Live baitfish and shrimp are proven for catching Drum, Sea Trout, Flounder, Bluefish, and other fish all along the coast. They are also proven for sweet water fish. Inland, nearly any baitfish can be productive. On the coast it is better to match the local conditions and appetites. Mullet, Minnows, Glass Minnow, Pinfish, Sardines, etc. are relatively easy to catch during the recreational season, very productive, and hardy to fish with. Shrimp are also productive but harder to catch and more delicate to fish.

There are at least three ways to get baitfish. One way is to buy them. This is often expensive and hard to do; especially if you run out during the trip or determine you need them away from town or dock. Another way to get baitfish is to use a trap. There are several good articles on traps at CatchNBait and CastNetWorld so I will not try to duplicate any of that here.

Cast nets are often the quickest and most effective way to get baitfish. Cast nets can be used anywhere including off the front of your boat. Just corral fish in a slough and cast the net and you have none to twenty baitfish. Sizing is important in that you don't want to lose fish but you also don't want to catch every little thing in the ocean. I have found 3/8 inch mesh size to be the most effective in North Carolina where I fish. Diameter is also important. I have found, with my limited skill, that nets larger than 6 diameter are more difficult to throw and will actually catch less baitfish than small nets. Again, there are tutorials at CatchNBait and JustCastNets. Here are some cast nets to help you boat baitfish.

Once you have baitfish you must keep them cool and oxygenated to make them most productive. For instance, for ambush fish such as flounder productively may rise by a factor of 2 or 5 with a lively minnow. Many will suggest an aerator or an aerated live well. Others will only keep fish in a bait bucket over board (keep the bucket in a 5 gallon bucket when moving). Neither method is foolproof and some baitfish are tougher than others.