10 Best Live Baits for Bass and How to Fish Them

I’ve used countless lures over the years, and nothing beats the natural presentation of live bait for catching skeptical bass. Let me walk you through my top 10 live bait choices and how to use each one.

Last updated: January 27th, 2025

---

  

Video guide: Watch Anglers.com expert Wesley Littlefield break down several of these live baits 

Minnows

Bigger fish eat smaller fish – that’s how nature works. When it comes to bass fishing, you can use this basic food chain concept to your advantage by offering them one of their most natural prey: minnows.

Catching Minnows

The easiest way to get minnows is to just buy them from your local bait shop and keep them in a bait bucket or cooler. If you have a livewell in your boat, even better.

If you don’t have a bait shop nearby, the other option which I use often is to catch your own minnows

You can do this with a seine net. Look for flashing silver spots in shallow areas near the shoreline – that’s your minnow school. One sweep through the shallows usually gets you enough bait for the day.

For an even simpler approach, you can also try an umbrella net baited with oatmeal or cat food. I’ve personally found this to be quite effective in drawing in minnows.

Once you’ve caught them, you’ll need to sift through, choose the ones you want to keep, and toss the rest back.

When choosing, keep in mind what size bass you’re planning on targeting; the process is the same as if you’re choosing an artificial lure off the shelf.

For example, you’d need larger minnows for catching largemouth bass.

There’s a variety of methods and bait you can use to draw the minnows in. But, trust me, the little amount of effort is well worth the results you’ll get from catching and dropping them to attract bass.

Hooking Minnows

The best way to hook a minnow is through both lips from the bottom up.

This method gives it the best presentation, it looks the most natural, and you stand the best chance of limiting the damage you do to the bait in the process of hooking it. For more details, check out the video below.

Anglers.com expert Wesley demonstrates how to properly hook a minnow in this video.

Fishing with Minnows

The beauty of fishing with minnows is their natural presentation – they do most of the work for you. Your main job is simply keeping them alive and lively. When a minnow starts moving sluggishly, swap it out for a fresh one.

For shallow water near dense cover, my favorite method for fishing with minnows is using a simple split shot rig. Just keep the line fairly tight to prevent the minnow from swimming too close to the surface, which can look unnatural to bass.

A bobber setup can be even more effective. It keeps your minnow suspended off the bottom, which not only looks more natural but helps your bait live longer and you won’t have to change it out as often.

Shad/Shiners

Shad and shiners are the live bait you need when you’re targeting bigger bass in deeper water. They are the best for striped bass and I’ve had great success using them for largemouth, big flathead, and catfish too.

Catching shad requires a different approach than minnow fishing.

You’ll need a cast net instead of a seine net. The casting net will be thrown over the side of the boat, and you’ll have to retrieve it later. The best spots are usually near rocks and dams.

I recommend using 2-3 nets and dropping them in promising spots (either based on instinct or what your fish finder shows). Then, circle back to retrieve them. This method covers more water and increases your chances of finding a good school.

Pro tip: Hang a lantern over the side of your boat after dark. Shad are attracted to light and will school up right below it, making them easier to catch with your cast net.

Once you catch them, keep your shad lively by storing them in a well-aerated container. Many experts add rock salt to the water to help keep the bait active.

Fishing With Shad

Fishing with shad is simpler than catching them. Since you’re typically in open water, you have more room to experiment with different presentations.

My go-to rig is a drift fishing setup: a barrel swivel and egg sinker with a 36-inch leader, positioned a few feet off the bottom. This setup works great for both stripers and largemouth.

Madtoms

If you live in the Southeastern part of the country or near the Gulf, chances are you’ve considered using madtoms at least once. These small catfish (also called “stonecats”) are one of the most effective baits I use for targeting smallmouth.

Unlike minnows and shad, madtoms last longer. Their larger size helps deter smaller bass from nibbling at your bait while you’re waiting for that trophy one to strike.

