Better all around bait minnows or worms?

[pops]

both, depends what you are fishing for, whether live bait or lure, what they are presently feeding on, time of year/day. weather conditions, bla bla bla.

can knock em dead with a night crawler, or knock em dead with a minnow/ rapala. there is no right answer.
Just the one that is working at the time.

 

[Frank Castle]

Not really, it's a more like feeding small fishes or catching 4-5" small sunnies with worms.

Although the question was best all around bait, are you arguing most more species/sizes feed on minnows?

if you ever see me using worms, it's to catch smaller baitfish which I in turn then use to catch the big boys. I do not target any gamefish w/ worms or use them for anything beside catching bait. Bait thieves annoy me tremendously. NOW, if we are in SW, certain types of MARINE worms would certainly be a different story

 

[MN_Rebel]

Although the question was best all around bait, are you arguing most more species/sizes feed on minnows?

Only if you want catch a larger quantity of tiny fish, use an earthworm. You'll understand the frustration of fisherman when you're lost all earthworms to the bait thieves and not landing a single eating sized fish. Throw a big earthworm in the water and the tiny sunnies or shiners will become piranhas tearing the worms in pieces, leaving you a plain hook and no worm.

 

[fishnatics]

My vote is minnows. Only time I use worms is for panfish when I take kids out.

 

[MN_Rebel]

if you ever see me using worms, it's to catch smaller baitfish which I in turn then use to catch the big boys. I do not target any gamefish w/ worms or use them for anything beside catching bait. Bait thieves annoy me tremendously. NOW, if we are in SW, certain types of MARINE worms would certainly be a different story

Me either, it's rare for me to using earthworms for gamefish and when I do, it's for trolling for walleyes and trout in areas absent of bait thieves. Minnows and leeches just lessens the bait stealing.

 

[Frank Castle]

Me either, it's rare for me to using earthworms for gamefish and when I do, it's for trolling for walleyes and trout in areas absent of bait thieves. Minnows and leeches just lessens the bait stealing.

How often do you guys use stuff like Crayfish or Hellgrammites? If I could breed my own Hellgrammites I would, IMO/IME nothing catches more bass, but Crayfish can definitely get the most stubborn giants to hit also. Anything else in the "Etc." category of bait you're partial too (aside from leeches obviously)???? Locusts, grasshoppers.....any other arthropods, crustaceans, ...."ETC". ?

 

[MN_Rebel]

How often do you guys use stuff like Crayfish or Hellgrammites? If I could breed my own Hellgrammites I would, IMO/IME nothing catches more bass, but Crayfish can definitely get the most stubborn giants to hit also. Anything else in the "Etc." category of bait you're partial too (aside from leeches obviously)???? Locusts, grasshoppers.....any other arthropods, crustaceans, ...."ETC". ?

Frogs, toads & waterdogs for pikes and bass in late summer. I never use hellgrammites because the bait stores didn't sell them and they're hard to find in the wild. Grass shrimps and scuds makes great bait for big jumbo perch during late ice fishing season. Red maggots in early ice fishing season makes great attraction to the crappies when the bite is slow.

Crayfish laws here is very strict. You have to use crayfish from same waters as bait to fishing. Some idiot imported invasive rusty crayfish in Minnesota and they have taken over few lakes.