Put any number of fishermen in a single room together for an extended period of time and the conversation will almost always end up on the subject of bait. One will say that minnows are the miracle bait. The other will say that nightcrawlers are the bait of choice on the bass buffet. Two more will be in the corner arguing over whose stink bait stinks more.

We did a little research into finding what is actually the best bait for each of the local breeds of fish, and during this, came across some pretty wacky bait choices for Kentucky anglers. Among these were roaches, chicken breast soaked in Jack Daniels Whiskey, wild onions, raisins, shrimp soaked in vanilla extract, Cheeto’s Cheese Puffs, dog treats, and last, but by far not the least, stale blueberry glazed doughnuts. One has to wonder what tempted that particular fisherman to put a stale blueberry glazed doughnut on the hook. Then again, when an angler runs out of bait, you never know what will end up on the hook.

In the end, beyond all the arguing about what homemade bait is best or what lure gets the most fish, it all comes down to natural baits. A fish will strike at what he has always had to eat. It is nature and it is instinctive.

We will begin with the ever-popular largemouth Bass. A bass will strike at virtually any kind of insect and minnows before anything else. This is why the more successful bass anglers will always use a flashy lure, as it feigns the flash of a shiny minnow. To be the most effective, however, the fisherman must use any lure that resembles a particular bait in the manner that the live counterpart would act. If your lure is a grasshopper, it should be used on top of the water with jerky movements. Find a grasshopper, toss it in the water and watch the way it moves. This will be your best teacher. In addition, interestingly enough, the bigger bass will often go for small snakes and the occasional baby duck.

Secondly, we will approach bluegill. Worms, nightcrawlers, and any kind of insect will work best for these fish. If you are going to use lures, use small ones. Overall, bluegills are not particularly picky eaters. On occasion, in certain fishing spots, bluegills have even been caught on cut-bait, of their own breed. Ever wonder if that bluegill you caught with one fin half chewed off might have taken a bite of himself?

Moving on, let’s discuss Crappie. The number one bait for any breed of Crappie in Kentucky and the surrounding states is minnows. They will hit a minnow before anything, but not just any minnow. They will always choose a live minnow first. Save your floating minnows for the catfish. 

With that, we will hit on catfish. First, the big old flatheads. These fish are bluegill eaters. They have been caught on minnows, liver, and even corn, but overall, they prefer live bluegill. If you are flathead fishing for the first time, be prepared with strong line, a stout pole and a lot of upper body strength. They get unbelievably big!

Channel Cats are simple enough. If it is dead and it stinks to high heaven, they will eat it. They hit on nightcrawlers very effectively too. Chicken liver has always worked best for me. A few other favorites for local anglers fishing for Channel Cats are Shad guts, shad, cut-bait, chicken hearts, and stink baits. On one occasion, I have even seen them caught on beaver guts. It is gross, but if you happen to be fishing for channels, run out of bait, and there is a dead beaver rotting nearby, a fisherman has to do what a fisherman has to do.

When choosing your baits, remember to always stay close to the natural foods of the breed you are fishing for. Yes, I have caught a catfish on a mouse, but that will not happen on a daily basis. Fish are not humans. They do not like to try something new every three or four days. They eat what they were created to eat.