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Natural bait encompasses the many types of bait that are neither live nor artificial. They are often processed from organic material that does not occur naturally in aquatic environments, with the exception of cut up fish or salmon eggs.
Natural bait comes in many forms, from rotten cheese to bread balls to coagulated animal blood. It can be either homemade or pre-processed and sold in stores. The five basic categories of natural bait include prepared baits, cheeses, fish eggs, cut bait and corn, although these represent only the most common forms.
Prepared Baits
Stink baits – These are made from rotten cheese and other decaying organic matter. They come in a dough-like substance that an angler rolls into a ball and attaches to the hook. Some types of stink bait are formulated as “sponge” or “dip” baits, meaning hooks fitted with small sponges or other absorbent objects are dipped into the bait prior to casting. Stink baits are used mostly for catfish species.
Dough balls – These are made mostly from flour and grain, cooked with flavor additives, then boiled into hard balls and squeezed on or attached to the hook. They are used primarily for carp.
PowerBait. – PowerBait is actually a name brand prepared bait, made by the Berkley company, but its widespread popularity and market dominance have made it standard equipment for trout fishermen and thus, it is really its own category of prepared baits. The doughy substance is made from actual fish and other organic matter. It is squeezed around the hook into a ball, similar to those formed with stink bait but smaller, and used almost exclusively on trout. Berkley manufactures the PowerBait formula into a variety of other prepared bait products, but the trout version is by far the most popular.
Blood baits – Blood baits are made from coagulated animal blood, usually collected from slaughterhouses, poultry and pork farms. Blood coagulates as it is dried, and is then fashioned into fishable chunks that fit easily onto a hook. It is used most often for channel catfish, though other catfish and game fish species can be attracted to it.
Cheese
Unlike stink baits, which use rotten cheese, cheese baits consist of preserved and processed cheese that is molded into small chunks and used for channel cats, trout and sometimes carp and panfish. Some cheese baits are manufactured specifically for fishing; some are even made for specific species. However, many anglers use processed cheese made for human consumption, Velveeta. for instance, because its pliable consistency can be squeezed onto a hook.
Fish Eggs
The most common fish eggs used as bait are salmon eggs. Taken from hatcheries, they are marinated or gelled with additives to give them more substance, packed in jars and sold in stores. They are usually fished by putting one or two eggs on a small hook, and are used almost exclusively for catching trout.
Steelhead anglers often use actual steelhead or salmon eggs (called “roe”) that are tied into small mesh sacks (“roe sacks”) and placed onto or tied just above the hook. Roe can be purchased in many bait shops near steelhead waters, but some anglers acquire the eggs by harvesting them from caught salmon or steelhead.
Cut Bait
Cut bait is simply cut up baitfish, liver or entrails from various animals and fish. Certain cut bait is more effective for certain fish, such as cut shad for channel, blue and flathead catfish as well as striped bass; cut liver for channel catfish and, strangely, hybrid white bass, too.
Corn
Corn can be either placed on the hook or scattered about a fishing spot (an activity called “chumming”), or both. Corn is used commonly for trout, carp, channel catfish and sunfish. The use of corn is not legal in some states, and many states regulate or disallow chumming with corn or any bait.
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