Fishermen throughout the area know that when it comes to catching the big one, sometimes live bait gives you the best odds. That's LIVE bait. But, how do you go about keeping your bait alive after it's been collected?

Some local favorites include minnows of all sizes, night crawlers, leeches, crickets, grasshoppers and an entire host of grubs. These baits are incredibly popular because they are readily available and represent the major food sources of most of the fish species mentioned above. Gathering your preferred bait is often cheaper than buying at the tackle shop and is usually easily accomplished. A simple seine is effective for gathering minnows while night crawlers can be found on most damp nights with the help of a flashlight. Many fishermen get as much pleasure out of collecting the bait as they do from actually fishing. The major drawback of live bait is trying to keep it alive and lively for use on the water. Temperature, food and containment all play a large part in keeping your live bait in good shape for fishing. Check out some of our tips below to keep your live bait as lively as it should be.

Night Crawlers: A favorite bait of children and adults alike, the night crawler has likely accounted for more fish in the boat than any other bait. Widely used because it is both easy to collect on your own and relatively inexpensive to buy at the tackle shop, night crawlers are the mainstay of serious bait fishermen. Keeping night crawlers lively is really a fairly simple task as they are quite hardy. If you buy your night crawlers, be sure to look for good quality. The crawlers should be lively and firm to the touch. Ask to inspect the contents of the container before you buy. How you keep crawlers in good shape is largely determined by how many you have on hand. For large quantities it is best to store them in worm bedding rather than dirt as it retains moisture better. For long trips on warm days, try to surround the box with ice to keep it cool. Keeping the bait container in the drink cooler is a good option as long as it doesn't become water logged. If you have crawlers left over from your trip and want to keep them alive for a long period of time you will need to feed them periodically. A mix can be purchased at most outdoor outlets that is combined with the bedding. Also, mix the crawlers up from time to time as they will naturally dig to the bottom of the container and bunch together which creates a bit of body heat.

Leeches: The easiest way to get leeches is to buy them from a bait shop. When making your purchase, it pays to shop around. As a rule you want to buy the biggest and liveliest leeches you can find. If you can't find this combination, opt for the leeches that are liveliest instead. To transport leeches, a small plastic container with a lid works the best. A medium sized container can hold several dozen leeches. Add the leeches and then cover them with fresh water. If you are trying to keep leeches healthy for a trip that may span a few days time it is important to change the water in the container every day. Also, avoid tap water as the chlorine will kill the leeches. Bottled water is probably the best way to go. Also, keeping the leeches slightly chilled will ensure they are fresh when you are ready to use them.

Minnows: Second only to night crawlers, minnows may be the most effective live bait there is catching the attention of the widest variety of game fish. Minnows of various shapes and sizes are available to entice everything from perch and crappies to pike and steelhead. Transporting and caring for large numbers of minnows is very tough. The most important consideration is supplying enough water and oxygen for the minnows to survive. An aerator system in transport is valuable and available to some degree on most boats these days. For long trips take into consideration temperature of the water, oxygen levels as well as the chlorine content of the water. Just as we did with the leeches, change the water daily with fresh water.

Crickets/ Grasshoppers: These quick moving critters are easily found in the summer months by walking through the front yard or other grassy areas. Particularly effective on bluegill and trout, grasshoppers and crickets are a great bait to use with children, as fish seem unable to ignore them. While fishing with them presents its own challenges, keeping them alive is rather easy. The key is to put them in a container with some grass to help them hide. Next, make sure there are air holes for them to breath through, but small enough to eliminate any escapes. Beyond that, keep them cool. A container that is stored in the cooler keeps the grasshoppers and crickets in a subdued state that makes grabbing them easy. By the time they warm up, they are on the hook and in the water.

Keeping your live bait lively is the key to success. When rigging these baits take into consideration the small size and delicate nature of most of these baits and adjust your hook size and line weight accordingly. You want the bait to act as normal as possible to entice a hungry predator.