# Best Surf Artificials For Pan Fish



## aln (May 29, 2006)

Praise The Lord I have almost made it through another year of SAD (salt air deficiency) and am only a little more than 2 months from my 2 weeks of drum fishing oceanfront on Hatteras Island late October. 

I've never used any artificial baits in the surf, other than gulp on jigs for flounder, but this year I thought I might fish for some pan fish on scented bait .. whiting/Virginia mullet, love to catch a spot or 2 for bait, and maybe black drum. So whats the latest, greatest, 
most reliable or "go to" artificial scented bait you want to use when your on Hatteras late October? I will fish double dropper, River Rigs, and modified Carolina style rigs that I really love for mullet. Fishbites/Gulp .. colors, flavors ... ??

Thanks,
aln


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## surfchunker (Apr 10, 2006)

fishbites are always good for spots if they are around, but hard to beat live sand fleas


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## Digger54 (Sep 11, 2012)

aln said:


> Praise The Lord I have almost made it through another year of SAD (salt air deficiency)
> 
> aln


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## 1SHOT1KILL (Jul 31, 2010)

Get yourself some Fish Bites Bloodworms and Sandfleas and you will be set catch sea mullet, spots, pompanos, croakers, and black drum.


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## fishiker (Dec 10, 2015)

+1 for Fishbites, I've also had good success using the Gulp bloodworms. Last fall we put a lot of fish in the cooler using a double jig with a Gulp on the front jig and a small strip of Fishbites on the trailer jig.


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## DaBig2na (Aug 7, 2011)

What's a "Pan Fish"? 

Does it look like a frying pan or a sauce pan? 

Sounds is that one of those fish that hitch a ride on the boat from China?


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## ASK4Fish (May 4, 2005)

For those smaller fish destined for the next grease experiment... Fish bites are a back up bait ( for when you've run out of the real thing in a hot bite and you're miles from the nearest bait depot ) imho, and go for the real thing in all flavors to maximize your results. Bloodworms #1 followed by a four way tie ( shrimp, clams, sand fleas, small pieces of cut spot/mullet) followed distantly by squid ( do you want croaker?) Just my .02


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## psychodiagnostik (Jun 27, 2009)

DaBig2na said:


> What's a "Pan Fish"?
> 
> Does it look like a frying pan or a sauce pan?
> 
> Sounds is that one of those fish that hitch a ride on the boat from China?


You hear it more during freshwater fish discussion, although I've always used the term to describe the relatively smaller fish that fishermen target, usually a notch below "gamefish" in the surf like red drum, chopper blues etc. but not "trash" fish like skates & such. I think it's because there's this entire category of fish like I mentioned that can be quickly filleted or gutted & nearly the whole fish pan fried or skillet grilled all at once. So in this case I would imagine it to mean spot, croaker whiting/sea mullet, pompano, pigfish... You might also throw spanish makerel & flounder in there but it's debatable.


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## aln (May 29, 2006)

psychodiagnostik said:


> You hear it more during freshwater fish discussion, although I've always used the term to describe the relatively smaller fish that fishermen target, usually a notch below "gamefish" in the surf like red drum, chopper blues etc. but not "trash" fish like skates & such. I think it's because there's this entire category of fish like I mentioned that can be quickly filleted or gutted & nearly the whole fish pan fried or skillet grilled all at once. So in this case I would imagine it to mean spot, croaker whiting/sea mullet, pompano, pigfish... You might also throw spanish makerel & flounder in there but it's debatable.


And that is the definition of a pan fish .. and in my most politically correct sarcastic tone I apologize for not using the FHB term "bait fish" when referencing Spots and Virginia Mullet/Whiting and (for the north of OBX persuasion), Kingfish and others. Also good for cutting in to chunks or bits the parts you aint gonna put on a hook and tossing in the water near where your fishing, or grinding up and freezing the remains in a gallon jug to be used later as chum. My grandma learned me pan fish back in the 60's and I doubt she ever knew or cared where China was and if she learnt me I remember it okay .. great  !!

thanks


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## ez2cdave (Oct 13, 2008)

DaBig2na said:


> What's a "Pan Fish"?


*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panfish*

Tight Lines !


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## aln (May 29, 2006)

Oh chit ... should have never said that part about tossing chunks back in the water .. prolly get a littering ticket from some criminal gubment agency just for thinking about that ...


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## pmcdaniel (Nov 13, 2013)

Fishbites Bloodworms work fine for catching a few Spots for bait. Sure, the real ones will have better results, but for bait, it's hard to justify the cost. Plus the Fishbites will keep fresh a lot longer.


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## Carolina Rebel (Aug 25, 2005)

Fishbites in general are a good investment. 

I keep a 1-bag supply of bloodworm, shrimp, and sand flea Fishbites with my surf stuff. When I'm fishing a few double-droppers for whiting etc. I'll tip each hook with something different -- fresh shrimp only on one, shrimp and one type of Fishbite on another, bloodworm Fishbite only on another, etc. Believe it or not there are times when the Fishbites will out catch the real thing, but these are the exception. My best luck is usually on one of the combinations, and when I figure out which the fish want I switch to that exclusively. 

Too, the Fishbites are tougher than the real thing so they stay on the hook longer. I have reduced my "fishing on credit" time substantially since I started using the stuff.


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