bait fish
Hook's living temptation
Bait fish are small fish used to attract larger fish when angling.
Minnows, shiners, and anchovies are common bait fish.
The term also describes any small schooling fish that larger predators feed on: Tuna were chasing bait fish near the surface.
Also spelled as one word: baitfish.
- smeltOre-refining process
- herringSmall silvery Atlantic fish
- mackerelSwift, oily ocean fish
- anchoviesSmall, oily, cured fish
- silversidesSmall lustrous baitfish family
shad · small fry · minnows · pinfish · alewife · killifish · sardines · live well · shiners · bottom feeder · chum · tackle shop · food web · cast net · overfishing · trolling · bobber · live
- fishingangling, hook, catch, hooks, line
- forage fishanchovy, herring, sardine, menhaden, sprat
- saltwater fishingrod, reel, line, hooks, lure
- anchovy worldanchovy paste, canning, pizza topping, Caesar salad, Mediterranean cuisine
- fishing lurescrankbait, spoons, spinnerbait, plugs, jig
- fish farmingaquaculture, pisciculture, aquafarming, mariculture, hatchery
bait fishgame fish
Species sought by anglers
trophy fish · sport fish · quarry · keeper · lunker
bait fishtrophy fish
Notable specimen worth displaying
lunker · record catch · wall hanger · big one · whopper
bait fishpredator fish
Carnivorous aquatic hunter
game fish · apex predator · predatory fish · trophy fish · great white shark