[The Cornish Kingfisher]

Hi Everybody, it's Josh, The Cornish Kingfisher, and here is some information i decided to post, all about bait. It will help beginners to learn what to use as their bait, what size hooks you will need and I've added a list of how to hook 10 different baits! It also includes information on where to find your own baits.
If you find this post to long, you don't have to read all of it - you can of course just pick out the sections you want.
The things on this page are for catching non-predatory and predatory fish. I hope that this information helps.
The first section is ''all about the baits''. The second section is about ''your hook sizes''. The third section is all about ''how to hook the bait''. The fourth section is all about ''where to find your bait''. And the fifth and final section is about ''taking a gamble with your baits''.

MAGGOTS:
There are 3 types of maggot:
1 - Large Whites - walk into a tackle shop, ask for a pint of maggots and these are the type you will get. They are the larvae of the bluebottle fly. How many have split some maggots in the car and had bluebottles buzzing all around your head whilst driving, once they hatch out.
2 - Pinkies - smaller than the conventional maggot, they are the larvae of the green bottle fly. They are about half the size of a large white, but are much more active. They are noted for doing the great escape from your maggot box, even if it gets slightly damp, so be aware!
3 - Squats or Feeders - The larvae of the common house fly. These are the smallest of the lot. They have to be kept in sand. A bait that you don't seem to hear so much of these days, although it's great in the winter for catching smaller fish. You can also get casters for bait.

WORMS:
You can really use any type of worm as bait, but the most common is in the photo above, RAGWORM. Or you can use LUGWORM. Or a type of worm used for catching predator fish, which is called DENDRABAENA. These are usually cheaper. Beware though, as ragworm bite, as they has sharp teeth witch come out when you go to hook them!

SANDEELS:
These are a small type of eel that bury under the sand to escape from predators, that's why they are called 'sandeels'. You can buy them live or dead in bait shops at a low price, and are good for catching mackerel, pollack, bass and garfish.

OTHER DEAD-BAIT:
For dead-bait, you can also use SQUID, MACKEREL, OCTOPUS, CRABS, SHRIMP, CLAMS, COCKLES, LOBSTER, RAZOR-SHELLS, SHELLFISH, HERRING and CUTTLEFISH. (see how to hook the baits in the section below). You can use crabs such as peeler, spider or hermit. I read in a sea fishing magazine, that sometimes, if you leave the bait to decay, it can be good for catching some bigger fish. Gutted lugworm is great for game and match fishing.

GROUND-BAIT:
Saltwater fishing ground-bait, also known as chumming or swim-feeding, is used to lure the fish into your area, and it is basically a thick pink paste that you can buy whole or make yourself. SHIRVY, the most common type of sea ground-bait, is composed of mince meat, meat fat, bran and fish blood, that are mixed up to create a thick mixture. For other ground-bait, there is also SHORE- GROUND-BAITING, BAIT DROPPING, RUBBY-DUBBY and BIG-GAME GROUND-BAITING.

BOILIES:
Boilies can be bought from a bait shop, and some of them are floaters, but most of them sink with the hook. Also known as the 'HP Bait', (the high protein bait), it attracts fish with it's combination of milk proteins, animal proteins, soy-flour, colorings and flavorings.

You can also use the following:
BREAD FLAKES (good for catching sea bream).
BOILIES (the HP bait, see above).
LIVE-BAIT (worms, maggots etc. etc.).
DEAD-BAIT (squid, sandeel, mackerel etc. etc.).
LURES (wobblers, spoons, tails, wedges, blinkers etc. etc.).
BLUEIS.
HALIBUT.
RAISENS.
FRUIT.
EARTHWORM.
OYSTERS.
CLAMWORMS.
BLOODWORM.
TUBE WORMS.
SEA MINCE.
SEA SLUGS.
SAND LANCE.
COMMON PIDDOCKK.
SALTWATER FLIES.
PELLETS.
PRAWNS.
LIMPITS.
SWEETCORN.
HEMP SEEDS.
GROUND-BAIT (see the ground-bait section above).
PASTA.
or LUNCHEON MEAT (sausage meat is also effective).

Here are the hooks sizes you will need for your bait:
24 - Squats.
22 - Pinkies.
20 - Maggots and Bread-punch.
18 - Caster, Double Maggot and Hemp Seed.
16 - Double Caster, pieces of Worm, Single Corn and Soft Pellets.
14 - Double Corn and a Whole Worm.
12 - Bread-flake and pieces of Lugworm.
10 - Bread-flake, Luncheon Meat, Paste and Small Boilies.
08 - Boilie and a Hair Rigged Pellet.
06 - Whole Lugworm or Ragworm and a Large Boilie.

HOW TO HOOK A MAGGOT:
.1. Select a maggot with a clear black feeding sack in it's head (the pointed end).
.2. Hold the maggot by the pointed end in one hand, and your hook in the other hand.
.3. Push the point of the hook just into the blunt end where there are two black dots.
.4. The hooked maggot should wriggle. If it is damaged at all, try again with another maggot.

HOW TO HOOK A RAGWORM OR A LUGWORM:
.1. Select a ragworm or a lugworm, and hold it quite tight around the neck and head area with one hand, and your hook with the other.
.2. Tease the worm with the hook a bit, start trying to put it into it's mouth. It will then open it's mouth. BEWARE OF THEIR TEETH, RAGWORM BITE!
.3. Then push the hook down-wards, feeding it right through the worm.
.4. When the hook gets to the stomach and gut area, it should naturally slide down the gut.

