I always use live bait because I haven't had any success with any bait. I keep trying them. Finally! These are the first fake baits that have ever worked for me. The day started slowly but as soon as the sun started to set in the sky we started catching one perch after another. They have an odd plastic smell right out of the bag, so I soaked them in fish oil for a few days before using them. I feel like this helped the fish hold them longer than they could. i had pearls