Every angler has an opinion on whether live or artificial bait is more effective. It's time to find out.
In the following video, anglers put the debate to the test in saltwater.
In August, YouTuber 1Rod1ReelFishing headed out into the Chesapeake Bay with his dad to see what bait caught the most fish.
On the artificial side, 1Rod1ReelFishing was armed with swim baits and hard baits in a variety of colors (plus a bag full of bass gear).
On the live side, the father brought squid, alewives, bloodworms, soft crabs and a secret weapon—eels. Then to top it off, he brought a bucket of spot bunkers.
First the father and son undertook a speed challenge. The first to catch three fish wins. Dad whooped junior's butt with bloodworms, reaching three fish before 1Rod1ReelFishing was set up with a white grub (after striking out with a spinner).
In fact, dad pulled up a double (white perch and spot bunker) on his rig for his last catch.
Then came part two of the challenge: biggest fish. The big fish in the area were striped bass.
Unfortunately, bites were hard to come by. The contest had to go into day two since the rental boat had to be returned.
The winner? Dad and his live bait (a spot), which attracted a 19-inch striper.
So, at least for this video, artificial lures struck out in saltwater.
Of course, live bait does have its drawbacks, such as the teeth of the bloodworm and eels' evasiveness when trying to bait them on a hook.
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