At right: Mac Currin throws a cast net on a school of finger mullet. Photo by Joe Malat

Imagine a six-pound speckled trout, the largest in a school of similar sized fish. She has managed to live through several summers by being alert, wary and smart. Now she's cruising along the edge of a marsh island near Oregon Inlet, not feeding actively but willing to grab an easy meal if a small fish or crab happens by.

A sudden splash makes several of the trout in the school turn toward the noise, but the splash is followed by a lifeless green and silver object wiggling erratically toward the fish. Two of the big trout glance at the lure, but neither is interested enough to compete with the other for the prey, and the trout continue on their course.

A minute later, there's another splash, but this time a frisky finger mullet hits the water. Before the mullet can start swimming, the biggest trout bolts to the left and inhales the mullet. The unsuspecting mullet becomes an evening meal, offered by an experienced angler who boated the catch of a lifetime. This trophy speckled trout refused an artificial lure, but gobbled up a live offering.

Plenty of fish are caught every year on artificial lures, but seasoned anglers know that live baits will greatly increase their chances for success with big fish. Outer Banks fishermen use several types of live bait, and the methods for catching them are various.Imagine a six-pound speckled trout, the largest in a school of similar sized fish. She has managed to live through several summers by being alert, wary and smart. Now she's cruising along the edge of a marsh island near Oregon Inlet, not feeding actively but willing to grab an easy meal if a small fish or crab happens by.

Surfcasters can find an excellent bait at their feet. Mole crabs, locally known as "sand fleas," are small crustaceans that live at the edge of the ocean, between the high and low tide marks. Watch as a wave recedes, and you will see them burrow down into the sand, but you must quickly scoop them up before they dig down too far.

Above: Proof that live bait works! This live pinfish was no match for a toothy predator. Photo by Joe Malat

To minimize wear and tear on their manicure, some folks will fashion a scoop from a 1/4-inch wire mesh. The large mesh allows sand to empty out quickly, leaving behind those fleas that are big enough for bait. Mole crabs will stay alive in a bucket and a couple inches of damp (not wet) sand. Keep the bucket in a cool place, if possible.

Just about any fish that roams the surf will eat a sand flea, especially pompano and sea mullet. Frequently, sand fleas have been the only food I have found in the stomachs of fresh, ocean caught speckled trout. During the summer, boaters hit the beach and scoop a bucketful of fleas before they venture out to catch the sheepshead that live around bridge pilings and buoys.

It's tough to beat live minnows as bait for flounders, and some of the "doormat" sized flatfish will readily chow down on much bigger fish, such as spot, croakers, or mullet.

Minnows can be caught in a wire trap, baited with a crushed blue crab, in a cast net or in a haul seine pulled across a salt marsh tidal flat. A bucket of aerated salt water, or a boat's live well will keep minnows frisky for a long time. These hardy fish will live for hours while wrapped up in a salt water soaked paper towel or piece of burlap. Live minnows work best when hooked through the lips, so they can swim with the current.

Mullet and menhaden are prime live baits, for everything from flounders to king mackerel, and the way to catch them is with a cast net. Cast nets come in a variety of different mesh sizes and diameters. A large net will catch more bait per throw, but is also more difficult to handle. For the first timer that wants to catch just enough finger mullet for a day's fishing, I recommend one of the smaller size nets, such as one with a 4 to 5 foot radius, and 3/8-inch mesh.

Live bait fishermen who slow troll menhaden or mullet as a bait for king mackerel and cobia look for a larger radius net with a larger mesh size. Ideal mesh is either 5/8 or 3/4 inch, with a 6 to 10 foot diameter. King fishermen are catching their bait in deep water, so the net must sink fast and cover a lot of territory when it opens.

The reason for the larger mesh size is to eliminate catching fish that may be too small to use for bait for the kings or cobia. Smaller mullets and silversides can simply swim through the net if it surrounds them.

Before you buy a cast net, it's very important to decide exactly what you are hoping to catch with it, and buy the size that will suit your needs. It may be necessary to have two nets, one for the beach and one for the boat.

Fishing with live bait is not new. Probably history's first fisherman used a live critter to capture dinner, and realized that the method worked. The bottom line is that live baits catch fish.