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Why is bait fishing also called still fishing or bottom fishing?
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fishing
The most popular gamefish in the United States is the largemouth bass, and boats are specially designed for bass fishing.
Bait fishing is referred to as "still fishing" or "bottom fishing" because of the techniques used to present the bait to the fish.
- Still fishing: This term describes the passive nature of the method. The angler simply holds the rod or lays it down and waits for the fish to take the bait, with the line often remaining stationary in the water.1
- Bottom fishing: This term refers to the practice of weighting the bait down—using a sinker or ledger—to keep it at or near the bottom of the water column, where many fish forage.1
In this style of angling, the bait is either left to rest on the bottom or suspended at a specific depth using a float or bobber to target fish near natural hiding places like rock formations, logs, or weed beds.1