what are the maximum number of species caught on one bait?

For a few years I've usually caught more than 4 species on one lure per outing and sometimes up to seven. A few days ago crappie, y and w perch, largemouth and smallmouth bass, pickerel and sunfish hit this lure:

https://i.imgur.com/Y2kqPfl.jpg?3

Add catfish and roach on other days and you have 9 species on one design.
(Guess I was too lazy to change, too annoyed because of the constant 20+ mph wind and my partner constantly getting snagged thereby having to help him free his lure (not to mention his complaining I was catching all the fish).

Some anglers believe that there are lures just for crappie or panfish in general never realizing fish are fish and attack that which 1. focuses their attention only on that lure and 2. provokes them to strike regardless of nearby prey animals (minnows, insects). The other factor considered for a specific species is lure color. Granted, if the lure is large enough for a bass but too large for a crappie, color selection will be unique for that lure choice such as skirted jigs with trailers. But for the small lures we use for crappie, lure action-by-design, shape and size are priorities and pretty much appeal to all species - including a water snake I once caught on a grub. (Heard they were good eating but they give me the creeps!)

Off the top of my head I can think of at least a dozen soft plastic designs that catch most fish species. Color choices are usually only a handful and chosen according to my personal bias, though it is fun to cast many colors of the same lure to confirm once again, that lure action speaks louder as does presentation (a slow slightly erratic retrieve).

Lures help anglers find fish along with sonar, which helps find fish in a general area but usually not the fish I'll catch seeing as how I don't own a side scan unit. Lure and color choices are far simpler than many would agree possible regardless the season or water quality but proven by the number of species willing to attack my lures. Here a two pound catfish shocked me by hitting a Strike King three-legged Joker grub in blue and pearl:
https://i.imgur.com/NyIp6QE.jpg

A seven pound catfish hit a cone tail on the same day:
https://i.imgur.com/RIYEuxq.jpg?1https://i.imgur.com/PGs9y1H.png?1

Fishing never ceases to amaze and surprise me!

2" southern pro tube has caught crappie, bass, chain pickeral, bluegill, shellcrackers, fliers, redbreasts, green sunfish, channel cats, mudfish, bullheads, pinfish, rubylips, mangrove snapper, speckled trout, redfish, gar, flounder, bluefish, sailcats, puffers, toadfish and I am sure others. I keep a lil ultralight set and small box with tubes and jigheads in camper just in case a camping trip reveals a fishing opportunity that was not planned. Saltwater fish seem to appreciate gulp maggots as well as freshwater fish.

Wow! You just proved my point that regardless the species of animal that predator fish normally eat, some lures have what it takes to provoke strikes more often than not. Must be something in their DNA - detection & tracking senses that provoke strikes based on lure action, size, profile and speed that is superior to many other lures that work less often or rarely.

Nice example! Thanks.

Nothing new. Think about how many species of fish worldwide a Rapala minnow or silver spoon or bucktail jig has caught. A minnow is a minnow no matter what water in the world your fishing.

The Roadrunner Probably one of if not the best fish catching lure of all time any type of fish anywhere.


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Rooster Tails catch everything.

My vote would go to the Clouser Minnow. It catches pretty much anything that eats other fish, in fresh or salt water, anywhere in the world. Next vote would be for the Wooley Bugger. These are about as fool-proof as it gets.

Gotta give the nod to RR's. Followed by close second, the straight tailed plastic. We usually always catch a variety of fish on these two baits. Most recently on a straight tail:

Attachment 306199

Yep....a brook trout! :)

minnows catch fish and lures catch people.

I guess I’m weird, but if I’m fishing for a particular species, usually crappie, I feel like I’ve failed if I catch something else.:dono

I would also put in a vote for the Beetle Spin, small Sassy Shad, small Bassassin, and the simple, but ultra-effective Marabou Jig in ultralite sizes, and the colors of Black, Yellow and Chartreuse. I have probably caught more crappie on a Marabou Jig than anything else, including live minnows. They are also deadly on White Bass, Smallmouth Bass. Largemouth Bass, all sunfish, and trout. I have even caught a few Channel Catfiush, 1 Flathead Catfish, and a several carp on them. I use them is salt water (in larger sizes, of course) for Speckled Trout, Redfish, and all kinds of inshore species. I have never tried them for Bluewater species, but I am guessing in the right sizes and colors, they would be very effective. The problem would be finding marabou large enough for bigger jigs. A good substitute might be Eumers Fur, or Artcic Fox.

sometimes I might ketch 8 to 12 species on a visit at the lake on one bait . but like stated before I aint after nothing but crappie ,so I don't consider the others as target species .
what looks like food to one fish is likely to look the same to other fish is my thoughts on it .

redworms catch sunfish,crappies,cats,stumpknockers,bass,trout,per ch,creek minnows,chubs,shiners,pinfish,whiting,mullet,spots ,and even the odd eel and flattie.