LIVE BAIT is cheating. If I’ve heard it once I’ve heard it 10,000 times. The level of cheating, of course, varies by species and age. Any child under 15 can use live bait for whatever he or she wants.

NWA fishing report: Live bait is working best to catch striped bass. January 3, 2023 at 5:00 a.m. ... Jig and pigs are working eight to 15 feet deep along points.

NWA fishing report: Live bait the right bait. April 18, 2023 at 1:00 a.m. ... At Lake Tenkiller, black bass fishing is good with crank baits, spinner baits or jig and pigs around structure.

Well, it’s never “too easy” to catch fish and I hate it when people say that it is. Live bait does, at times, turn on a fish’s appetite, but not always.

Tip: Hide them in the back, behind that 3-year-old jar of hot peppers. Some roommates get a little queasy at the sight of bait shrimp next to the milk and eggs, especially if they’re still flopping.

While many anglers can fish the entire open water season without using live bait, that all changes once our waters are locked in winter's icy grip.