galyonj Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 2 minutes ago, king fisher said: No. I can't even catch the bait. The success I have had fishing lately, I'm not even sure using dynamite, in an aquarium should be considered cheating. Bro I feel you. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Brown Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 On my ponds and lakes I SMOKE the live bait guys. Like heavy handedly. I almost feel bad. Catfish and stripers and sunfish? Totally different story. It's not cheating at all unless you're competing for money and it violates the rules. Fishing is for food for some folks and for fun for others and often both at the same time for many folks and if it's not for money in tournaments, who cares. The thing I don't like to see is folks gut hooking bass by fishing lazy with live bait but that's a whole different topic. EDITED: I agree with @TnRiver46 on his point and amended my post! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted March 28, 2023 Global Moderator Share Posted March 28, 2023 2 minutes ago, Pat Brown said: Fishing is either for fun or for food so who cares. I wouldn’t say either/or, I would say both 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User gimruis Posted March 28, 2023 Super User Share Posted March 28, 2023 10 minutes ago, Pat Brown said: The thing I don't like to see is folks gut hooking bass by fishing lazy with live bait but that's a whole different topic. Scientific studies, for multiple species, has shown that the use of live bait results in an increased mortality rate, especially in warm water. That's part of the reason I generally prefer to avoid using it when targeting fish I intend to release, such as bass and muskies. Its important for me to unhook them and release them in a quick, efficient manner. I'm not saying you can't deep hook a bass using artificial lures because you certainly can. We've all done it. If you are fishing with the sole intention of keeping them, then the use of live bait is a bit of a moot point. But if you fishing with the intention of releasing them fully alive, the use of live bait is going to inhibit that to a certain extent. If the goal is to have fish swim off fully alive after catching them, then you should be doing everything in your power and control to accomplish that, should you not? There's a reason its banned in tournament format. The resource is more valuable to them alive than dead. That's not necessarily the case with other species, although there does seem to be a shift to more immediate catch and release formats across the board. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
volzfan59 Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 Doesn't really matter what we think is cheating. As long as the state your fishing in says it's legal, it's legal. Every tournament that I ever fished in clearly stated that using live bait was against the tournament rules so, while legal in the state, it was against the tournament rules. Personally, I don't think that it's cheating at all unless it's done where it is prohibited (see above). 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User geo g Posted March 28, 2023 Super User Share Posted March 28, 2023 20 hours ago, geo g said: No, but I find it comparable to watching paint dry. Everyone do your thing whatever it is, it’s just not for me. The fun is casting to targets, adjusting to wind, and finding a cadence that the bass want that day, that hour. It’s like a game of darts, with a card game thrown in. I love what I do! Dwight, your the man!!!!!! I remember that Stick Marsh catch!!!!! On 3/27/2023 at 2:08 PM, Dwight Hottle said: No to the "is it cheating". I enjoy catching largemouth bass both on live bait as well as artificials. And the results for me regarding big fish are about the same. My two biggest on artificals went 11-7 3/4 & 10-3. My two biggest on live shiners went 11-2 & 10-2. So the results are pretty similar. . I remember that Stick Marsh catch when it happened!!!!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Dwight Hottle Posted March 28, 2023 Super User Share Posted March 28, 2023 15 hours ago, geo g said: I remember that Stick Marsh catch!!!!! I remember that Stick Marsh catch when it happened!!!!!!! So do I it was 38 degrees that morning at the ramp. If they hadn't opened the gates the previous day we would never have had such an eventful day blessed with so many quality fish. Both my buddy & I caught a PB that day. I learned an important lesson that day about current & moving water turning on the Florida bass bite. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otter17 Posted March 29, 2023 Share Posted March 29, 2023 On 11/14/2009 at 8:55 PM, paul. said: consider the following list: chemically sharpened hooks, attractants, electronics, high modulus graphite rods, high speed multi-bearing reels, weedless trolling motor props, super fast outboard motors, high strength minimal diameter superlines, invisible flourocarbons, polarized sunglasses. do you consider any or all of these to be cheating? if not, then live bait is definitely not cheating. Excellent Answer! I fish live bait primarily in the middle of summer til the end of summer. I do this because the lakes I fish are hammered with fishing pressure, and by that time of the year they become pretty difficult to catch on artificial. So I have to go to a different tactic. And since I know that bluegills are their primary food source in the these lakes I start fishing with them. And let me tell ya , the average bass size I catch at that time definitely goes up compared to when I use artificials. