| Several years ago I got turned on to using live bait. | | | | Next I went for a fishing bobber and was quickly |
| Before that time I had used worms. Yes worms are | | | | corrected by Tom. No Bobber and if I needed, only the |
| live bait too, but the world of live bait is much more | | | | lightest of a sinker. The idea was to cast onto the |
| than a crawler on a hook. Minnows, crawdads, and | | | | rushing water and let the cricket float down stream. I |
| crickets are also a big part of live bait fishing. I have | | | | studied by cricket teacher as he gently flipped his line |
| enjoyed using each type, but crickets were my first | | | | onto the water and the cricket floated down the |
| venture into the "other-world" of live bait fishing. | | | | creek. Then he was gone. Fish on! |
| A good friend of mine, Tom, first showed me how to | | | | Since then I have learned that many people use |
| use crickets when stream fishing for trout. We were | | | | crickets for a variety of other fish including Panfish and |
| Trout fishing the Silver Fork out side of Kyburz, | | | | Breen. This technique is different from the one I used |
| California. The water was running and the scenery | | | | my first day. Many people use a bobber or a float with |
| outstanding. Our plan was to hop boulders from up | | | | a #6, #8, or #10 hook. They then put a lightweight split |
| above and fish our way down stream. First on the | | | | shot about 6 inches from the cricket. The idea is to let |
| agenda was my introduction to using crickets as bait. | | | | the cricket slowly and naturally descend through the |
| Tom grabbed a black cricket out of the cricket cage | | | | water. As with Panfish, you will try several times and |
| and said, "You just run the hook under the collar". | | | | may adjust your bobber depth until you find the right |
| What? Was this cricket wearing a coat or something? | | | | spot. |
| I found that just behind the head of the cricket is | | | | I have learned that fish like variety in their diet, just like |
| something that looks like a collar. The trick is to gently | | | | we do. Live bait is definitely preferred by fish over |
| guide your hook under the collar and out the other side | | | | artificial and they can strike at it aggressively. So feel |
| of the collar without killing the cricket. It is actually much | | | | free to explore a live bait option to worms. Crickets: |
| easier than it may sound. | | | | The other live bait. |