High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Fishing bait is any substance used to attract and catch fish, e.g. on the end of a fishing hook, or inside a fish trap. Traditionally, nightcrawlers, insects, and smaller fish have been used for this purpose. Fishermen have also begun using plastic bait and, more recently, electronic lures, to attract fish. Studies show that natural baits like croaker and shrimp are more recognized by the fish and are more readily accepted. The best bait for Red Drum is the pogie or menhaden and in the fall specks like croakers thrown in marshy areas. Which of the various techniques a fisher may choose is dictated mainly by the target species and by its habitat. Bait can be separated into two main categories: artificial baits and natural baits.