Live Bait
Minnows, crayfish, leeches - the real thing, with real rules to check. Nothing outfishes live bait when conditions get tough, and nothing carries more regulation: check your state on transport, species and release before you buy a scoop.
6 in this group - part of the full baits guide.
Intermediate Live Minnows
Intermediate Crayfish
Beginner Leeches
Intermediate Golden Shiners
Advanced Live Shad
Intermediate Live Suckers
Keeping live bait alive, and what to buy
Live bait lives on oxygen and cool water, so the kit is a bucket that holds the temperature, an aerator, and a soft net. For the baits themselves, see live minnows, live shad and shrimp. Each product is described from its maker's product page, checked on 26 October 2026; we have not tested them, and there are no prices here: the Amazon link searches for the exact product, and we may earn a commission if you buy through it.
- Frabill Aerated Bait Bucket: an aerator built into the lid, a bracket and hose hole for a second one, and an insulated liner that holds the water temperature. Maker's page · See on Amazon
- Frabill aerators: mounted and floating models; Frabill says some have two-speed motors, rechargeable batteries and anti back-flow valves that stop siphoning. Maker's page · See on Amazon
- Promar Large Floating Bait Motel: floating bait storage that needs no tank or pump, in soft nylon with a drawstring top that keeps birds and other pests out, for use at a dock. Maker's page · See on Amazon
- Frabill Minnow Net: soft nylon netting and a molded guard that stops it scraping the inside of a bait tank; the handle floats. Maker's page · See on Amazon
- Eagle Claw Replacement Stone for Aerator: replaces a worn or clogged air stone on standard aerator tubing. Maker's page · See on Amazon
Bait-fishing kit
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