Best Bait for Scup Fishing [2024 Review]

In reality, scup fishing really shouldn’t be difficult with the right setup. A critical portion of your gear is your bait, and this is an area where there is no margin for error in terms of choice. You absolutely have to use the best bait for scup fishing.

Our Top Scup Fishing Baits Recommendations

Many anglers have caught scup using live bait, which has proven to be quite effective in some cases. However, because scup is known to strike artificial baits aggressively, scup anglers have gravitated toward them.

Best Overall Bait For Scup Fishing: The Squid Trap

Squid Trap is an excellent scup bait and it employs contracting tentacles that are identical to those of a genuine squid to entice scup for a bite. These tentacles also help to keep the hooks hidden from the fish, ensuring that they are not startled before biting.

Like the Dr. Fish bucktail Jig Flure, which has a size 4 hook, the squid trap has a double 4/0 hook that is sharp, solid, and resilient, assuring that a scup will not escape once captured. It also glows in the dark thanks to glowing paint on the body and UV injection during production. This increases the bait’s visibility when placed near scup schools, increasing your chances of a score.

Like the Dr. Fish Vertical Diamond Jig, the Squid trap has 3D fish eyes that make it look lifelike to scup. The durable hooks on the squid trap, however, may become hooked in dense vegetation, and if your line is not strong enough, you may lose the bait.

Pros

• Glows in the dark, making it easier for scup to see the bait underwater
• Features a sturdy and sharp 4/0 hook, ensuring that a scup does not get away after being hooked

Cons

• Lure may be lost easily when snagged around thick vegetation
• Aggressive scup attacks may lead to damage to the contracting tentacles after some time

Best Bucktail Bait For Scup Fishing: Dr. Fish Bucktail Jig Flure

Dr. Fish Bucktail Jig Flure is the greatest choice for attracting scup with mylar skirts that simulate an injured fish. This bait comes in three parts, allowing you to choose from a variety of sharp and robust hooks, as opposed to the squid trap, which is a single bait with a single hook size.

This bait is reflected in water depths and noticeable to juvenile and adult scup that travel freely on the seabed, thanks to its dominating chartreuse color and the body design with scales like small fishes. It has a weighted head with lifelike 3D eyes, similar to the Dr. Fish Vertical Diamond Jig, making it appear authentic to scup and heavy enough to descend quickly to the angler’s preferred depth.

Despite the bait’s unique characteristics, one big disadvantage is that the mylar skirts may progressively wear away over time, exposing the hooks and making capturing scup more difficult for anglers.

Pros

• Multiple baits and hook sizes, giving anglers varieties of options and also the opportunity to use two different baits at once
• Comes in a dominant color which heightens bait visibility underwater

Cons

• The Mylar skirts may begin to fall off after a while of usage, exposing the hooks which make it harder to catch any spooky scup
• 3D fish eyes may remove after a short time due to vicious attacks from scup

Best Metal Jig Bait For Scup Fishing: Dr. Fish Vertical Diamond Jig

Since scup fishing requires fishing at the seabed, where these fish are known to congregate, a metal jig is essential, and the Dr. Fish Vertical Diamond Jig is a must-have. Unlike the Dr. Fish Bucktail Jig Flure, which comes in three colors, this bait gives scup anglers five options and five hues that are great for scup fishing and extremely visible in deep waters.

The treble 3/0 hooks on this bait are strong and sharp, allowing you to catch multiple scups on a single cast. This is distinct from the squid trap, which only allows you to catch one fish per cast. Reflective feathers cover the hooks, increasing your chances of catching scup when you lower your line into the depths.

The weight of Dr. Fish Jig allows it to be dropped to the desired depth. It also has 3D eyes, which fool scup into believing the bait is a smaller fish, causing them to bite. However, one disadvantage of this bait is that some of the baits are only painted on one side, leaving the other side unattractive to scup.

Pros

• Comes with enough weight to fall into any depth suitable for scup fishing
• Feature treble hooks that increases catch options and are sturdy and durable in ensuring that you do not lose your catch

Cons

• Some of the baits are only painted on a side, reducing the effectiveness in attracting scup
• It may become heavy and uncomfortable for anglers when carried for a long period

Features to Consider for Best Bait for Scup Fishing

There are various features that must be present and vital to your success before deciding on the bait you want to use for scup fishing. Bait color, hook size, and bait type are critical to your choice of bait.

Bait Color

The color of the scup bait is quite crucial in most cases. When you cast into the waters, this hue decides whether or not these fish will take a bite at the bait. Pink, green, deep blue, and other dark colors are the most prevalent bait colors.

Since scup fish are deep water species rather than topwater species, you would want your bait to be visible to these aggressive biting fish. This can only happen when a bait’s color is reflected in low light, which enhances the likelihood of a scup taking the bait.

Using a bait with a combination of these colors and Chartreuse is also effective for underwater fishing and can attract scup. The Dr. Fish Vertical Diamond Jig offers a range of excellent colors.

Hook Size

Using any form of fishing hook could reduce your chances of capturing a scup and leave you regretting your fishing trip. Scups have small mouths, so larger hooks would make it more difficult for scup anglers to succeed while fishing for this species.

Hook sizes are designated by numbers ranging from the smallest to the largest hook. Hooks are numbered from 1/0 to 19/0, and the sizes are easy to understand. The greater the number, the bigger the hook.

A 2/0 – 6/0 hook, such as the Dr. Fish Vertical Diamond Jig, is ideal for scup fishing. Anything higher may make it more difficult for the fish to catch the bait. A larger hook also increases the chances of your bait being stuck in underwater cover and dense vegetation.

Bait Type

Knowing the bait you want to use for scup fishing takes the guesswork out of the process. Although there are other baits available, these are the most effective for scup fishing.

Bucktail Jig

This bait looks like a spinner bait. It includes a weighted head and elegant skirts with a single hook on the bottom. The bait’s weighted head guarantees that it descends quickly to the sea depths, and its small size makes it appealing to scup.

Scup anglers frequently use Dr. Fish Bucktail Jig Flure as a bucktail bait. It has small, robust hooks that are suitable for catching scup.

Metal Jig

Metal jigs are excellent for catching scup. This jig is weighted to sink quickly to any desired depth and includes scup coverings as well as sturdy hooks to ensure you don’t lose these smallmouth fish. A good example of scup metal jigs is the Dr. Fish Jig.

Squid Jigs

Squid jigs are another popular sort of bait. This jig is famous since squids are one of the aquatic animals that scup enjoy eating. Since it is effective in deep water fishing where scup are known to cluster, the Squid Trap is a top choice squid jig.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Best Time To Go Scup Fishing?

The best time to go scup fishing is during the fall months because they congregate in schools. During the months of September and November, these fish become more active. Scup fishing, also known as porgy fishing, necessitates timing, and if you do not know when to fish for scup, you would be casting your line over and again with no results.

Also, as with most deep-water species, the optimal time to catch scup in shallow seas under 20 feet is before the sun reaches its highest point. When the water warms up, this fish species move deeper, so if you’re fishing in the afternoon, you would need to go deeper.

Where Can You Find The Scup Fish?

You can find scup fish in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, around the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. You must realize that these fish gather in locations with rocky or smooth seabeds.

They are known to hang out along rocks, jetties, and piers. When the tide rises, the adult scup can be found on sandy beaches and in regions closer to the shore. As the water level drops, you would have to fish for adult scup in deeper water. Smaller scup would naturally be found around shallow water locations than adults.

Conclusion

Scup fishing is a pretty decent activity and even more enjoyable with the right gear. Once you have the right bait lined up, you are well on your way to enjoying some good fishing success.