There are many different answers to the questions about shiner fishing for trophy bass so we will do our best to answer a few that are often asked by clients and other fisherman wanting to learn about Florida Shiner Fishing. Combined Bass Challenger Guide Service and Florida Bass Adventures Guide Service have 38 years of trophy bass fishing experience on Central Florida Lakes with shiners accounting for a huge portion of our big bass caught.
The Florida Wild Shiner is the NUMBER ONE BAIT FOR PRODUCING TROPHY BASS HERE IN FLORIDA.These wild shiners are caught by commercial fisherman from some of the lakes and rivers in Florida, not raised in pens like some might be led to believe. These commercial fisherman that fish for the wild shiners put in a lot of effort to try to keep up with the heavy demand during the winter months. These shiners are baited and caught by throwing a cast net. Many use hog feed to chum the shiners into the open holes where they can be caught by the cast net. After being caught the Wild Shiners must go through what's called a curing process.They are taken from the lake or river they were caught in and put into large holding tanks. At this point the curing process begins lasting for 1 or 2 days. Because shiners are being caught from the wild they have a short life span in captivity making it crucial for the bait to go from the lake to the bait store in under 3 days time and then be sold within a week of being caught.
The cost of Wild Shiners here in Florida ranges from $18.00 to $24.00 per dozen. While this cost is something to consider when making a purchase one must be aware of the process that dictates the price. The middle man in the process is the bait catcher who catches, cures and transports the bait from the lake to the bait store. It would be easy to think by cutting out the middle man the bait could be cheaper, but to use live bait caught straight from the lake would be the same a flushing money down the toilet. The curing process is what allows anglers to get bait that is in the same condition it was while in the lake. Without curing the bait would have to be used immediately which is impossible when considering how much bait is sold by bait shops in Florida daily. The purchase of live wild shiners in pursuit of a trophy bass is an investment towards an opportunity to catch the biggest bass of your life! Domestic Shiners These are shiners that are born and raised in a fish hatchery up north.These shiners never see a fish bigger then themselves and are always kept in 55 to 60 degree water temperatures. Our average water temps here in Central Florida during the winter months is 65 to 70 degrees so throwing these shiners into 15 to 20 higher degree water temps will causes these shiners to start the dying process The average cost for the Domestic shiners is between $7.00 and $12.00 per doz and because of being kept in clean hatchery tanks with built in water chillier there is very little loss. Lets go over the differences between Wild and Domestic Shiners when used for bass fishing in Florida.
The Domestic shiner never sees another fish bigger then himself therefor does not have any fear of predators that a wild shiner will have. Most Wild Shiners when caught and kept to sell are 6 to 12 inches which means that they have survived in the wild living with many species of fish much bigger then themselves for a few years.When they see a fish much bigger they run and this is what triggers a bass to strike on the slower days when the bass are not in the feeding mode. Active Shiners. A Domestic Shiners is usually kept in a tank which is 2 ft x 8 ft and maybe 18 inches deep.Once they are thrown into open water in a lake they really don't know to swim any distance because they have never been in the wild.The Wild Shiner has spent his whole life in open water and has learned where the best hiding places are to keep from being ambushed so the minute you throw a Wild Shiner into open water he is on the hunt looking for a hiding place and this is when he will trigger that Big Bass To Bite. Also, a Wild Shiner knows shade when he sees it and many times will head right for the heavy cover looking for both shade and cover to hide in. This is a deadly move when he has a hook and line attached to him as he is much slower and can't make the heavy cover before getting eaten by that Trophy Bass. We probably haven't answered all the questions about the cost difference between wild and domestic shiners but hopefully this little bit of information will help you understand why the price is so different between the two kinds of shiners.
For 38 years our goal has been to produce trophy bass for clients using the best tools available to achieve these goals. Just like anyone else in the country domestic small shiners have always been available to offer our clients in an attempt to save them money. If this had been the path we had chose the numerous big bass photos on our sites would not exist! For every guide who calls themselves "trophy bass guides" the standard should be to accept no less than the best. If the goal is to offer a cheap trip then their title should be "cheap trip guide" and do that well. It's the same as building a great home with cheap materials....you can't get a great home and often only find out after the home is built that you should have invested in the best materials. You really don't want to be the client who went with the "cheap trip guide" parked next to the guide using real wild shiners and find out what could have been! Ultimately, the choice will come down to the clients goals. If you are looking for a trophy bass it should be an easy one. We feel the only time to buy Domestic Shiners is when there are no Wild Shiners to be bought and only as a last resort.