Bait in a jar has been around for a while. Some of the first jarred baits were homemade specials. Usually, they were salted or dried bait that lasted longer when in a tightly sealed jar.
The first Jar Bait that I used was Pete’s or Mike’s” salmon eggs. What fish doesn’t eat eggs? Salmon fish eggs came in different colors and were preserved in mineral oil. The yolk was visible, and the eggs were sized. The large orange eggs were the most popular. A salmon egg hook would hold one egg in place perfectly. If you left the jar eggs in the hot sun, they would rot and create the worst stink on the planet.
Bass anglers often packed Pork products in jars. Pork Rind and Hawg chunks would mimic frogs or add action to spinners and other lures. These pre cut shapes were colored and salted to make them more attractive.
Corn is also a common jar bait. It’s cheap and a large kernel will work nicely on a egg hook. Since Corn is cheap, you can also fill your own jars and only pick the Big, perfect nugs. The rest can be used for chum. You can buy processed corn that has different colors and flavors now. Corn works for trout and most panfish.
Floating Baits were a huge advantage. This paste first came out as “Zeke’s Floating Bait”. The yellow paste formed a ball that would float the hook upward. It was anchored by a weight, to the bottom of a pond. If there was debris or grass at the bottom of the fishery, the bait ball would float above it, where fish could see it. Before this paste, we used miniature marshmallows for this purpose.
Pautzke may be the king company for Jar Baits. They make an impressive selection of enticing flavors and presentations. Their “Fire Corn” works well when I ice fish. “Fire Minnows” are also an option that come in a zip pack, rather than a jar. Other Jar Bait companies but just about anything in a jar. Salted minnows, crickets, stink baits, larvae, grubs, shrimp, grubs, fake eyeballs, plastic eggs, micro grubs, and more. Power Bait has become a big hit since it also adds scent to flavor their paste baits. New spray attractants are also available to increase the scent of the baits and lures used.
We used to make fun of guys that were using the same Jar paste baits as us but were getting skunked. We instructed them to make a large bait, we called a “Matza ball”, or a small bait called a “Nib.” It was important to roll the Power Bait in a clockwise direction. Believers began catching more fish.
Bait Jars are great for your workshop. Mounting the lids onto a board creates a great way to store small screws and hardware. Older jars are glass, but newer ones are plastic. If you are done with a jar. Please recycle the jar rather than leave it on the bank.
Bait Jar Baits today smell special, glow in the dark, sparkle, float, sink, and come in all the colors in a rainbow. Ironically, different Baits are better under certain conditions or for different fish. Since fish don’t see colors, each bait looks different to the fish. I will say that orange and chartreuse work best for me.
The hook or jig that you use to hold the bait is critical. A barged Octopus style hook, the size of the bait you use, makes for a better presentation. These hooks also come in colors that will match the colored bait. Jigs can have many different colored heads. For trout, lighter jigs work best. Glow baits are excellent when ice fishing under snow covered lakes. Finally, whatever hook you use, needs to be sharp!
Store your Jar Baits where they will not cook in the sun, dry out, or rot. Jar Baits are expensive and need some attention once the lid is off.
Catch a Biggun!
Montana Grant
