Successful tournament anglers go to all extremes to get their bait and they should. Well known tournament angler, Larry Muse, puts fresh bait at the very top of the list when it comes to tournament success. It is not one of the little things, rather it is a big thing. It is not always easy, but it is necessary.
“Never compromise on bait,” instructs Muse. “It needs to be as fresh as possible—as fresh as you can get it. Fresh bait is one thing that has been a big factor for me in all my years of tournament fishing.”
For Muse, his bait is usually skipjack, but his message is generic. If the prime bait in your part of the world is shad, then the shad needs to be fresh. What ever bait is prime in your waters will catch more fish if it is as fresh as it can be and it is worth the extra effort to do what ever you must to get it.
“What I’m really saying is, don’t compromise on the BAIT that you have confidence in,” concluded Muse. “If I don’t have fresh skipjack, less than three days old, then I feel like I’m compromising!”
