What do fish symbolize in the poem, The Bait?

Fish symbolize vulnerability. At times, the fish in the poem represent the various suitors the beloved may have, and thus they are made vulnerable by their attraction to the beloved. Other times, fish represent the beloved herself, as the speaker finds himself lucky to be able to "catch" her. As the poem unfolds, the role of the fish shifts back and forth between creatures of passivity and creatures of pursuit, suggesting the poem's interest in the manifestation of mutuality in romantic love.