take the bait

verb2

1. •
   To nibble at bait on a hook.
2. •
   (figurative) To be lured by an offer, flattery, or a provocation into doing something, especially something disadvantageous or dubious.

   • "I would like to first of all commend all of the police officers today. . . . They were in fact at various times provoked, and they didn't take the bait in any way, shape or form." — 1997