Fishing Baits - Floating Crust

Actually Catching Something.
Advice for Parents of Young Anglers

Fish Suppers for Sailors
A guide to fishing for yachtsmen.

Floating crust, a bait to watch

Breadcrust and pieces of crumb from a sliced, supermarket loaf float. Fish soon learn that they are edible — if ducks are fed in the area the fish will already know all about crust.

Pieces about the size of a postage stamp are usually about right to begin with.

The big advantage of a floating bait is that you can throw free samples into a pond or stream and just watch it. If a fish takes you will see it. Once you've seen it you put a crust on the hook and drift it to the fish you know is there and feeding.

Hooking Crust

A round-bend hook is best for crust. Tear off a piece about the right size. Push the point of the hook in through the brown side and turn the hook so the wire follows the hole and the point emerges from the crumb side.

Crust is a soft bait. It must be cast gently, a long, soft-actioned rod is best for crust fishing. When it takes the bait the fish is tilted towards the surface and it's important to give it time to turn down before striking or the hook is likely to come straight back out of its mouth.