an alternative for live bait?

[TheOne]

hey,i was really wanting to go fishing.but i have no money for herring or worms.or salmon eggs.and i was wondering what i could use for an alternative for herring or worms or salmon eggs.is there anything around the house? i know i could use hot dogs and what not but i want to use something that has results!.and it's gotta be something realy good. for use in the salt water. thanx

[dilbert]

I have a secret alternative bait, but it's for fresh water.

For $1.50 it comes with a fountain drink and sauerkraut

[Rich McVey]

Bread, cheese, thawed chicken....

Check out this thread "Oddest Bait Ever Used"

[G-Man]

This time of year collecting bait should not be a problem. Worms are easily collected after a good rain, especially on sidewalks and under tarps, wood and rocks. Also don't be afraid to turn over a few rocks in a river or stream and use the critters you find underneath them, after all they are what the fish eat regularly. Large insects also work great, like crane flies, grasshoppers and crickets. Just prepare and collect the day before you go fishing!

[kevinb]

Bread-fresh bread, has to be soft enough to pinch around the hook. Works amazingly on trout and I've heard carp will bite it too. Its very possible that many species would take it but from my own experience,trout love it.

[HillbillyGeek]

If you're fishing for bottom feeders like catfish and carp, "wheatie balls" rock!

Recipe:
1 cup wheaties cereal
1 tablespoon strawberry jello
a few ounces of beer or cheap whiskey (the juice from a can of water-packed tuna also works well)

knead the mix until it is thick & "semi-rubbery", then roll it into balls that are slightly larger than the treble hook you will be using. (Store them in a plastic bag so they won't dry out.)

Wheatie balls stay on the hook pretty good, and as they soak, they slowly release a scent that fish can't resist. :chef:

[Anonymous]

Make paper mache balls with old eggs as a scent.Even some fish scents will work.Mix flour and water to make a paste (thick) add the scenting and mix.Take fishing and roll on the hook like powerbait.Its what powerbait is in essence.The other thing is find a dead bird or squirrel and flip it over .Collect maggots from the carcass.Gross but effective.Bigger the kill better the maggotts will be.