Bait (luring substance)

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A piece of cheese used as bait on a mousetrap Tapette.jpg
A piece of cheese used as bait on a mousetrap

Bait is any appetizing substance (e.g. food) used to attract prey when hunting or fishing, most commonly in the form of trapping (e.g. mousetrap and bird trap), ambushing (e.g. from a hunting blind) and angling.

Contents

Baiting is a ubiquitous practice in both recreational (especially angling) and commercial fishing, but the use of live bait can be deemed illegal under certain fisheries law and local jurisdictions. For hunting, however, baiting can often be controversial as it violates the principles of fair chase, although it is still a commonly accepted practice in varmint hunting, culling and pest control.

Uses

Fishing

Live bait and fishing supply store Live bait and fishing supply store.jpg
Live bait and fishing supply store

Baiting is ubiquitously practised to catching fish. Traditionally, nightcrawlers, small baitfish, insect adults and larvae have been used as standard hookbait, and offals are commonly used as groundbait (a.k.a. chumming) in blue water fishing. Modern fishermen have also begun using more plastic bait and lures, and more recently, electronic bionic baits, to attract the more territorial and aggressive predatory fishes. Because of the risk of transmitting Myxobolus cerebralis (whirling disease), trout and salmon should not be used as bait. There are various types of natural saltwater bait. Studies show that natural baits like croaker and shrimp are better recognized therefore more readily accepted by fish. The best bait for red drum (red fish) are [ pogy (menhaden) and, in the fall, specks like croaker. [1]

Hunting

Baiting is a common practice in leopard hunting on a safari. A dead, smaller-sized antelope is usually placed high in the tree to lure the otherwise overcautious leopard. The hunter either watches the bait from point within firing range or stalks the animal if it has come for the bait during the night.[ citation needed ]

In areas where bears are hunted, bait can be found for sale at gas stations and hunting supply stores. Often consisting of some sweet substance, such as frosting or molasses, combined with an aromatic like rotten meat or fish, the bait is spread and the hunter waits under cover for his prey. [2]

Cecil the Lion, who was infamously poached by an American trophy bowhunter in 2015, was baited out of the protected area into an ambush at the margin of a private land by a deliberately planted elephant carcass. [3]

Pest control

Rodent bait station, Chennai, India Rodent Bait Station, Chennai, India.jpg
Rodent bait station, Chennai, India

Poisoned bait is a common method for controlling rats, mice, birds, slugs, snails, ants, cockroaches, and other pests. The basic granules, or other formulation, contains a food attractant for the target species and a suitable poison. For ants, a slow-acting toxin is needed so that the workers have time to carry the substance back to the colony, and for flies, a quick-acting substance to prevent further egg-laying and nuisance. [4] Baits for slugs and snails often contain the molluscide metaldehyde, dangerous to children and household pets. [5]

In Australia

Baiting in Australia refers to specific campaigns to control foxes, wild dogs and dingos by poisoning in areas where they are a problem. These programs are held in conjunction with the local Department of Primary Industries, Rural Lands Protection Board (RLPB) and National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to facilitate a neighbourhood baiting campaign. [6]

Australian hunters often use carcasses when hunting feral pigs. Shot feral animals are often left in the field, and the decaying smell attracts more pigs to scavenge over the subsequent days. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing line</span> String or line intended for angling

A fishing line is any flexible, high-tensile cord used in angling to tether and pull in fish, in conjunction with at least one hook. Fishing lines are usually pulled by and stored in a reel, but can also be retrieved by hand, with a fixed attachment to the end of a rod, or via a motorized trolling outrigger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angling</span> Fishing technique

Angling is a fishing technique that uses a fish hook attached to a fishing line to tether individual fish in the mouth. The fishing line is usually manipulated via a fishing rod, although rodless techniques such as handlining also exist. Modern angling rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a cranking device for storing, retrieving and releasing out the line, although Tenkara fishing and traditional cane pole fishing are two rod-angling methods that do not use any reel. The fish hook itself can be additionally weighted with a denser tackle called a sinker, and is typically dressed with an appetizing bait to attract and entice the fish into swallowing the hook, but sometimes an inedible fake/imitation bait with multiple attached hooks is used instead of a single hook with edible bait. Some type of bite indicator, such as a float, a bell or a quiver tip, is often used to relay underwater status of the hook to the surface and alert the angler of a fish's presence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big-game fishing</span> Offshore sportfishing targeting large fish such as tuna or marlin

Big-game fishing, also known as offshore sportfishing, offshore gamefishing or blue-water fishing, is a form of recreational fishing targeting large game fish, usually on a large body of water such as a sea or ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molluscicide</span> Pesticide used to kill molluscs

Molluscicides – also known as snail baits, snail pellets, or slug pellets – are pesticides against molluscs, which are usually used in agriculture or gardening, in order to control gastropod pests specifically slugs and snails which damage crops or other valued plants by feeding on them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recreational fishing</span> Fishing as a hobby

Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit; or subsistence fishing, which is fishing for survival and livelihood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing lure</span> Artificial fishing bait

A fishing lure is any one of a broad category of artificial angling baits that are inedible replicas designed to mimic prey animals that attract the attention of predatory fish, typically via appearances, flashy colors, bright reflections, movements, vibrations and/or loud noises which appeal to the fish's predation instinct and entice it into gulping the lure. Angling activities using lures are known as lure fishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pest control</span> Control of harmful species

Pest control is the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest; such as any animal, plant or fungus that impacts adversely on human activities or environment. The human response depends on the importance of the damage done and will range from tolerance, through deterrence and management, to attempts to completely eradicate the pest. Pest control measures may be performed as part of an integrated pest management strategy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Handline fishing</span> Fishing technique where a single fishing line is held in the hands

