Bait to Use to Catch Big Fish in Southwest Florida

Quality bait leads to a bent rod.

Artificial lures work well when trying to catch the big one, but it is hard to beat live bait when targeting large fish. Catching the bait requires some time, effort and planning. Sometimes the bait can be caught the day before if you have a good place to store them. A good bait net and some chum will catch most all of the bait described below. A sabiki rod and a small spinning outfit will cover the rest of your bait catching needs. Generally speaking, a large bait increases the chances of catching a large fish, although you never can really tell. That monster grouper might bite the smallest pinfish that you send down. Fill up the baitwell with quality bait and go fishing.

Things You'll Need

• Pinfish
• Cigar minnows
• Blue runner
• Ballyhoo
• Finger mullet
• Bait net
• Sabiki rig
• Small spinning rig

Instructions

1. 

   Pinfish are easy to catch on the flats. Use a pinfish trap or cast net. Bait the trap with a block of frozen chum and leave the trap out over night. If using the cast net, find a spot on the flats near the edge of sand and grass. Start chumming and soon there will be pinfish feeding on the chum. Make a few throws with the net and you should get plenty of pinfish. Pinfish are great for just about everything, especially big grouper.

2. 

   Catch cigar minnows while you are running offshore. Stop over some structure and use a sabiki rig. Drop the rig to the bottom to catch the cigar minnows. Trying a few different spots will help you find enough cigar minnows for fishing. Cigar minnows are good for grouper, kingfish and offshore pelagic gamefish.

3. 

   Catch blue runners on small jigs around markers or over shallow water reefs. Blue runners can get large and are great bait for the largest of pelagic gamefish.

4. Ballyhoo can be caught on hook and line or netted. Look for them off the beaches in large schools. They sometimes show up on the flats. Ballyhoo can be skittish of the boat so use chum to draw them within net range. You may also be successful by motoring the boat slowly toward a big school and throwing when you get close. Ballyhoo may be the premier bait for offshore gamefish, as just about everything will eat them.

5. Catch finger mullet with your cast net in canals and creeks or the flats. Look for schools of mullet and try to target the smaller mullet, 4 to 8 inches. Mullet are great for inshore fish like snook and trout.

Tips & Warnings

• Oatmeal and canned mackerel will make a good chum when mixed together.