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FeedLive bait industry dying as anglers choose artificials
It's about time the worms got a little credit.
Worms as in nightcrawlers, redworms, waxworms and mealworms. All have long been the go-to bait when it comes to trout fishing, and they all are fading away in popularity.
Last week I spoke to the owner of Grubco, a bait company in Ohio, and he said that his business for fishing has decreased to the point where zoos and the pet industry are now his biggest buyers of worms and grubs.
Why?
Because of artificial baits, like Power Bait. More anglers are grabbing a jar of the synthetic stuff rather than picking up the real deal.
It's a shame.
Bait such as worms and mealworms is part of the tradition of trout fishing. Casting a hook baited with a redworm is what gives fishing its simplicity, and after all, isn't that a big reason why we fish -- to get away from the complexities in life?
I even spoke to a few bait shops in the area and they also reported that sales of worms and grubs have dropped significantly ever since Power Bait hit the market years ago.
Apparently the scientifically engineered baits infused with scent and flavor enhancers are more appealing to anglers than the actual stuff that it is supposed to replicate.
For example. Why use a Power Bait Minnow, Leech or Grub when you can just use the real thing with real flavor enhancers built in?
I'm not saying that the use of artificial bait is wrong, and I am fond of plastic worms for bass, but it's just sad to see that it's displacing a live bait industry that has been to fishing what hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet have been to America.
No matter how life-like the artificial stuff is, I'll opt for the real thing this trout season. That means leaving the synthetic bait on the shelf and buying the stuff that comes in a plastic cup, or, better yet, is found in your own backyard.
