Live Bait of the Everglades

One of the most popular and effective ways of fishing in the Everglades is live bait. Catching live bait in the Everglades can be just as much of a challenge as catching an Everglades snook, redfish, trout or tarpon. As an Everglades fishing guide the first thing you need when catching Everglades bait is a good cast net. When I leave from the dock for a day of fishing in the Everglades with my client I sometimes carry 3 cast nets for different sizes of Everglades bait that we catch in these everglades waters. The sizes range from a 6 ft 3/8 mesh net, an 8 ft 3/8 mesh and a 10 ft 5/8 mesh net. My small 6 ft net is good for the Everglades pilchards and mullet that hang around the Everglades mangrove islands. The 8 and 10 foot net are great for opening in deeper water of the everglades. This net will catch bigger Everglades bait like the Everglades thread herring that average in sizes in the 5 to 8 inch range and bigger Everglades mullet. It is important that your boat have a good live well when live bait fishing in the Everglades to keep the Everglades bait fresh and alive. Other Everglades fishing guides and myself think that out of all the bait the pilchard is about the best bait that swims in these Everglades waters. The Everglades pilchard when put on a hook stays alive and friskier than other Everglades bait fish. The silver sides on this bait attract the Everglades snook, redfish, trout and tarpon. The Everglades pilchard usually starts to show up in the Everglades around March and can be netted through November. Another great bait we net in these Everglades waters are the Everglades finger mullet which can be found all year in these Everglades waters. June, July and August are the best time to catch the Everglades finger mullet. This time of year they tend to be a little smaller, in the 3 to 5 inch range. The Everglades finger mullet like the Everglades pilchard work great on the everglades snook, redfish and trout. If you use live bait for the everglades tarpon use an Everglades mullet in the 10 to 12 inch range. Another great bait that can be netted in these Everglades waters is the pinfish. These Everglades bait live over the Everglades grass beds. The best way to catch these baits is to anchor up tide and chum them in. These are great methods for catching the different bait of the Everglades. Bait fishing in the Everglades is great way to catch the fish of the Everglades. Most all of the Everglades fishing guides use live bait to put their client on these Everglades fish.