| 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 |
| live bait too, but the world of live bait is much more | | | | the lightest of a sinker. The idea was to cast onto |
| than a crawler on a hook. Minnows, crawdads, and | | | | the rushing water and let the cricket float down |
| crickets are also a big part of live bait fishing. I have | | | | stream. I studied by cricket teacher as he gently |
| enjoyed using each type, but crickets were my first | | | | flipped his line onto the water and the cricket floated |
| venture into the "other-world" of live bait fishing. | | | | down the creek. Then he was gone. Fish on! |
| A good friend of mine, Tom, first showed me how | | | | Since then I have learned that many people use |
| to use crickets when stream fishing for trout. We | | | | crickets for a variety of other fish including Panfish |
| were Trout fishing the Silver Fork out side of Kyburz, | | | | and Breen. This technique is different from the one I |
| California. The water was running and the scenery | | | | used my first day. Many people use a bobber or a |
| outstanding. Our plan was to hop boulders from up | | | | float with a #6, #8, or #10 hook. They then put a |
| above and fish our way down stream. First on the | | | | lightweight split shot about 6 inches from the cricket. |
| agenda was my introduction to using crickets as bait. | | | | The idea is to let the cricket slowly and naturally |
| Tom grabbed a black cricket out of the cricket cage | | | | descend through the water. As with Panfish, you will |
| and said, "You just run the hook under the collar". | | | | try several times and may adjust your bobber depth |
| What? Was this cricket wearing a coat or | | | | until you find the right spot. |
| something? I found that just behind the head of the | | | | I have learned that fish like variety in their diet, just |
| cricket is something that looks like a collar. The trick | | | | like we do. Live bait is definitely preferred by fish |
| is to gently guide your hook under the collar and out | | | | over artificial and they can strike at it aggressively. |
| the other side of the collar without killing the cricket. | | | | So feel free to explore a live bait option to worms. |
| It is actually much easier than it may sound. | | | | Crickets: The other live bait. |