Can You Use Slugs As Fishing Bait?? Our Researced Opinion

Concerned about whether you can use slugs as fishing bait? If yes, then explore this article carefully. It is one of the most-asked questions that I often face from beginner anglers. 

But, no more worries!!! 

In this article, I’ll go over how slugs can be the best bait for your oncoming fishing trip. Just keep on reading.

Can you use slugs as fishing bait? Slugs are excellent live fishing baits. Using slugs as bait, you will be able to gain more. As no fish species turns down the natural live baits, your opportunity of capturing more fish in any waterway will be increased.

What’s more, fishing with slugs will cost you less time. Plus, slugs and fish often stay in the same habitats such as rivers and ponds. For this reason, it’s logical that slugs are a part of fish’s natural diet. Therefore, it is the perfect time for you to use slugs as bait.

Are Slugs Good For Fishing? 

Of course! Slugs are good for fishing without any doubt. As a self-declared fishing specialist, I can realize three major benefits of using slugs as fishing bait. 

These are:  

• Slugs are organic. Almost all fish species, especially predator fish, tend to eat them every day. For this reason, fishing with slugs can be a good idea for anglers. 
• It’s a natural way to serve fish. Needless to say, you have a good chance of getting more fish by natural bait instead of artificial ones.  
• Slugs are costless. You can collect them in any damp area of your house. However, if you want to buy them,  they’re available at every online store. 

Where Can You Find Slugs?

Slugs move slowly with a large locomotive foot and emit slippery mucus. And, the interesting thing is this mucus gets hard behind them, leaving a clear track.

Well, you can usually find these slimy critters sticking around in your peaceful garden or your neighbor’s abandoned backyard after recent rain. You can also find them in freshwater biomes like rivers, ponds, streams, and lakes in great numbers. 

Many slugs can also be found under the thin mantle of a tank, in your lawn, on trees, or under rocks as they like to be in the shady areas.

What Time Do Slugs Come Out?

Slug’s maturity depends on their type and comes after around 3 to 6 months. They usually lay in clusters in soil breaks, in the trees, and inside other safe areas. 

Slugs typically prefer wet and damp weather. So, rainy days, nighttime, or nebulous days are the most preferable to many slugs for coming out. 

In addition, slugs hibernate in the topsoil during extreme cold. They typically remain active in mild winter areas like the south coast. Whereas, during warm days, they splash a membrane to prevent them from drying out and are stuck to tree logs and fences easily.

Are Slugs Poisonous to Fish?

It is a wonder if slugs are toxic or not. Right? Actually, the answer depends on the type of both fish and slug.

From an angler’s perspective, slugs are harmless for most fish species. They are also considered as healthy as frog meat. So slugs should be alright and safe for fishing bait.

Slugs can be unappetizing for some delicate saltwater fish species as they are more sensitive to the changes in their diets. On the other hand, some freshwater fish, such as walleye and bass can easily digest slugs, as they are more robust. 

Apart from this, slugs generate more mucus when they get frightened. For example, the thick mucus produced by the Banana slugs creates a barrier to their predators like birds. So, it might be a bit poisonous. 

Plus, pets like cats or dogs are seen vomiting after swallowing slugs. Hence, we would recommend you not to use Banana slugs as fishing bait. But, if your target fish is pretty large, you can make use of them.

What Slugs Are Not Allowed To Use As Fishing Bait? 

While most garden slugs are not harmful to fish, some types of sea slugs excrete highly toxic mucus. That’s why sea slugs are not suitable to use as fishing bait.

What Are The Best Slugs For Anglers?

The ideal slugs for the avid anglers are the black, Arion ater and the red, Arion ater rufus. Though there are over 20 species of slug in Britain, most of the slug types won’t work out as ideal baits. As they are too small to catch big fish. 

Do Carp Eat Slugs? 

Slugs are a brilliant bait for carp. You can get an instant response from carp if you use slugs as carp bait on the river in summer instead of on the Stillwater.

Do Bass Eat Slugs?

Fish species like bass and other types of panfish of the freshwater biomes feed on slugs. Though juvenile bass consumes small baitfish and insects, adults like to eat slugs, snails, frogs, and so on.

Do Goldfish Eat Slugs?

As goldfish are omnivorous, they can feed on both plants and animals like slugs and snails. They eat both garden and aquatic slugs. 

Where Do Slugs Go During the Daytime?

As slugs’ bodies dry out fast in the sun and they need water. That’s why they hide in the cold, damp, or shaded areas during the daytime. And, they prefer to go out searching for food at night or during rainy and wet weather.

What Kind Of Bait Can You Use For Fishing?

Let’s have a look at some of the most popular live baits you can use for fishing are:

• Worms. 
• Leeches. 
• Minnows.
• Crickets.
• Crustaceans like crawfish or shrimp and many more.

Can You Use Snails as Fishing Bait? 

Of course, you can use snails for catching various types of fish all year round. Any type of snail will do the trick. As snails cohabitate with fish in the waterways, they are alluring bait for fish.

What Kind Of Fish Eat Slugs?

Common fish species found in the freshwater including bass, carp, catfish, pike, perch, and panfish prefer to eat slugs. Whereas, most predatory species like catfish and pike don’t typically prefer to feed on small worms like slugs.

Final Words:

One of the most cumbersome options for amateur fishers is to choose a bait type. Though most anglers carry synthetic lures on their fishing trip, I would highly recommend you to use live baits like slugs. As live baits are the easiest to use and they are typically cheap as well.