If you’re looking for the right bait to get your fish traps working more effectively, you’ve come to the right place. Trapping fish is a great way to collect both baitfish and full-sized fish in a passive and less time consuming way.
The best bait for trapping fish can come in many forms, including solid and liquid fish parts, dried-out chum that activates when applied to water and traditional powerbaits that can be easily balled up and placed onto a bait bag.
It’s critically important to know what kind of bait to use when fishing with traps so that you can catch as many fish as possible! That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the five best types of bait you can use for your next fishing trip. We hope these reviews help make your decision easier!
- Baitmasters Magic Fish’n Fish Chum
- Bait Binder ‘Original’ Bait Kit Chum
- Aquatic Nutrition Fish Chum
- Berkley Powerbait Crappie Nibbles
- Aquatic Nutrition Menhaden Oil
Our Top Overall Pick
- Baitmasters Magic Fish’n Fish Chum is our pick based on value, utility and durability.
- Berkley Powerbait Crappie Nibbles is the best value for your money.
Table of Contents
Top 5 Best Fish Trap Baits
1. Baitmasters Magic Fish’n Fish Chum
Do you have a favorite fish trap bait? Baitmaster Magic Fish’n Fish Chum can help your angling and make every fishing excursion great! The perfect blend of fish and seasonings will attract any type of bait and game fish. Just add the right amount or mix it in with groundbait, chum bite’s, shad rap bites or other commercial baits for excellent results. This powerful potent formula is available in many sizes and is perfect for both novice to seasoned anglers.
This performance chum is a secret formula that’s been around since the 1950s, when it was first developed as an alternative to natural squid baits. It’s especially potent for attracting many species of both saltwater and freshwater fish with its strong scent-draw abilities. It also boasts a long shelf life that doesn’t require refrigeration or freezing and easy storage capabilities in small spaces like tackle boxes.
2. Bait Binder ‘Original’ Bait Kit Chum
The ‘Original’ Bait Kit is the bait and chum that fishermen have trusted for over 20 years. When you need to catch shrimp, crabs, crawfish, or bait fish – this kit will do the job! Use it as chum and watch any creature who lives in either fresh or salt water flock to your trap at first whiff of its scent.
Just be sure to store the bait binder in dry and cool conditions to ensure longevity and it’ll last a very long time. It comes in very large quantities so you can use it liberally on any trap you plan on setting and watch the fish line up to get in!
3. Aquatic Nutrition Fish Chum
The Aquatic Nutrition Fish Chum is perfect for people who want instant attraction without breaking the bank. Mess-free and cost effective, it’s got chum that will last all day long in just one container.
Chum up for your next fishing trip with Aquatic Nutrition Saltwater Fish Mojo. This mess-free, easy to use chum bag is perfectly designed for larger catches. The dry, slow-sinking formulation sinks further into the water and works out a wider swath of the top layers without diluting your attractants or running off as easily like liquid chum bags do when they’re exposed to air. With 33% real fish and shrimp in every pack, it’s no surprise that this fish bait help attract lots of fish to your trap in no time!
4. Berkley Powerbait Crappie Nibbles
Berkley Powerbait Crappie Nibbles are a glowing formula for visual attraction, with nibbles that dissolve slowly in water and disperse a scent cloud. This top of the line bait is available in luminescent chartreuse or orange.
Soft yet long lasting, petite nibbles are easy to use with less mess. Glow the color you see and slowly dispurse a scent cloud that attracts crappies and other panfish.
While this bait is traditionally used for lures, it works quite well with traps as well so long as you can easily attach it via a bait bag or hook inside the trap itself.
5. Aquatic Nutrition Menhaden Oil
Aquatic Nutrition Menhaden Oil is a game-changer that helps bring more game fish in. With the scent of a baitfish feast, this Fish Attractant can be used to dripped or soaked baits, coat bait bags and attract fish of all kinds.
The scent of this industry-famous oil draws in both game and bait fish and triggers their feeding instinct. After a day on the water, you’ll be covered in mojo menhaden fish attractant from Aquatic Nutrition’s popular baitfish fry to shore up your prowess as a fisherman.
Great for offshore and inshore species, this fish attractant has been used for decades to pull fish in and get them feeding.
Recommended Accessories
Buyer’s Guide
Can I use dog food or bread in my fish trap?
It’ll work in a pinch, but it’s hardly the best at attracting fish on their own. If you do plan on using dog food or bread we recommend coating it in a liquid fish attractant like Menhaden’s above to massively increase it’s potency. That way you’ll have the attracting potential of specifically designed bait with the durability that dog food offers.How long does the bait in the fish trap last?
The answer to this question is a bit complicated. As with any food, it depends on the type of bait you’re using and how much water traffic your area sees. Fish like different things and it’s a guessing game as to what they’ll find the most attractive.Make sure that whatever type of bait you’re using doesn’t spoil quickly or come into contact with too many chemicals on its way from where it was packaged to your trap. The best baits will be ones that don’t break down easily in water but also aren’t full of preservatives. Fish avoid these types because they know there’s something wrong about them–they don’t smell natural!
Are minnows good bait for fish traps?
There are many things that can make good bait, but minnows are one of the most popular. Minnows generally live in shallow water and they’re fairly easy to catch. They also reproduce quickly so you’ll have a steady supply as long as your trap is well tended.What is the best fish trap bait?
If you’re using a fish trap, there’s one far-and-away best bait that really works well for a wide variety of fish: Baitmaster’s Magic Fish’n Fish Chum. It’s extremely effective at attracting both bait and game fish and lasts long enough to ensure your trap fills before it dissolves.
What is the cheapest fish trap bait?
If you’re looking for a cheap way to bait your fish trap, try Berkley’s Powerbait Crappie Nibbles. Despite being specifically designed for lures, it’s both inexpensive and long lasting, though it may not be as effective at catching as many different types of fish as others found on this list.