Shrimp are the favorite meal of saltwater fish. You can use shrimp as bait when you're fishing from a bridge, pier, bank or boat. Different-size fish will hit on different-size shrimp. Place the hook beneath the shrimp's head so the barb comes out on top, avoiding the black spot. Hooking the black spot will kill a shrimp immediately. Action is important for attracting fish. You can also insert the hook from the top of the shrimp, work the point beneath the black spot and bring the barb out on top again. This method is considered best for bottom fishing. A third method stops bait-stealing fish. Insert the hook from the tail of the shrimp and thread the body onto the hook, passing the barb beneath the black spot.

Step1

Hook a live shrimp behind the head, being careful not to hook the black spot. That will kill the shrimp and limit its effectiveness as bait. Hooking it through the tail will keep it on the hook and swimming normally.

Step2

Pick a smaller hook size when working with live shrimp because a larger one will hamper the shrimp's swimming.

Step3

Keep your bait alive by storing it in a cooler or an insulated shrimp bucket. Check the temperature often to ensure that it is neither too warm nor too cold.

Step4

Use shrimp-patterned lures if live shrimp aren't available. In northern climates, the best times of the year to use these patterns are right after ice-off and during the summer.

Step5

Catch your own shrimp by using traps made of wire mesh and baited with fish scraps. Or use a smaller version of the professional shrimp fishers' nets.