• Worms are a great live bait to use.worm image by Ksenija Djurica from Fotolia.com
  
  Largemouth and smallmouth bass can be found in lakes, rivers and streams across North America. Smallmouth bass are native to central North America and largemouth bass are native to central and the southeastern states. Both fish are now common in all regions of the country and Canada. The smallmouth bass can get up to 17 inches and be found in clear, warm water pools in large streams with rocky bottoms. The largemouth bass is bigger, up to 26 inches, and is striped. It, too, can be found in clear, warm water and pools. Live bait is the way to go to catch these fish.
  
  

Shiners

• Golden shiners are bait fish that naturally occur in lakes. They are freshwater minnows with an average length of about four to six inches. Used live, they are powerful bait that could aid in you catching the big one. When used as live bait and trolled they can be useful in letting you know that bass are in the area. When trolling move slowly through the water and watch what your bait is doing. If the shiner moves straight then there are no bass. If it moves left or right it is moving in the opposite direction of the bass. If it leaps out of the water the bass are below it. At anchor, use shiners in an area of grass mats. This is an area where the vegetation is grown and is floating. Four places to hook a shiner are below the dorsal fin, through the tail, or through the nose, or through the lips. If the shiner bait is larger than six inches, use a 4/0 size hook. If it is less than six inches, scale down to a 3/0 size. Keep shiners in cool water and a well-oxygenated bait tank.
  
  

Crawfish

• Crawfish are like small little freshwater lobsters and are great bait for bass since this is the main diet of largemouth and smallmouth bass. Crawfish naturally live on stream bottoms and lakes, hiding in the mud during the day and coming out to forage at night. To get them, they can be caught in traps using wet cat food as bait at night. Dip nets can also be used, but you must be quick and agile. You want crawfish that are about three inches in length. Anything longer and you will have a hard time hooking the fish. Hook the crawfish from underneath it through the tail about a half-inch from the end of the tail; this will allow for natural movement.
  
  

Night Crawlers

• Night crawlers can be dug up at night after a summer rain. They seek out moist, rich soils and can be found under leaf cover, and they sometimes will come to the surface after a rain. They are great for fishing because the bass eat them naturally when worms are swept into lakes and streams after a rain. Of course, you can also buy them from bait shops rather cheaply for $3 for about 16 worms, as of May 2010. Place the hook through the middle of the rings or bands that divide the worm. This band will be found two-thirds up from the bottom of the worm. Then place the worm 18 to 36 inches from the bobber. The key is to let the worm dangle naturally from the bobber. Use a size one or two hook, but hook size will depend on how big a fish you want.