need a good bream bait

waxworms, mealworms, and crickets are primo baits around here.

Is Bream the Southern term for what us Yankees call panfish?(Crappie 'Gills, sunfish and shellcrackers)? If so, we don't use crickets often, but I have used them for Crappie in S Missouri. Here in NE Il, we use waxies, redworms, spikes and soft-shell crawdads. For large crappie I like shiners but can no longer find them around here. Tom
Fishin' fool in NE Illinois

Garden worms and crickets are good traditional baits. I've recently started using Gulp! Alive maggots with great success, and no worries about keeping bait alive.     Happy fishing.

Phoenix Arizona

~N.A.F.C.~B.A.S.S.~BoatU.S.~N.R.A.~

yep them gulp maggies work pretty good, just started using them this year with great results.

crickets do work up here in the north, small minnows, crawlers or parts of crawlers--depending on how many little fish are around--, red worms, small leaches, small in-spinners, small saftypin spinners--such as beatle spins-- and i don't do to bad on small plastics such as berkley curl tail grubs, yums little craws.

something i haven't done in a few years that use to work for me was to go and get cattellipa worms of the cattellipa trees.

I always use Berkleys Maggots(Gulp Alive) for 'gills. Seems to work everytime.
Lifer since 05/08....Ky....Fred

Hey Bassbum: What color alive maggots do you use? I haven't tried them yet, mostly because I tried Gulp (not Alive) maggots with no success. Spent 4-5 bucks on the Gulp with no results and hesitate to throw good money after bad! Tom
Fishin' fool in NE Illinois

Hey Pegsguy use the Tan/White color(natural color).

this year red has been a good color.

 

Pink! I don't know why, but pink has been a real producer this year. I use a small hook with no weight, and let the bait start to sink. I usually have a bite before I start to reel in. If not, work it like a jig only a lot slower.

Lifer since 05/08....Ky....Fred

OK, I'm not going to invest almost 20 bucks for all three colors, so I'll compromise and go pink. That way I can support breast cancer awareness and catch fish at the same time! I sure like the concept of the Alive baits, just wish I was having more success with them, I do OK but am not outfishing live bait. It is nice to have a live bait substitute on hand when the urge strikes, my eyes won't let me drive but I have a pond at the end of the street. Pond+Alive=fishing, sometimes even catching. Tom
Fishin' fool in NE Illinois

After fishing for and catching Brim (Bluegill) in the north; for over 50 years I still use Nightcrawlers. The nice thing about crawlers are the low cost or free if you catch your own. Thrir size can be up to six inches long. Then cut the into 1" peices. Panfish are crazy for them and they give off a scent of their own without extra scents needed to bring bites. I prefer to use a standard #4 or #6 baitholder hook depending on the situation. Just thread the crawler on and go for it. Even if you have to buy the nightcrawlers they only cost about $2.00 a dozzen. Cutting them up makes lotz O bait!!! Dennis/Papa_d

Good to see you on the BB papa d. I hope all is well.
Lifemember and Bushwacker SMF upstate NY

hammered the gills today on a bait that i was trying fer walleyes. i was using the 3" gulp alive minows and getting 8-9" gills in about 18' of water.

WAX WORMS are the Blue Gill slayer's!  It's like they can't resist!
Woody Wood Cause the Wood is Good!

I personally think its better to buy nightcrawlers and cut each one into 2 or 3 pieces. You save money, and each cut portion of the nightcrawler is meatier than a normal red worm, so I think you catch bigger bluegill. No one wants to catch dinks. I think those meaty nightcrawlers attract the 1/2 pound and bigger Gills.

Here in Michigan, waxworms have been a favorite for years.  All the other baits that have been mentioned are used, too, but the waxworms seem to be the most popular.

I know they have always worked the best for me.

Doug

ok douggie, ya say what ya want and one of these days i'll be northward again and ya can prove it to me...........lol

nice seeing ya doug. getting anymore fishing in lately?