HOW TO HOOK A WHOLE MACKEREL, A WHOLE SARDINE OR A WHOLE HERRING:
.1. Insert the top hook into the top lip.
.2. Insert the bottom hook into the the flank of the fish.
OR: To make the fish more sparing, you can cut it up into about 10 fillets, and just insert the hook in one side and out the other.

THREE WAYS TO HOOK A SANDEEL:
.1. Lipping - Push the hook down-wards through the head of the sandeel, and then bring it out to one side of it's head.
.2. Tailing - Pierce the tail with he hook, in one side and out the other.
.3. Heading - Insert the hook into one side of the head, and then feed it through the other side.
NOTE: The easiest and most effective way to hook a sandeel is number one, 'lipping'' it.

HOW TO HOOK A RAZOR-SHELL OR A SHELLFISH:
.1. Cut of a firm section of the flesh with the hook.
.2. Pass the hook through this area as many times as possible, as it tears easily.

HOW TO HOOK A CRAB OR LOBSTER:
.1. Peel the crabs legs and back fully, and then cut i into 2 - 5 pieces. For a lobster, also peel it's legs, but not the back. Then, cut the lobster into 2 - 5 pieces.
.2. Pile these parts onto the hook and blind in place with some thread or elastic.

HOW TO HOOK A SQUID:
.1. Cut open the squid, remove the guts and outer skin, then strip-cut the flesh.
.2. Insert the hook through a firm area of the bait twice. It is a strong bait, so a hanging bit of skin doesn't matter.

HOW TO HOOK AN OCTOPUS:
.1. Cut off a tentacle.
.2. Insert the hook from the smallest end to the biggest end, bringing the hook out at the bottom.

HOW TO HOOK A CUTTLEFISH:
.1. With a large and strong hook, insert into the top of the head, and bring out the other side.
OR: You can cut it into pieces, the head, the tentacles and the middle, to make it last longer.

HOW TO HOOK A SALTWATER BOILIE:
.1. Use a size 2 to 8 hook and ensure that the hook point and gape are not impeded.
OR: You can us a hair rig or a boilie bayonet to attach the boilie to the hook.

MORE BAIT:
You can also use chopped up wrasse as bait! It's hard to cut, but then that's an advantage, because it will stay on the hook. And it smells really strong, but that's also good, because the fish will be able to smell it. Just chop a full wrasse up into about 10 fillets, and insert the hook just in one side and out the other. It's good for catching bass!

WHERE TO FIND YOUR OWN BAIT:
.1. You can find Ragworm, Tubeworm and Clamworm etc. etc. mainly near estuaries. They can be found in shallow mud and can be dug from damp sand. You can find them at low water and spring tides. When you find ragworm, the best way to keep them fresh is to wrap them up in some newspaper, and put them into the fridge. This can keep them fresh for up to a week.
.2. You can find Lugworm like ragworm. They are also found in shallow mud areas, and can also be found from wet sand. Also like ragworm, the best way to keep them fresh for up to a week is to keep them wrapped up in newspaper in the fridge.
.3. You can find Sandeel and Sandlance typically in the wet sandy areas near estuaries. They will bury fast in the sand, so get ready! The best way to keep sandeel fresh is to keep them alive if possible, in a bucket of sea water.
.4. You can find Peeler, Spider and Hermit Crab etc. etc., like many baits in wet, damp and soggy areas. Hermit crabs are found under really damp sand. Peeler crabs are found under deep mud areas and spider crabs can also be found in rock-pools. You can also find crabs under or by worn sea defenses such as sea walls or groynes. Crabs are best kept alive in a bucket of sea water if you want them to stay fresh.
.5. You can find Razor-shell and Shell-fish etc. etc. on very sandy beaches. Instead of wet sand, shellfish and razor-shell prefer dryer sand. To make them easy to catch, try to get a bucket of sea water, and splash it over a large dry area. Some razor-shells may then come up to feed, as they will think it's high tide, you can then try to catch them carefully, before they bury in the sand!
.6. Obviosly you can catch dead-bait such as Prawns, Lobsters, Mackerel, Herring, Sardine, Cuttlefish, Octopus and Squid etc. etc. whilst you are fishing, or buy them from a bait shop.
.7. And as for things like Sea Slugs, Oysters, Limpets and Clams etc. etc., you can also just find them in deep, damp sand.

TAKING A GAMBLE WITH YOUR BAITS:
I find for sea fishing, it's best to gamble with your small catches for bigger ones! If you catch crabs, use them as bait for mackerel and herring and then when you catch them, use them as bait for sea bass, tope, catfish, dogfish and sharks! Gamble your baits in hope of catching more - i works for me!
Or, of course, if you would rather stay on the safe side, just buy some ragworm and sandeel and use it wisley!

The below attachments are pictures of some basic baits.

If you have any questions as to what bait you can use, what hook size you will need and how to hook them, please do feel free to ask, and i will help you as much as i can!
And remember, the bigger the bait, the bigger the fish!

PLEASE VOTE ON THE POLL ABOVE!
I hope that all of this information has helped you!
TIGHT LINES!

The pictures are (from left to right):
Ragworm, lugworm, sandeel, peeler crab and razor-shell.
I've got permission to use these pictures from the owner.