Bait and Lures

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Bait

What you should use for bait also depends on the kind of fish you're after. The best all-around bait is probably a worm or a part of a night crawler, both of which will catch panfish and trout as well as most larger species.

Keep your bait fresh. With few exceptions, fresh bait will attract more bites than old bait.

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Worm on a fishing hook
Credit
MDC staff
Right to Use
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Live bait

Using live bait can be very effective. Be sure to use it responsibly and don't dump unused bait into Missouri waters. Unwanted animals can invade local water and ruin your fishing!

These live baits work well:

  • Fish
  • Crickets and grasshoppers
  • Worms
  • Crayfish

Other baits

The following food-based items work well as bait:

  • Cheese
  • Hot dogs
  • Chicken livers
  • Stink bait (a fermented mix of cheese, chicken livers, blood, and flour)
  • Dough bait
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Artificial lures

Most fishes will eat just about any animal they can fit in their mouth, and artificial lures typically work best if they resemble one of the following:

  • Fish
  • Crayfish
  • Worms
  • Insects
  • Frogs and other amphibians
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Bait and lure suggestions to attract specific fish

Here are some ideas for baits and lures to attract specific fish. Note how sizes and lures are based on the size of the fish. Don't expect bluegills, for example, to eat a big minnow or muskellunge to attack a small fly.

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Fish

Bait and lure suggestions

Bass

crankbaits, jigs, minnows, night crawlers, plastic worms, spinnerbaits

Bluegill

insect larva jigs, flies, small spinners, worms

Carp

dough balls, worms; usually do not strike artificial bait

Catfish

cheese, stink baits, worms; occasionally take crankbaits or jigging spoons

Crappie

jigs, minnows, small crankbaits, spinners, worms

Muskellunge

bucktail spinners, large minnows, oversize plugs

Trout

flies, grasshoppers, minnows, small plugs (especially crayfish imitations), spinners, worms

Walleye

crankbaits, jigging spoons, jigs, minnows, night crawlers