AKA: Bait Shrimp There are many varieties of Shrimp, both freshwater and saltwater around the world,  that live close to the bottom, but are frequently found drifting on the surface with the tide. Shrimp are filter feeders that live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. They are the world’s most famous bait and are an important food source for both marine creatures and humans. Mother Nature’s best-designed bait. Shrimp for bait use are different from the shrimp used for food only

Description California squid (Loligo opalescens) AKA: Calamari Like all other cephalopod mollusks – Squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. The Squid’s body consists of eight arms and two tentacles. The long tubular shaped body is the mantle. The Squid’s mouth is nestled in between the arms. Squid range in length from one inch to six feet. There are over 300 species of Squid that can be found in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans – geographic range varies for each species. Loligo is the generic name for several sub-species – the most abundant are referred to as California Market Squid 

Cigar Minnow (Decapterus punctatus) BAITMASTERS Cigar Minnows (Round Scad) are top quality Decapterus punctatus. Excellent bottom bait, especially for grouper and snapper. May be used whole or as a cut bait. Charter boats like to use them to troll for striking fish, such as king mackerel or tunas, because they hold up well. Very popular in the Florida Panhandle and Northern Gulf of Mex

Chum is the ultimate fish attractant. Found in many different formulations, some requiring refrigeration, others not. Some dry, some moist, every fisherman seems to have their own special recipe to attract fish. Generally chum is comprised of fish or fish by-products; sometimes fish oil is added to create a slick on the water. The idea is a slow dispersal of the attractant to draw bait to the chum – and in turn catching the attention of the larger fish and create a feeding frenzy. Tournament Master Blue Chum is fine ground menhaden (pogy), enhanced with Menhaden Milk (water soluble menhaden oil) to cover the entire water column with an oily cloud. USES: Fisherman around the world use chum as a fish attractant to increase their catch. Anglers create a stinky slick in the water (hence the term “stink bait”) and wait for the fish to come, then cast their lines into the resulting FISH FRENZY! Increase your catch, always bring the chum.

Cigar Minnow (Decapterus punctatus) BAITMASTERS Cigar Minnows (Round Scad) are top quality Decapterus punctatus. Excellent bottom bait, especially for grouper and snapper. May be used whole or as a cut bait. Charter boats like to use them to troll for striking fish, such as king mackerel or tunas, because they hold up well. Very popular in the Florida Panhandle and Northern Gulf of Mex

Small Silver mullet (Mugil gyrans) AKA: mullet, or striped, flathead, grey, or jumping mullet The mullets are a family and order of ray-finned fish found worldwide in coastal temperate and tropical waters, and in some species in fresh water. Mullet swim in large schools and are commonly seen jumping out of the water.  Mullet spend most of their lives in estuaries feeding on detritus and move freely between fresh and saltwater, moving offshore to spa

Ballyhoo (Hemiramphus brasilensis) AKA: Hoo, Bally Ballyhoo are in the halfbeak family and are found in tropical waters, harvested with lampara nets. Characterized with orange-red beak tips, compressed silvery sides, they can grow up to 18 inches. The most interesting feature is the color of their backs and color of feces, which change with their habitat. If the fish have been feeding on grass flats, backs and feces are green. If they have been feeding on the reefs, ba