Handline fishing, or handlining, is a fishing technique where a single fishing line is held in the hands, rather than with a fishing rod like the usual angling, of which handlining is a subtype. Handlining is not to be confused with handfishing, which is catching fish by hand. When handlining, one or more fishing lures or baited hooks are attached to the line, and a fishing lure and often a weight and/or a fishing float can also be attached to the line. Handlining is among the oldest forms of fishing and is still practiced throughout the world today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casting (fishing)</span> Act of launching fishing tackles into water

In angling, casting is the act of the angler throwing the bait and hook as well as other attached terminal tackles out over the water, typically by slinging a fishing line manipulated by a long, elastic fishing rod. The term itself may also be used for setting out a net when artisanal fishing.

Bottom fishing, also called legering in the United Kingdom, is fishing of the bottom of a deep body of water such as lake or ocean, targeting groundfish such as sucker fish, bream, catfish and crappie. It is contrasted with conventional angling in that no float is used with the fishing line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chumming</span> Fishing with chunks of meat

Chumming is the blue water fishing practice of throwing meat-based groundbait called "chum" into the water in order to lure various marine animals to a designated fishing ground, so the target animals are more easily caught by hooking or spearing. Chums typically consist of fresh chunks of fish meat with bone and blood, the scent of which attracts predatory fish, particularly sharks, billfishes, tunas and groupers. In the past, the chum contents have also been made from "offal", the otherwise rejected or unwanted parts of slaughtered animals such as internal organs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing tackle</span> Equipment used for fishing

Fishing tackle is the equipment used by anglers when fishing. Almost any equipment or gear used in fishing can be called fishing tackle, examples being hooks, lines, baits/lures, rods, reels, floats, sinkers/feeders, nets, spears, gaffs and traps, as well as wires, snaps, beads, spoons, blades, spinners, clevises and tools that make it easy to tie knots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coarse fishing</span> Type of freshwater angling in the United Kingdom and Ireland

Coarse fishing is a phrase commonly used in Britain and Ireland. It refers to the angling for rough fish, which are fish species considered undesirable as food or game fish. Freshwater game fish are all salmonids, particularly salmon, trout and char. Generally, coarse fish are freshwater fish that are not salmonids, though there is often disagreement over whether grayling should be classified as a game fish or a coarse fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Groundbait</span> Fishing bait thrown into the water

Groundbait is a fishing bait that is either thrown or "balled" into the water in order to olfactorily attract more fish to a designated area for more efficient catching via angling, netting, trapping, or even spearing and shooting. Groundbaits are typically scattered separately from the hook and usually before even casting any rod or net, although in bottom fishing they can be deployed synchronously with hookbaits while contained inside a gradual-release device also attached to the fishing line known as a method feeder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soft plastic bait</span> Fishing lure

Soft plastic bait, commonly known as soft lure, soft plastics, plastic bait, worm lure or just worm, is any of a range of elastomer-based fishing lures termed so because of their flexible, flesh-like texture. Soft lures are available in a large range of colours, sizes and particularly shapes, and are typically impaled directly onto a fishing hook like an ordinary bait.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fauna of the Australian Capital Territory</span> Native animals of the Australian Capital Territory

The fauna of the Australian Territory includes representatives from most major Australian animal groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surface lure</span> Fishing lure

A surface lure or topwater lure is a diverse class of fishing lure designed to attract predatory fish through commotions produced at the water surface, imitating preys of interest swimming at the surface such as injured baitfish, frogs, wading mice, lizards and water snakes, drowning insects and dabbling ducklings. These lures are preferred by some anglers due to the belief that they attract larger-than-average fish, and from the added excitement of actually seeing the sudden splashes created by fish aggressively breaching the surface to strike the lure, in some instances even clearly seeing the fish stalking the lure before striking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing techniques</span> Methods for catching sea creatures, especially fish

Fishing techniques are methods for catching fish. The term may also be applied to methods for catching other aquatic animals such as molluscs and edible marine invertebrates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing bait</span> Object or substance used to attract fish

Fishing bait is any luring substance used specifically to attract and catch fish, typically when angling with a hook and line. There are generally two types of baits used in angling: hookbaits, which are directly mounted onto fish hooks and are what the term "fishing bait" typically refers to; and groundbaits, which are scattered separately into the water as an "appetizer" to attract the fish nearer to the hook. Despite the bait's sole importance is to provoke a feeding response out of the target fish, the way how fish react to different baits is quite poorly understood.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to fishing:

References

  1. Gunnar Miesen, Steve Hague (2004). Live Bait Fishing: Including Doughbait & Scent . Creative Publishing. ISBN   1-58923-146-5.
  2. Bear Hunting FAQ - (2009) Bear Hunting Frequently Asked Questions
  3. Schladebeck, Jessica (2018-03-06). "Cecil the Lion was allegedly lured out of park with elephant carcass before he was killed". New York Daily News . Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  4. Pat O'connor-marer (2006). Residential, Industrial, and Institutional Pest Control. UCANR Publications. ISBN   978-1-879906-70-9.
  5. Flint, M.L.; Wilen, C.A. "Snails and slugs". Pests in Gardens and Landscapes. UC IPM. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  6. "Wild dog baiting". Lockyer Valley Regional Council. Archived from the original on 13 September 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
  7. Robinson, John. "In Pursuit of Pigs". Sporting Shooters Association of Australia. Retrieved 10 May 2015.