#1 - Fathead minnows. This minnow species is the most common type bait fish for freshwater fishing. It is liked most since it's the favorite treat for many freshwater fishes and they are quite strong to stay alive while attached to the hook struggling to get the attention of the fish.
Fatheads can also stay alive in the bait bucket for quite a long time with only a little care. If exposed to cooler temperature or cold weather they can even stay alive for days in a bait bucket. Fathead is the excellent live bait for walleye, bass, perch and crappie.
#2 - Rosey red minnow is a variant of the fathead minnow characterized by its red-orange color. Other characteristic of the rosey red minnow is the same as the flathead and is also an excellent treat for the same type of fishes: walleye, bass, perch and crappie.
#3 - Suckers are large live baits that can grow up to 12 inches, hence very good to catch bigger fishes. You can buy suckers at a bait shop and are available in various sizes, usually those 3 – 4 inches. Some shops can provide the larger size, even bigger than 12 inches. The 5 – 8 inches suckers are suitable for the big largemouth bass, while to catch muskie or northern pike you can use bigger size of suckers.
Suckers are known to be very tough and can live long in your bait bucket or while on the hook. But you should be aware of the oxygen supply in your bait bucket if you keep more than half a dozen in your bucket. Due to their big size the oxygen supply will be depleted very soon, hence you need to add oxygen by the mean of an aerator. With sufficient oxygenation the suckers will stay alive for days and even for weeks
#4 - Golden shiners or just called by shiners are the common bait to catch bigger fishes. They are characterized by the green to olive shade back and a silvery white belly. You can also find a dark stripe along its sides.
Shiners can reach a size of one foot long, but the usual size carried and offered by a bait shop is the 5 – 6 inches size. They are suitable to fish bass, pike, northern pike, catfish, walleye and muskie. The majority of Florida fishing guides uses shiners as bait to catch bass. They are able to catch plenty of largemouth bass and can weigh more than 10 lbs
#5 - Emerald shiner is a different type of shiner. They are characterized by a much smaller body compared to golden shiners with a size of 2 to 4 inches long. They will be suitable to catch bass, perch, crappie and other panfish.
#6 - Hornyhead chub or Redtail chubs are also great to catch larger fishes. But they are a bit difficult to find and are not always available in all bait shops. However, if you find them available at your local bait shop, consider to using them as perfect bait for walleye, bass, muskie, northern pike and catfish.
#7 - Creek chubs are considered as the best freshwater bait for big fish game fishing. They are widely available in many bait shops or you can get them by yourself in shallow creeks and streams using a bit corn or a little cut of worm. They are excellent bait for walleye, largemouth bass, big smallmouth bass, northern pike, catfish and muskie.
#8 - Shads are also popular bait for game fishing. As a matter of fact shads are stocked in game fishing lakes to feed the game fishes. The most popular shad as bait fish is the threadfin shad and gizzard shad, and are most liked by largemouth bass and striped bass.
#9 - Herring are another common type of bait fish. You can find various types of herring which can live in both freshwater and saltwater. Most herring are small in size, but some can grow big that reach 1.5 lbs. They are common bait for numerous saltwater species and are suitable for the freshwater striped bass
