so unlike worms the pecking of the sunfish doesn't rip them off the hook and I'll catch 4-8 sunfish before needing new bait.  You just have to fully get the point back through some skin to keep it all formed to the hook.  Sunfish are easy though.  An ice fishing rod and casting down the bank from yourself works fine. 

 

So far I have had nothing bite gulp baits except bluegill guarding their nests.

[smallfry]

Years ago I got into micro fishing without knowing the term ; started when I got tired of trapping baitfish and found out catching a real small fish is kinda equal but opposite of catching big fish.  It lacked the adrenaline but was more relaxing and pain free than my shore/ice trips.  

Of course I was attracted to bacon fat but never heard of it being used as bait except for crawdads. Feel like it never lived up to my expectations but did work, just had to to deal with everything being greasy.   

Last year I got some size 16 fly hooks and caught some pretty small fish,  baiting them wasn't hard but the tricky part is keeping the gap clear for setting the hook.  

Mines closer to a ultra light fishing or a real heavy micro set-up.  I used the #16 a lot on the ice this year as a trailer and managed to land a 26'' walleye with one as well as a small mouth or two and a bunch of trout,  gave me more confidence in being able to catch unexpected big fish while microing the river.

With over fished lakes and ponds producing fewer trophy fish around me, it'd be nice if micro sportfishing got popular maybe helping the population of big fish and take pressure off smaller fish that are abused and released.