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PressuredFishing Posted March 29, 2023 Share Posted March 29, 2023 Yes its cheating, so don't cheat and let this bait dunker catch more fish than you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrat Posted March 29, 2023 Share Posted March 29, 2023 If your fishing a bass tournament than yes otherwise probably not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogface Posted March 29, 2023 Share Posted March 29, 2023 I have been fishing with live and dead bait since I started fishing and I will continue. Sometimes I enjoy getting a bucket of minnows or crawlers and fishing either from the shore or the boat. I find it very relaxing just sitting there watching the float or rod tip. I also enjoy the surprise when I catch something. Up here you never know what you will catch on bait. I catch a lot of different species of fish on bait many of which I never get to hit a lure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User geo g Posted March 29, 2023 Super User Share Posted March 29, 2023 20 hours ago, Dwight Hottle said: So do I it was 38 degrees that morning at the ramp. If they hadn't opened the gates the previous day we would never have had such an eventful day blessed with so many quality fish. Both my buddy & I caught a PB that day. I learned an important lesson that day about current & moving water turning on the Florida bass bite. the reason I remember it so well was I just fished the Marsh the week before with Bruce Campbell who lives right there. He had a 10+, and I had an 8+. What a wonderful fishery! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Swamp Girl Posted March 30, 2023 Super User Share Posted March 30, 2023 Heck, no, worms aren't cheating. I tried them several times in 2022 and caught a few and would have stuck with them IF they'd caught as many fish as artificial lures, which they didn't. In northwestern Ontario, I used leeches everyday for smallmouth. They catch as many bass as lures up there, so I alternate, depending upon the situation. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Jar11591 Posted March 30, 2023 Super User Share Posted March 30, 2023 It’s only cheating if rules are being broken. That being said, I don’t enjoy live bait fishing for bass as much as I do using artificials. Live bait doesn give me that same rush and feeling of accomplishment. I do use live worms when fishing for panfish and I may float a live worm down a brook when fishing for trout, but that’s about the extent of my live bait fishing. Its only cheating if a rule is being broken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User GaryH Posted March 30, 2023 Super User Share Posted March 30, 2023 OMG.. WHO CARES !!!! get out, take a kid and enjoy fishing 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted March 30, 2023 Global Moderator Share Posted March 30, 2023 Also, if you use hot dogs, there’s always lunch if the fishing is slow 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User GaryH Posted March 30, 2023 Super User Share Posted March 30, 2023 5 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said: Also, if you use hot dogs, there’s always lunch if the fishing is slow ? so true Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User gimruis Posted March 30, 2023 Super User Share Posted March 30, 2023 6 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said: Also, if you use hot dogs, there’s always lunch if the fishing is slow Hopefully not after you've attempted to use them as bait... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User GaryH Posted March 30, 2023 Super User Share Posted March 30, 2023 5 minutes ago, gimruis said: Hopefully not after you've attempted to use them as bait... Could possibly add flavor. ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Jar11591 Posted March 30, 2023 Super User Share Posted March 30, 2023 5 minutes ago, gimruis said: Hopefully not after you've attempted to use them as bait... You've heard of a Michigan dog, Chicago dog, the Coney Island dog...now we have the Tennessee dog. Just dunk it in the river and add a little seaweed relish & megastrike. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted March 30, 2023 Global Moderator Share Posted March 30, 2023 4 minutes ago, Jar11591 said: You've heard of a Michigan dog, Chicago dog, the Coney Island dog...now we have the Tennessee dog. Just dunk it in the river and add a little seaweed relish & megastrike. Scary part is , The river water, milfoil and mega strike is probably less offensive than what’s in a hot dog 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnbt Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 smh that the question was ever asked. Pure silliness. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Swamp Girl Posted March 30, 2023 Super User Share Posted March 30, 2023 1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said: Scary part is , The river water, milfoil and mega strike is probably less offensive than what’s in a hot dog I had a cousin who worked at a hot dog plant. He took me there. That ended my hot dog eating. Haven't had one for about 40 years. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted March 30, 2023 Global Moderator Share Posted March 30, 2023 4 minutes ago, ol'crickety said: I had a cousin who worked at a hot dog plant. He took me there. That ended my hot dog eating. Haven't had one for about 40 years. I’ve trapped some varmints in hot dog factories, I still eat them due to the low low price haha 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User GaryH Posted March 30, 2023 Super User Share Posted March 30, 2023 1 hour ago, ol'crickety said: I had a cousin who worked at a hot dog plant. He took me there. That ended my hot dog eating. Haven't had one for about 40 years. That’s why you never want to visit the kitchen of your favorite restaurant ? 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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