The catch? You won’t find these at most bait shops. Getting madtoms means putting on your fishing boots and doing some rock-flipping in rivers.

It’s a bit of work, but I can assure you that the results make it worthwhile.

Fishing With Madtoms

Rigging them is simple – just run a size 2 hook through both lips from the bottom.

Since they’re natural bottom feeders, let them do their thing. No weight needed; they’ll find their way to the bottom on their own.

When you feel a strike, be patient. Give the bass a few seconds to run with it before setting the hook.

I recommend fishing in pools along riverbanks and logjams, especially areas where the current slows down in a river. This prevents your madtom from immediately seeking cover under rocks when you cast it.

Hellgrammites

Here’s another rocky living creature that you’ll find in streams and rivers. It’s the larvae of a Dobsonfly, and they come in sizes ranging between one and three inches. These are excellent choices of live bait for both smallmouth and largemouth bass, and you can use them to catch a variety of fish. 

To capture them, you’ll have to take the slow and steady approach of turning over rocks until you find them. I’d suggest having two people for this process. One person is there to turn over the rocks, and the other is there with a net ready to capture it when you find one. 

The best thing about Hellgrammites is they’re easy to store, and they are low-maintenance. You can keep them alive for weeks if you store them in a container with natural brush and water. Make sure you don’t drown them; Hellgrammites need air just as much as they need water. 

Fishing With Hellgrammites 

I should also mention that you want to be careful when handling these as well. They have strong jaws that can dig deep into your skin, so you’ll want to hold them with your fingers behind their “collar.” That would be the section of the torso where the legs begin. 

The collar is also where you’ll hook them using a fine wire hook. As for the fishing strategy, keep it simple and let the current do the work for you. You can try a bobber, or you could go without, but I recommend using a very small split shot weight just to keep it on the bottom, and you’ll want to fish relatively shallow water with these closest to dense cover. You can use this method to draw the big bass out of hiding. 

Crawfish

Crawfish, crayfish, crawdads, whatever you call them, they’re the best live bait for largemouth bass, hands down. No bass can resist them, the presentation is always on-point, and they’re delicious. 

Best of all, catching them isn’t as hard as you think. It’s obviously not as easy as strolling into a bait shop and buying minnows, but it’s not as hard as finding Hellgrammites and Madtoms. 

I’d suggest looking at small streams and start flipping over rocks and logs. You’ll most often find them buried in the mud. You could go purchase a minnow trap and bait it with bread to draw them in as well. Once you find one, you’ll want to hold your net behind it and push it back into the net using a stick or something similar. They’re the easiest to catch but not always the first bait you’ll spot. 

Fishing With Crawfish 

Now you’ve got a few crustaceans, how do you freshwater fish with them? You’ll want to penetrate the tail with a hook proportionate to the size of the crawfish. The best fishing methods will either be drifting or casting near the rocks.

There isn’t really any unique magical strategy here; all you need to do is drop them in the water and let them do their thing. That’s one of the best parts of live bait bass fishing. The presentation is relatively hands-off. 

Night Crawlers

In the YouTube video above, Anglers.com Community Coordinator Wes Littlefield shows us three of his favorite ways to rig a live worm.

Night Crawlers are not hard to find, and bass fishing with live blood worms is one of the simplest ways to approach the game. You should be able to find Night Crawlers at your local bait shop, but if you have kids, it’s a fun activity for them. Send them into the water right along the shore and let them flip over rocks. 

You’ll want to get commercial worm bedding and place it in a styrofoam container and keep it in the refrigerator. You can store worms like this for weeks, if not months, so it’s well worth the work.

Fishing With Night Crawlers 

If you’re fishing with Night Crawlers, chances are you’ll want to go towards the shallow water and fish with lighter tackle. This method is great for new anglers or kids who are just getting introduced to the sport.

