baitfish
Live fishing lure
Baitfish are small fish used to attract larger fish when angling—minnows, shad, anchovies, and similar species.
The term also describes these fish ecologically, as prey for predators: Baitfish populations support the entire marine food chain.
Live baitfish are hooked through the back or lip; cut bait uses pieces of the flesh.
Small freshwater fish
- shinerBruised eye socket
- anchovySmall, salty forage fish
- sardineSmall herring-family fish
- herringSmall silvery Atlantic fish
alewife · killifish · silverside · sprat · capelin · menhaden · pilchard · whitebait
Thing that tempts
- hookCurved catching device
- chumFriend or fish scraps
- castPerformers, throw, or splint
- trollingProvoking reactions online
jigging · tackle · rigging · bucket · aerator · livewell · netting · seining
Formal education received
- shoalShallow water hazard
- swarmMass of moving insects
- aggregateCombined sum total
- scatterDistribute in random directions
flash · shimmer · darting · surface · feeding · migration · spawning · teeming
Animal being hunted
- forageSeek food actively
- feedSupply with sustenance
- predatorOrganism that consumes others
- gamefishFish pursued recreationally
striped bass · tuna · tarpon · bluefish · snook · redfish · kingfish · mackerel
Limited in size
- tinyExtremely small in size
- fingerlingImmature fish, hatchery-sized
- juvenileYoung person or animal
- fryCook in hot fat
diminutive · bite-sized · slender · silvery · streamlined · translucent · delicate
minnow
Small freshwater fish
herring · alewife · killifish · silverside · sprat · capelin · menhaden · pilchard · whitebait · grunion
lure
Thing that tempts
trolling · jigging · tackle · rigging · bucket · aerator · livewell · netting · seining · chunking
schooling
Formal education received
scatter · flash · shimmer · darting · surface · feeding · migration · spawning · teeming · balling
prey
Animal being hunted
gamefish · striped bass · tuna · tarpon · bluefish · snook · redfish · kingfish · mackerel · ecosystem
small
Limited in size
- tinyExtremely small in size
- fingerlingImmature fish, hatchery-sized
- juvenileYoung person or animal
fry · diminutive · bite-sized · slender · silvery · streamlined · translucent · delicate
- fishing baitworm, worms, nightcrawlers, nightcrawler, earthworms
- Gulf fishingred snapper, shrimping, grouper, flounder, blue crab
- sportfishingmarlin, sailfish, tuna, billfish, swordfish
- forage fisheriessardines, anchovies, anchovy, herring, pilchard
- tarpon fishingtarpon, Florida Keys, catch and release, jumping, rolling
- seafoodshrimp, crab, lobster, salmon, tuna
baitfishgame fish
Species sought by anglers
apex predator · predator fish · predatory fish · trophy fish · great white shark