What’s the Best Live Freshwater Bait?

Are you ready to embark on an incredible fishing adventure in the beautiful waters of Florida? Before you head out, it’s essential to know which live freshwater bait will give you the best chance of reeling in a big catch.

Here are some top choices to consider:

1. Live Worms: Night Crawlers, Red Wigglers, are great for freshwater fishing everything from Largemouth Bass, Bluegil, Myan Ciclids, Tilapia, Redear sunfish and more will eat them! Places like Walmart and Bass Pro and almost any bait and tackle shop should have them. You can also use Earthworms they’re easy to find in the summer just after a lot of rain so finding a place that has an inch of water with dark soil might yield some you can collect and store in some potting soil in a storage bin.

2. Shiners: Perfect live bait only some bait and tackle shops carry them mainly because these fish aren’t found in Florida they’re shipped in from up in the Northwest they tend to have a heart attack real fast when they’re exposed to the Florida heat because these fish are used to cooler water and being exposed to direct sunlight or Florida heat will kill them fast, however if you can keep them alive monster fish like Largemouth Bass, Peacock Bass, Florida Gars, Snakeheads, Pacu, Canal catfish, Snook and Tarpon. (Yes, Snook and Tarpon can be found in Freshwater like Canals and lakes)

3. Myan Ciclids: Yes! They can be used for live bait and smaller ones can work great for catching Snook, Tarpon, Largemouth Bass, Peacock Bass, Snakeheads. Might I add these Myan Ciclids are invasive So these fish are recommended to not be released back into the water useless your using them for bait. And this fish shouldn’t be transported to another spot and released alive because should you get caught it’s illegal.

4. Grasshoppers: Alot of the fish you find in canals or lakes will eat grasshoppers.

5. Crickets: Much like grasshoppers if you plan to fish in canals or lakes in Florida the fish will likely eat crickets.

6. Palmetto Bug: Well the Florida woods cockroach also known as a Palmetto Bug is a live bait that will catch you freshwater fish as well much like the #4 and #5 Baits.

Lizards and frogs are another option that I don’t endorse but may work. I don’t use them because I don’t want to kill a lizard or a frog merely to catch a fish when there are the other six baits I described.