Bait vs Lures

[OldBay]

How much of your Saltwater Pier and Surf fishing time is spent soaking bait and how much time is spent throwing lures? I find myself fishing with bait much more often, but I am looking to start changing that. How about you?

[cocoflea]

I don't look at it as Bait vs Lure it's what ever is working at the time and I have no preference as to which one I would rather use.

[OldBay]

Cocoflea, its a question of actual use, not necessarily preference. I get what your saying, what ever is working at the time is the practice I employ also. It just seems that where I am bait is whats working most of the time. Ideally I would fish with lures almost exclusively, but when they are not producing I like to fish bait. That turns out to be the majority of the time. I am looking to change the places that I fish, to include more productive lure fishing opportunities.

[Fatback]

For me its more like 75% bait and 25% lures. Would use lures all the time..........but they are not productive. I allso feel that when using lures I catch bigger fish vs. using bait. When the bite is GOOOD I'll use lures, even If I have bait. But when the bite is just so so, its bait all the way.

[fish4kings104]

its really 50-50 for me.

[jay]

yeah, I fish the bait about 50% to 30% lures, but the remianing 20%, i use Dynamite. JK :D , Hey It is multi, tasking, It tells u if their are fish around, and it's a great .... umm... bait ...no....lure....no... I need anthor catorgy

[Cdog]

Really depends on the time of year. Majority of my fishing now is bait. But when it gets cooler I'll start using lures more than bait chasing schools of striper.

[Digger]

It really depends on the target. Stripers it is mostly lures. Drum Mostly bait but if I see a tailing fish I will toss lures. Cobia bait with lures around for a sighted fish. Spanish and blues Lures. What ever works.

[Darkness]

Specks, flounder, pups = 90% lures (jigs)
Spanish macks = 100% lures
Bluefish = 75% lures
Big Reds = 100% bait
Cobia = 90% bait
Biters = 100% bait

[OldBay]

No hardcore harpooners out there??

[BigJeff823]

But whenever the fish aint bitin the bait or its slow;a lure will get them.Live Bait is the easyest way to get the big ones like livelining Spot.I still like lures alittle more than bait.

[hatterasnate]

Fishing artificials is all about confidence in your offering/presentation. Less confidence=less use=less fish caught. Earlier tonight I out-fished a group of guys who were bait fishing. With a 2 1/2" fin-s on an 1/8 oz. jig head and an ultralight setup, I am a hungry croaker's worse nightmare. :)

[BigJeff823]

I like using soft plastics like FinSFish,Mr Twister,and Asasians on jigheads from 1/8-3/4oz for Sea Trout,Stripers,and Flounder.For me I fish for them Grey and Speckled Trout like I fish for Walleye.

[Axon]

how about both at the same time. I really dont like to fish lures but while the bait is soaking I will throw lures when I get bored.

[cocoflea]

Axon I sometimes do the same thing but if one is more productive then the other I switch over to what's working unless I'm fishing all day after awhile I run out of gas casting then I open the cooler and let the bait soak until the fish bite or I get my energy back

[Manayunk Jake]

Greetings Axon and David!

Same here. I almost always have bait out there, but I'll toss a lure around if the bite is slow. In addition, my favorite lure is a bucktail sweetened with meat, so I don't know WHAT category that goes under. Its a darn good way to prospect, though....