Live bait

[backoneerie2016]

What can be caught on live bait in open water right now?

[KilliansRed]

Depends what your fishing for but id say pretty much everything.

[bandrus1]

I dont think this could be any more vague 

[Xxx]

Everything from a small yellow perch to 50"+ Muskie, need to be a little more specific!!!

[backoneerie2016]

Not really familiar with what is out there. I am a newly at lake o. Steel head, lake trout , maybe walleye. Fishing out of newfane

[backoneerie2016]

Will be doing some trolling , drifting

[bandrus1]

live bait drifting really is not a preferred technique on lake O

[KilliansRed]

Ive tried just about everything except live bait for trout and salmon, They can be so spread out its not worth your time. Walleye are still hanging around the Niagara bar you can probably get those on worm harnesses or shiners but most guys troll stickbaits. The bar also has some awesome small mouth fishing if thats your thing.

[Ryno23]

live bait drifting really is not a preferred technique on lake O

This is true doesn't mean you can't do it.

Only thing is don't go find the boats and sit down in them as 99% of people will be trolling.

[Sk8man]

It is a pretty general question but although most of us are heavily into trolling for trout and salmon and sometimes for other species as well we sometimes tend to forget that natural bait live or dead is probably the most potent lure to be used regardless of species.  I started out boat fishing by still fishing for trout and if you  were to check on the results of many fishing derbies for numerous species over the years natural bait has caught many winners. Water conditions and wind speed and direction are even more critical however for doing it than trolling. I have never had any success with an east wind and drift fishing is limited to low wind and from the right direction so you have a long path to do it without hitting a shoreline. Anchoring up you need to locate usually near fish or schools of bait with fish nearby via your fish finder. In the old days it was done blindly based on suspected depths and with depth markings on the anchor rope.....creating Popeye arms on the anchor guy   The Finger Lakes are still fished by quite a few folks using  natural bait for trout and landlocks (mainly sawbellies fished on or near bottom either with slip sinkers or with slip bobber setups suspending the bait. These methods aren't used as frequently in the trollers domain of Lake O but they could work there as well if you know what you are doing especially with todays caliber of gear. If it was a matter of "survival" fishing it is what I would be doing to catch something to eat as it is much more conservative of gas and often time as well and requires little gear. Many of my fellow trollers have a disdain for it (some consider it boring or else an unfair advantage) but I think it is hard to argue that it doesn't work. If fishing for trout and salmon the commonly used  baits are sawbellies (alewives), smelt (mainly Spring), Golden shiners, Emeralds etc. depending on water fished.  Egg sacks have also been used successfully from piers and shore both on Ontario and the Fingers pointing up an additional fact that LIVE bait isn't essential always but the closer it is to natural and within the dietary range of the species it will work best. Salmon are not normally considered "bottom feeders" but lakers and brown trout feeders will pick up dead bait either suspended or laying on the bottom and especially the larger fish.

Edited June 22, 2016 by Sk8man