Fish or cut bait

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     Christian Ammer's AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY OF IDIOMS and Wolfgang
Meider's DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN PROVERBS both cite "fish or cut bait" from
the 1876 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, when Congressman Joseph P. Cannon called for a
vote on a bill.
    The Making of America database has a later hit, but this hints at a Civil
War origin.  I'm away from my Civil War database right now.
    L. H. Clark, MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY (NY): THE COUNTY IN THE
CIVIL WAR (1883), pg. 309:

    Captain Lackey...expressed his patriotism, by stating that he was willing
to either fish or cut bait, but as all could not fish or fight, he proposed
to give two dollars apiece to each of fifty volunteers.

    This speech alleged occurred on April 23, 1861.
    The NBA playoffs is described as "win or go home," which is much the same
thing.
     "The die is cast" does indeed go back to the Latin.