Take an ultralight or light rod, six-pound monofilament, and a split shot and throw the worm on the hook. Rig it through the tip and keep as much of the hook covered but ensure that the barb is protruding enough to set the hook. Depending on where you’re fishing, this strategy might change, but this is what I would use on most occasions. 

You’ll pretty much just jig them most of the time and you can use night crawlers to catch an assortment of fish including crappie, walleye, sunfish, other panfish, and big fish alike. 

Frogs

Frogs are one of the best live baits for bass and certainly the most underrated. They perform extremely well in dense cover and anywhere you have heavy vegetation. Go out after or during a heavy rainstorm and walk along the side of rural roadways; here, you’ll easily find frogs that you can use to clean up in the water. 

I don’t recommend this bass fishing technique for beginners because it does require a bit of experience and finesse once you get the frog hooked, but for bass anglers who understand how to fish in dense vegetation, there’s no better strategy. 

Fishing With Frogs

Rigging the frog might seem a little daunting, but it’s not bad if you go through the forelegs. Doing this doesn’t hinder their ability to move, so they can still swim freely and naturally. Use a wide gap hook and a split shot about one foot away from the hook. 

Toss the frog over the side of your boat near bass cover, lily pads, and anything else you can find. They’ll usually swim right to the bottom and should immediately draw attention. If you’re not getting any takers, give the quick jerk on the rod tip, and that should get the frog going erratically, which will get more attention from neighboring bass. 

Salamanders

Salamanders are another overlooked bass live bait. You can find these at local tackle shops, but you should understand that you can’t use just any salamanders. What you’re looking for is the aquatic type known as “water dogs.” These have the appearance of a tadpole, which is a common food for bass of all types.

Collecting these yourself is borderline impossible, so you’ll have to find a place to buy them, and the pro shop should also provide you with a way to keep them.  

Fishing With Salamanders 

You’ll want to run your hook through the nostrils or the tail and use a sinker approximately two feet from the hook. Instead of casting or drifting, simply drop the salamander into the water and release your line. Let it fall to the bottom and work its magic from there. 

If you’re not getting much, you can slowly troll your boat, but I really mean slowly. If you go too fast, you’ll be taking control of the presentation instead of letting the live bait do what it does best. 

Bluegills

Bluegills are great for live bait bass fishing for a few reasons. One, they’re easy to find. Two, they keep easily on the side of your boat. Three, bass are naturally attracted to them, and they create their own presentation, so it’s a no-brainer, really. 

The best way to put together a portfolio of bluegill is to catch them yourself. Make sure you’re using light tackle because you want to catch small bluegill, and you’re not looking to attract anything else right now. 

Fishing With Bluegill 

Once you’re done with “for” bluegill, you’ll want to fish “with” them. Bluegill are highly attractive to bass, and you’ll want to rig them with both a split shot and a bobber and fish them suspended. Make sure your split shot is a good distance from the hook (approximately two feet) depending on the depth of the water. 

You’ll want to drop them in and troll with your boat slowly to create the presentation. The slower, the better.

Mice

Bass eating mice is a real thing, but it’s a bit of a challenge to rig them and fish them properly. While you could do it, I don’t really recommend it because rigging them is brutal, and you can only fish them in shallow water, so you’ll need to find ones small enough, which can get pretty expensive unless you’re catching your own mice. 

If you’re thinking of fishing mice, I would suggest going with an artificial lure that looks like one. They make artificials that look like mice, topwater frogs, snakes, and more. Live bait works in many situations but it isn’t always the better choice. 

Crankbaits, plastic worms, spinnerbaits, and other artificial fishing lures work just fine if that’s your game! 

Final Thoughts 

The best live bait for bass is really subjective to the individual. If I had to pick a live bait, I would go with night crawlers. I think they’re the simplest option, they’re affordable, and they’re easy to fish.

If you’re looking to branch out, shad and minnows are solid as well, and frogs work well if you know what you’re doing.

Don’t be afraid to experiment! Good luck!