Fish hook designs, shapes, and materials are all variable depending on the intended purpose of the fish hook. Fish hooks are manufactured for a range of purposes from general fishing to extremely limited and specialized applications. Fish hooks are designed to hold various types of artificial, processed, dead or live baits (bait fishing); to act as the foundation for artificial representations of fish prey (fly fishing); or to be attached to or integrated into other devices that represent fish prey (lure fishing). The fish hook or similar device has been made by man for many thousands of years. The world's oldest fish
Bait fish killifish family (Cyprinodontidae), shad family (Clupeidae), sculpin of the order Osteichthyes and sunfish family (Centrarchidae), excluding black basses and crappies. Bait fish can be contrasted with forage fish. "Bait fish" is a term used particularly by recreational fishermen, although commercial fisherman also catch fish to bait longlines and traps. "Forage fish" is a fisheries term, and is used in that context. Forage fish are small fish that are preyed on in the wild by larger predators for food. The predators can be other larger fish, seabirds and marine mammals. Bait fish, by contrast, are fish that are caught by humans