Some of my fondest fishing memories from childhood come not so much from the actual time spent with a rod and reel in my hand but in the hours spent gathering our bait. Let’s face it, you don’t have to be catching or shooting to have fun in the outdoors.

While its great to be able to quickly drop by any local bait and tackle shop and get what you need, gathering your own bait can be a fun way to spend more time outdoors and save a few bucks in the process.

Nightcrawlers

and earthworms

Probably one of the most popular baits to ever grace a fishing hook is the nightcrawler. I would venture to guess more fish have fallen for a nightcrawler than the other bait combined. Whether fished under a bobber for bluegills or bass or sitting on the bottom, enticing a big old catfish, worms are hard to beat.

Every year, the United States imports hundreds of millions of these slippery, slimy critters, which are then sold for several dollars a container. But why pay for them when they can easily be gathered up from your front lawn?

Just wait till the sun goes down, grab a flashlight and a container and stealthily move along, looking for that telltale wiggle, and quietly move in for the capture. Keep in mind that moisture is a key ingredient for bringing out worms, so stock up after a rain shower and keep some in the fridge for your next outing.

Crawdads

There’s no better way to keep a group of kids busy than to send them along a shoreline, turning over rocks in the shallows to look for crawdads. These freshwater crustaceans are often overlooked as live bait, but if you’re looking to catch a big fish, a live crawdad may be just what the doctor ordered.

Catching crawdads can be done simply by turning over rocks in the shallows, waiting for the water to clear, and attempting to grab them before they escape to their holes. Be sure to grab them from behind or you’ll soon feel the wrath of their lobster-like claws.

For those less inclined to adventure, use a small net to scoop them up from behind or be creative and dangle a piece of bacon or other meat on a string in front of them or their hole. A crawdad will more often than not greedily clamp on, allowing you to pull them from the water.

If you’re looking for less of a hands-on approach, purchase a crawdad trap or make one of your own. Bait it with some meat, leave it in a crawdad hotspot and come back later to reap your rewards.

Minnows

Minnows are another great all-around catch-anything bait. They are excellent for crappie in the spring and just about any other predatory fish throughout the year.

If you’ve got access to a pond, lake, stream or river with an abundance of minnows, save yourself a few dollars and purchase one of the many nets, seines or traps available to gather your own.

Keeping minnows alive for any amount of time can be a little work, but it’s well worth the extra effort as a swimming bait is often more productive than a dead one. Keep your minnow bucket water cool by adding an ice cube or two every now and then.

Using a portable battery-powered air pump, aerate your minnow bucket if it’s not kept in flowing water.

Adding a tablespoon of peroxide also will help oxygenate the water, and some claim that seltzer and even 7-Up will do the trick if an aerator is not available.

Shad and other

non-game Fish

Diehard catfish hunters know it’s hard to beat cut bait for drawing in channels and big blues. For those looking for trophy bass or a monster flathead, then live shad, bluegills, sunfish and perch are a great choice.

To catch them, find a body of water with a healthy population and get a good throw net. After a little bit of practice you’ll master the art of launching a good circular pattern and will be pulling in plenty of bait in just a few throws.

For those wanting to keep these baits alive, especially shad, you need take some extra precautions. Shad are especially fragile and will need to be kept in cool, circulated water that is refreshed periodically to keep waste (ammonia) buildups at bay.

These are just a few of the major baits which can be easily caught by all you “do-it-yourselfers,” but it’s not a complete list. Don’t forget about grasshoppers, crickets, frogs and any other live bait that would make a natural meal at your local fishing hole. Also be aware of all state regulations before catching, transporting or using live bait.