“I want to catch some big fish this fall!”

            Live bait larger than a live minnow is the answer to catching

big fish after Labor Day. The bay is full of alewives, finger mullet, spot,

and small “trash fish” such as lizardfish.  The trick to fishing with “live

bait” is being a little more prepared. You need to invest in an aerator or

two.  If you live on the water, or keep your boat in a boat slip, you may

want to invest in or make a “holding pen” for your extra live bait. And you

need to spend some time catching the bait. Some anglers spend as much time

in the fall catching bait as they do catching the fish! But it is

worthwhile!

            Alewives, also called “peanut bunker” are a juvenile baitfish.

One can see them in huge schools flashing just beneath the surface in

canals, lagoons, creeks, and marina basins. They make great “live bait” and

are easy to catch with a cast net. The only problem with alewives is that

they are very delicate and will rarely live overnight in a bait holder

unless you only keep a very few.  The angler needs to catch them that same

day, and only keep enough for fishing and release the rest.

            Alewives seem to be around early in the morning and at night.

They also seem to be more plentiful at low tide than at high tide.  If you

are going to fish the high tide for flounder, trout, or stripers, start

looking for bait at low tide. Alewives are quite slow and easy to catch with

a cast net. Search for them in the canals, lagoons, or any marina basin. You

can also find them up in the creeks such as Herring Creek, Ayres Creek, or

Derrickson Creek. I have seen schools of them at the pier behind the

Recreational Center at 127th Street as well.

            An aerator is a must when keeping live bait. A simple battery

operated aerator hooked up with a 5-gallon bucket will keep your bait alive

while catching or transporting bait. (Hint: Always keep a back-up aerator

ready with fresh batteries in case you lose one to a mishap, battery failure

or aerator failure.) Don’t try to keep more than 3-dozen alewives in a

5-gallon bucket at one time. And please don’t waste them. Just keep enough

to fish with and quickly release the rest before the delicate fish die.

They are an important part of our fisheries “food chain.”

            Finger mullet are much hardier and one can keep them in a bait

holder or bait pen for several days. They are also harder to catch!  The

best way to catch finger mullet is with a cast net.  They are faster than

alewives and often run in smaller schools. You have to be fast to catch the

finger mullet.

            Finger mullet can be found in creek areas, next to green

marshes, canals, lagoons, close to sand bars in the bay, and marina basins.

You can also find them at inlet areas and in the surf.  If you are not real

good with a cast net, netting them in shallower water is easier for the

novice. Stand on a beach such as the park at 127th Street, Homer Gudelsky

Park in West Ocean City, Holt’s Landing off of Route 26 in Delaware, or near

the Cape Henelopen Pier, or on any sandbar in the bay.  Wait for the schools

of mullet to come by and cast net them. Try to keep your shadow behind you.

(You will find they are easier to catch if the sun is behind a cloud.)

Quickly put them in an aerated bucket with a lid on it. You will quickly

find out why mullet are sometimes called “jumping mullet!”  They will jump

right out of your bucket or live well if you are not careful!

            “Everyone is talking about using live spot!”

            Live spot is a very popular and sought-after bait in our area.

Some bait stores carry them for sale. They are expensive, around $2 per

bait, but so are the bloodworms that anglers use to catch them!

            One way to catch spot is with little pieces of bloodworm (or

other types of worm) on little tiny fresh water size 8 hooks.  At our tackle

stores we make a 3-hook spot rig that is very popular for catching bait

spot. Others use Sabiki rigs or simply put two leadered size #8 fresh water

type hooks on a top and bottom rig. You don’t need much bait, just a little

piece of worm. Fresh tuna or beef liver will work if you can’t get your

hands on any worms.

            The best places to catch live spot are in canals, lagoons,

marina basins, or back- bay creek areas such as Ayres Creek, Derrickson

Creek and Herring Creek. If you are in a boat, areas close to the marsh near

the Route 90 Bridge or Thorofare are good. Don’t butt right up to a green

marsh or you will start catching little sea bass. Spot like muddy bottom 3

to 4 feet deep. You can also chum with pieces of crushed crab, shrimp

shells, cat food, tuna scraps, etc… while fishing for the spot fish.

            You need a running tide to catch the spot and you need to catch

them during the day. They quit biting after dark! Fish for bait spot on the

low incoming tide, and start fishing for the flounder, trout and stripers on

the incoming high tide. (Don’t get so involved in catching the bait that you

miss your fishing tide!)

            “How else can you catch spot?”

            You can catch them with an umbrella net. An umbrella net is made

from a wire frame with a square mesh netting stretched across it. The net is

lowered into the water below a dock or bulkhead. Bait the net with crushed

crab, cat food, or tuna or bunker scraps. Pull the net up quickly every five

or 10 minutes.

            You can also buy a “spot trap” that is made by local watermen,

or a pinfish trap that is similar to a “spot trap.” If you have a good area

to catch the spot, these will work. Otherwise, you are better off catching

them with lines or an umbrella net.

            Can you cast net them?  You can, if you know where they are.

They don’t come to the surface, like mullet and alewives do. So you have to

let the net sink to the bottom. Chumming works good when cast netting for

spot.

            Sometimes you catch other baitfish in your net. Pinfish, which

are similar in size and color as spot work just as well. They do have a

sharp spine that you can cut off with scissors before baiting up. If you are

going to “pen” your spot for a long period of time, do not put the spot and

pinfin together, as the sharp spins can injure the spot fish.

            When you cast net near a sand bar you may catch some big striped

minnows. They work well for flounder and trout. You may catch some really

prehistoric fish we call lizardfish, when fishing with hook and line. These

make great live bait if they are not too big. Larger ones can be filleted

and used for flounder bait. Flounder love lizardfish! Believe it or not,

lizardfish are one of the best flounder baits there are.

            “How do you rig these larger baits?”

            First of all, you need a fairly large hook.  An Octopus or Kahle

styled hook in the 3/0 to 4/0 size is good. Set it up just like you would an

“eel rig” for stripers. You can do this either of two ways. Tie your hook to

the end of a 30-inch piece of 30 to 40 pound test monofilament or

Fluorocarbon leader. At the end of the leader tie a black barrel swivel. Now

you can either set this up on a fish finder rig, or make an egg-sinker rig.

            To make an egg-sinker rig tie a barrel swivel to the end of your

line and then tie a piece of 30 or 40 pound test leader about 8-inches long

to the barrel swivel. Slip on an egg sinker in the 1 ½ to 3-ounce size

range. Then tie your barrel swivel attached to your long leadered hook to

the end of that line. The egg sinker will slide back and forth between the

two barrel swivels.

            Hook the spot, alewife, finger mullet or lizardfish through the

upper lip, eyes, or just behind the mouth.

            The larger the baitfish, the longer you need to let the fish eat

before setting the hook. I count to 10, feel for the weight of the fish as I

raise my rod tip, cross my fingers, and set the hook hard!

            Good fishing…