Top 18 Southeast Bait Options
By: Jeff Weakley
Whether fishing saltwater or freshwater, these bait options are the top performers when fishing the Southeast. (Photo courtesy of Jeff Weakley)
Discover the best baits for freshwater and saltwater fishing the Southeast
Top 5 Freshwater Baits
1) Jig – Tiny jigs with marabou, fiber or plastic tails are excellent lures for black crappie, bluegill and other sunfishes in Florida lakes and rivers. Slow-troll several rods with jigs to locate crappie concentrations. Or, fish a tiny jig under a float. This is a great approach for panfish of all types. Another technique is to tight-line a little jig in the lily pads or bonnets, enticing strikes from crappie and other sunfish in the dense cover.
2) Popper plug – Here’s a good lure for those early summer mornings when bass are flushing shad and other baitfish at the surface. It’s one of the few hard-body-style plugs with universal application in Florida. Many other styles of plugs will produce bass in Florida, but in the state’s predominantly shallow, weedy waters, it can be hard to fish sub-surface lures, such as crankbaits and floater-divers, without snagging. However, these other kinds do have a place on some waters.
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