You bass fisherman talk about using your plastic lures and all the other artificial lures. Sure I cast a plug around every once in a while but I never use plastics. Although I am fishing for Smallmouth there can't be that big of a difference. I want to know why you guys choose artificial over the real thing. I am not criticizing it or anything I just don't get it ya know. Not to offend you or anything chuck but 26 fish isn't that many. I can catch that many in a few hours of fishin with a leech and be dissappointed. This may be a difference in species. Sometimes guys come to the lake I fish with their fancy lures and stuff and I don't see them catching anything. Somebodyteach me please.

live bait is easy and artificial is a challenge and they get kinda snoty about it.

Well, let's see...
we don't have to stop at the bait store on the way to the lake/river, because we bought our artificials when we were drooling over the new reels at the sporting goods store.
We usually can catch as many as ten lm bass on a single plastic worm.
We don't have to "chase" that live bait round in the live well for 20 minutes, before we can put it on the hook.
Our plastic worms don't die on us if something goes wrong with the live well.
Our plastic worms don't die on us if it gets hook wrong or from shock.

There are more, but I have to go to work.

I used both yesterday...shiners and rubber worms.

Rubber worms....3.59 a pack used 1/2 pack
With Gamblers you can catch 4 or 5 fish on one worm.

Shiners ............11.00 for 18 I ended up throwing 6 back into the water.

RESULTS

Shiners...boated 6... biggest was 2.5
Rubber Worms ...boated 20 biggest was 4.75
End of story

That's what I've always kinda thought about it... it seems as though they'd rather look cool and have a challenge than catch fish. The last two posts kinda have a smart alec tone to em too.

Travis...There's no doubt that leeches are deadly on smallmouths...

They seem to be more of a NORTHERN phenomenon.. I've never heard of anyone using them here in southwestern NY, and don't know any bait shops that carry them, but in places I've fished inOntario they are used a lot, and I know that in your area in the upper midwest they are very popular...They sure do catch fish and they are a fairly trouble free bait too.. They stay alive a long time and don't require much hassle to take care of, unlike minnows/shiners...

Here in NY's Finger Lakes, the most popular live baits for bass are minnows, crayfish, crawlers and hellgramites, known locally as dobson... For river fishing, add stone catfish, known locally as "tonies"...

I'll bet if we could get leeches here they'd work great, also...Probably could catch our own...Do you know how to catch/gather them..??..

I use about 100% artificial because I can catch lots of fish on them and it is cleaner, easier and in the end less expensive for me. True I have tackle boxes full of lures that looked good in the store but haven't produced but that is part of the fun of fishing for me. I fish almost always catch and release (Bass, northern pike) and artificial lures are usually better for the survival of the fish. When I fish pan fish in the winter through the ice I use 100% artificial and sometimes tip the lure wth a bait like maggots. In the summer I use live bait such as crawlers and minnows mixed with artificial lures for perch, bluegills and crappie. Summer Bass fishing is all artificial for me.

You artificial boys, just come on up here in mid Jan and try it! Sorry but you need live bait up in this neck of the woods. I do use artificials but always tip it with some form of bait.

I highly doubt that!!!! Your just not good enough, and instead of learning to use the proper artificial bait at the right time and under the right conditions, you take the easy way out and use live bait. I would almost guarentee you that I could come up to your "neck of the woods" with my artificial and match you 1 to 1 bass fishing.

Growing up I used to use live bait all the time. Now I have turned to artificials and never looked back. Simple fact is you can cover more water with artificials. You won't ever cast a rubber worm off your hook. I also agree that the larger bass are caught using artificials. As said before me it all depends on where you fish. I get the sense that it is the norm to fish with live bait up north. I would assume it has to do with the type of fish, and the clarity of the water.