Bait

Fresh lively bait should be your first goal. I like to have several types when I go. Sometimes the size makes a big difference in catching or not catching fish. One night I had 5 creek chubs 7 to 9" long. I had about a dozen chubs 4 to 5" long. When I baited up with the larger bait I caught fish. When I ran out of the 7 to 9" bait I caught nothing. I will hook most of my bait behind the top fin, towards the tail. When I go to bigger hooks then I hook the bait through the mouth.

Hog nose sucker
the body is mottled brownish with a large, bony head, squarish in cross section with the interspace between the eyes broad and curved inward, this species is the host of the glochidial stage of the elk toe mussel.

Red horse Sucker
- back and upper sides olive-brown with golden reflections, scales dark-edged, remainder of sides golden yellow, belly white, tailfin is bright red, large head and large mouth.

White Sucker
- slender, fine-scaled sucker; tinted dark greenish along back; sides with brassy or silvery luster; white belly, lips with numerous wart-like projections

Blue Gill
dark olive-green back and sides yellow or reddish below; dark vertical bars usually present on sides; chin and gill covers bright blue; black, flexible tip at rear of gill cover; seldom exceed 8 inches

Orangespot Sunfish
- large mouth that extends to front of eye when closed; spiny dorsal fin with 10 spines, directly connected to soft part of fin; long gill flap with vivid orange spots on the side; medium gill raker length; sides olive colored with fine golden or emerald dots

Green Sunfish
- bluish green back and sides with white to light yellow belly; sides of the head mottled with emerald and yellow streaks; black ear flap has a whitish or yellowish margin; leading edges of the dorsal, anal and caudal fins typically whitish or yellow-orange

Redear Sunfish
back and sides golden or light olive green with several dark vertical bars that disappear in older fish; rounded ear flap has a whitish border with a prominent red or orange spot in adults

Warmouth
thick bodied with olive-brown color on back and sides; sides covered with dark mottlings, belly yellow; 4 to 5 red/brown streaks from the red eye, closed mouth extends to eye

Carp
gray to olive on sides and yellow or white on belly; robust body that is compressed laterally with a long dorsal fin; conspicuous barbel on either side of mouth.

Shad

Drum
deep bodied, silvery fish; head and body slope steeply up from the snout and dorsal fin; long dorsal fin divided into two lobes; commonly weigh up to 5 lbs.

Bullheads
- dark olive to black with a belly of white to bright yellow; tail fin is slightly notched with a light band at its base; may reach weights of 2+ pounds in larger lakes

Gold Fish
The natural color is olive-brown dorsally to bronze-gold laterally and yellowish-white ventrally. Black, gold, bronze, orange, red, pink, and white or combinations of these colors are often found. Goldfish resemble common carp but lack barbels on upper jaw.

Creek Chub
olive to purplish back fading to a silvery-white on belly; lateral stripe from tip of snout to base of tail fin; stout body with broad, blunt head; small, flap-like barbel in groove in middle of upper jaw; very large mouth; wedge-shaped spot at base of tail and black spot in first 3 rays of dorsal fin; up to 12 inches in length.

Gizzard Shad
- bright silvery blue on back, silvery sides and dusky white belly; deep oblong body that is laterally compressed; maximum size range is about 9-14 inches

I use a 125qt cooler to transport my bait. It pumps 750 gallons a minute. I will use a second pump to create a current when I have suckers. Five gallon buckets with holes drilled in it, is good to keep bait fresh. The cooler will keep bait alive for several days.

	Hog nose sucker	the body is mottled brownish with a large, bony head, squarish in cross section with the interspace between the eyes broad and curved inward, this species is the host of the glochidial stage of the elk toe mussel.
	Red horse Sucker	- back and upper sides olive-brown with golden reflections, scales dark-edged, remainder of sides golden yellow, belly white, tailfin is bright red, large head and large mouth.
	White Sucker	- slender, fine-scaled sucker; tinted dark greenish along back; sides with brassy or silvery luster; white belly, lips with numerous wart-like projections
	Blue Gill	dark olive-green back and sides yellow or reddish below; dark vertical bars usually present on sides; chin and gill covers bright blue; black, flexible tip at rear of gill cover; seldom exceed 8 inches
	Orangespot Sunfish	- large mouth that extends to front of eye when closed; spiny dorsal fin with 10 spines, directly connected to soft part of fin; long gill flap with vivid orange spots on the side; medium gill raker length; sides olive colored with fine golden or emerald dots
	Green Sunfish	- bluish green back and sides with white to light yellow belly; sides of the head mottled with emerald and yellow streaks; black ear flap has a whitish or yellowish margin; leading edges of the dorsal, anal and caudal fins typically whitish or yellow-orange
	Redear Sunfish	back and sides golden or light olive green with several dark vertical bars that disappear in older fish; rounded ear flap has a whitish border with a prominent red or orange spot in adults
	Warmouth	thick bodied with olive-brown color on back and sides; sides covered with dark mottlings, belly yellow; 4 to 5 red/brown streaks from the red eye, closed mouth extends to eye
	Carp	gray to olive on sides and yellow or white on belly; robust body that is compressed laterally with a long dorsal fin; conspicuous barbel on either side of mouth.
	Shad
	Drum	deep bodied, silvery fish; head and body slope steeply up from the snout and dorsal fin; long dorsal fin divided into two lobes; commonly weigh up to 5 lbs.
	Bullheads	- dark olive to black with a belly of white to bright yellow; tail fin is slightly notched with a light band at its base; may reach weights of 2+ pounds in larger lakes
	Gold Fish	The natural color is olive-brown dorsally to bronze-gold laterally and yellowish-white ventrally. Black, gold, bronze, orange, red, pink, and white or combinations of these colors are often found. Goldfish resemble common carp but lack barbels on upper jaw.
	Creek Chub	olive to purplish back fading to a silvery-white on belly; lateral stripe from tip of snout to base of tail fin; stout body with broad, blunt head; small, flap-like barbel in groove in middle of upper jaw; very large mouth; wedge-shaped spot at base of tail and black spot in first 3 rays of dorsal fin; up to 12 inches in length.
	Gizzard Shad	- bright silvery blue on back, silvery sides and dusky white belly; deep oblong body that is laterally compressed; maximum size range is about 9-14 inches
		I use a 125qt cooler to transport my bait. It pumps 750 gallons a minute. I will use a second pump to create a current when I have suckers. Five gallon buckets with holes drilled in it, is good to keep bait fresh. The cooler will keep bait alive for several days.