baitfish
noun
bait·fish
| \ ˈbāt-ˌfish
\
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Definition of baitfish
: a small fish (such as a golden shiner or menhaden) that attracts and is a food source for a larger game fish
also
: a fish used for bait
Examples of baitfish in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The lure may imitate a hellgrammite or a crawfish, or perhaps a small baitfish feeding head down. — Frank Sargeant, al, "Should anglers use finesse lures for Alabama bass?," 1 Sep. 2019 Shad patterns are among the top colorations for these lures--the shad spawn is likely gearing up right now, and these abundant baitfish will become the primary food of bass feeding after the long hiatus during their nesting period. — Frank Sargeant, AL.com, "Time for post spawn bassing on Alabama lakes," 25 Apr. 2018 In the past month, large schools of baitfish — mainly anchovies — migrated into San Francisco Bay from the ocean. — Tom Stienstra, SFChronicle.com, "Bay anglers score best catch numbers in a lifetime," 27 June 2019 The invasive mussels are filter-feeders, and feed on the zooplankton and phytoplankton the young game fish require before growing large enough to feed on baitfish. — D'arcy Egan, cleveland.com, "Lake Erie walleye boom’s cause is a mystery, but no one is complaining," 13 July 2019 Many fish that were small then have grown into adults since, and the nearly endless food supply in the lake, made up of billions of gizzard shad and other baitfish, helps them to grow fast. — Frank Sargeant, al.com, "Lake Guntersville returns to glory in Bassmaster Magazine national rankings," 3 July 2019 Scott Kerslake of Okeechobee Just 4 Bass Guide Service, referring to the small baitfish that bass love to eat. — Steve Waters, miamiherald, "Despite warm temperatures, bass are still spawning and creating some thrilling fishing," 1 June 2018 The reservoir, however, is experiencing a conflicting life cycle — loaded with some of the healthiest residents in its history at a time when an abundance of baitfish demands a re-adjustment of its hearty, historical expectations. — Bryce Miller, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Wildly-popular Lake Barrett adjusting its bass-catching expectations," 26 Apr. 2018 And the river is connected to Lake Pontchartrain, a large tidal bay that feeds it with baitfish throughout the year. — Todd Masson, NOLA.com, "Personal-best bass on my home river," 17 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'baitfish.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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