# Catching and Fishing Bait



## bundyboy (Sep 6, 2009)

OK so since yak fishing I have primarily used lures of various types but after yesterdays succes with bait I have been tempted to investiage bait options a bit more thoroughly. Would be interested to hear what baits people use, how others find and catch live bait, and how it is fished either dead or live. Mainly do estuary fishing but would also be interested in offshore stuff.

My experiences with bait are somewhat limited but I have pumped and used yabbies before with some success (spent longer baiting up then catching fish), used soldier crabs yesterday for the frst time on a large jighead (tied on via a swivel and lure clip - was all I had) and still brained six bream in just about than many casts, thrown a cast net for prawns, foul hooked a garfish, caught a few pike which I tempted to rig up as mack bait and thats about it other than frozen tackle shop bait which is a no no for me.

I bought a bait trap and have seen those bait jigs in tackle stores but not really sure what to put in the trap (bread?) or where to put the trap or drop the jig down. Have also seen people throwing cast nets off boat ramps for herring which are a very good live bait option for estuary species.

One of the biggest issues I had with bait fishing is constantly have to rebait but after my experience yesterday I would rather rebait and catch fish than catch nothing at all even if some of the fish are small. I have also learnt hook and tackle selection can largely impact catch rates.

Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated.


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## cobeking (Mar 29, 2010)

me pop took some yabbies up there back in the 50s and said that they brained the fish in the rivers.dont know how you rigged them up but a size 4,6,8 long shank through the tail and out the chest area with a very small sinker is the best bait ever i reckon,everything eats them.but live poddy mullet are brilliant if ya only want the bigger fish,i usually fish them under a float with a 1/0-3/0 size hook and small sinker,put through the shoulder,being carefull not to peirce the backbone,good for jewies,big bream,flathead,trevally and mangrove jack .also if you can get a hold of squid,culltfish or octapus there prety tough and stay on for a fair while,

hope this helps


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## RackRaider (Nov 10, 2010)

Next time you catch a pike, Longtom or similar, chop it up a bit, chuck it in your pot and leave it for a couple of hours
good for mullet, herring and crabs (especially crabs)

Rig them in a similar fashion to this:


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## RackRaider (Nov 10, 2010)

Sorry it's cropped, but there's a hook through the nose


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## Trench (Oct 5, 2010)

If you find a few places to get live herring/mullet let us know  . I like live bait just don't know where to find it quickly. If you go up the river or somewhere inshore next week give me a shout and i should be able to get out. Never used a bait trap or bait jig would be good to here how they go.


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## bundyboy (Sep 6, 2009)

Trench said:


> If you find a few places to get live herring/mullet let us know  . I like live bait just don't know where to find it quickly. If you go up the river or somewhere inshore next week give me a shout and i should be able to get out. Never used a bait trap or bait jig would be good to here how they go.


Will be home next weekend so I'm praying for some good weather. Not sure how I will go scouting out bait spots, never really fished with bait much before but I'll give it a crack.


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## Murdoch (Aug 25, 2010)

We use a cast net to catch mullet or herring. Target them in any 'low-flow' section of an estuary off sand banks where there may also be shallow mud around. Look for the typical jumping mullet nearby which means they are in the area.

Store them in a bucket with sturday lid, and holes drilled in the top half. Sit it behind the seat while getting to our area, then leave it in the water while fishing (tied on with rope of course). A 15L bucket will hold plenty of mullet, herring, prawns all day if you keep the water fresh by allowing flow through the bucket, but I find whiting and garfish don't last as long in them. It is a fair bit of gear (cast net with lead on the rope, and bucket with 5L of water holding fish) but we reckon it puts us in with a good chance of some bigger class fish (though this summer has been dismall to say the least).

And for the ones that don't survive in the bucket, we make small strip baits that you know are fresh.

For rigging them up we use small sinker on mainline to swivel, 2ft of leader, hook. Hook goes through the liveys back just behind the dorsal fin. They can last up to 1.5 hrs like this depending on size and current.

I would like to try a bait trap with bread in it, so that I could avoid getting out of the kayaks and walking through mud and throwing a net, but it has been so effective I haven't had a need to try yet.

Hope this helps,
Murdoch


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## abitfishy (Sep 24, 2006)

If you want the best bait that actually STAYS on the hook, buy mullet fillets and use strips or cubes. The skin is tough and you won't loose it first nibble like most baits. In fact, the most annoying thing is when there are only little things sucking the flesh off you end up with only skin left, shows how well it stays on.


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