Do Lizardfish Make Good Bait?

Lizardfish are small, scrappy predators that can be found worldwide and in various depths. They are often caught accidentally when targeting another species and are usually considered a nuisance fish. 

The question on everyone’s mind tends to be: Do Lizardfish Make Good Bait?

Although these fish can be annoying to catch, they may be used when thrown back out as bait.

Table of Contents

• Pros and Cons of Using Lizardfish as Bait
• How To Catch Lizardfish
• How to Rig Lizardfish
• What Eats Lizardfish?
• Conclusion

Pros and Cons of Using Lizardfish as Bait

We know that lizardfish can catch fish, but are they particularly good at it? The answer is that they are pretty average.

I wouldn’t go out of my way to catch them for bait, but I wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to throw one on a hook if I caught one.

The pros of using lizardfish as bait include having a large and unique profile compared to other baitfish such as pinfish, pigfish or mullet, which will help draw in the larger fish and make your bait stand out from other baitfish. 

They are also fairly hardy so you can keep them in a bucket for a while and cast them multiple times without worrying about them dying. 

Another pro is that they are fairly common, so they are easy to obtain and you don’t have to fret if you lose one. 

The cons of using lizardfish include them being well camouflaged, which may keep the fish you are targeting from even noticing them.

Something with more flash in its scales might draw in predators more easily.

They also like to sit on the bottom, which means they are moving around less and are harder to fish in the middle of the water column, which makes them less desirable for lively predator fish.

Additionally, as cut bait, they aren’t very oily or bloody, which is less desirable when trying to establish a scent trail to your bait. 

How To Catch Lizardfish

If you are going to use lizardfish as bait, you have to catch one first. Lizardfish will hit just about any lure in your tackle box as well as a variety of cut and live baits.

I would recommend using lures when targeting lizardfish because they are quick to bite, and moving bait allows you to cover more water.

Lizardfish can make excellent bait. Since lizardfish are bottom-oriented, deep-running baits such as jigs, deep divers, and heavy spoons are a great choice. 

I like to hop whatever lure I am using off the bottom, as it usually initiates a strike on the fall or just after hitting the bottom. 

Among my top picks for catching lizardfish are pompano jigs, flutter spoons, and soft plastics on a jig head. These can be fished on or close to the bottom and are great at covering water.

Sea Grant California is a great resource that offers biological information about many types of native fish, such as the Lizardfish.

How to Rig Lizardfish

Lizardfish can be primarily rigged the same as other types of baitfish, but I would switch the style of rigging up for different purposes. 

A single circle hook is a tried and true method for rigging these fish. Hooking it through the mouth of the lizardfish gives the bait the most range of motion.

I would recommend using this method on a Carolina rig when you need to drop it deep or go straight down at a dock or pier.

Another way to utilize a single circle hook is to tail hook the lizardfish and freeline it out to your desired location. Tail hooking a lizardfish causes it to swim predictably in a diagonal path forward and downward. 

I recommend rigging it without weight and allowing the lizardfish to swim toward structures such as pilings and rock piles.

A stinger rig is also a great way to rig a lizardfish. The stinger rig consists of multiple hooks going through the bait that are all connected by a strand of wire leader.

This is great for toothy predators that are capable of chopping both the bait and your line in half.

See Also: 3 Popular Bluefish Rigs You Need To Know

What Eats Lizardfish?

Many large predatory fish feed on lizardfish and there are few hungry predators that would pass one up if given the opportunity. 

On the inshore side of things, live lizardfish are great bait for large fish such as snook, tarpon, redfish, and even goliath grouper. For these species, I prefer to free-line them towards structures such as a pier or reef.

Juvenile lizardfish make good live bait as well and can catch drum, flounder, bluefish, and sea trout.

Lizardfish can also be effective for pelagic hunters offshore. Dropping one down on a stinger rig or a skirted jig head can often land you large predators such as wahoo, kingfish, and billfish. 

Lizardfish bait has also been known to catch halibut from the surf on the West Coast of the United States. 

Cut lizardfish can also land scavenger species such as sharks, rays, and catfish, as well as the occasional redfish or speckled trout.

Conclusion

Lizardfish definitely has the potential to catch you a giant, but they may not be the best bait for everyday use.

Try and match your bait and rig to the fish you want to target for the best results.

So should you go out and load up on lizardfish to bring to the pier? Probably not, but pay attention to what the fish are feeding on and when the larger predators come through and those lizardfish may come in handy.