# Live Baiting????



## Artie (Dec 19, 2011)

This is a new one to me and Id be interested in how some go about this.... tips on the best liveys to use (species and size) and how to get your hands on them, keeping them fresh and then rigs you use to set them.... Im thinking fishng for Kingys particularly and not too far offshore, reef stuff perhaps within a couple of ks from the dirt.... but you never know whats gonne show up on the day.... :shock:

Tips from the Gurus????


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## Bretto (May 23, 2010)

I've only just started myself.

Shark rig
4/0 Octopus hook to 40-60lb wire trace to 20lb leader to 15lb braid.
We cast net for mullet as bait. Anything around the 15cm mark seems to work well.
We stick the extras in a live-well.


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## mudpat (Feb 21, 2011)

Not a guru but I do ok.
Don't use wire down here for kings, it is definitely a turn off for them. I use 40 lb FC on to 30 lb braid. A gamakatsu 7/0 live bait hook on the end. Some guys use down riggers but I generally go unweighted or just clip a small snapper lead onto the line to get it down.
Baits- three favourites, squid, yakkas and slimies. For squid I put the main hook thru the rear of its hood and a small stinger between its eyes. The others are hooked thru the jaw. Size doesn't seem to matter at all.
Catch them on the way out or at the fishing area and keep them alive with a bait tube made from poly pipe, clipped to my anchor trolley.


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## paulthetaffy (Jan 27, 2010)

I wish cast netting was allowed in NSW, would make gathering livies a whole lot easier!!

Anyway, "how to livebait" is a very big subject and depends entirely on the species you're targeting, so I'll concentrate on kingfish in particular as that's what you mentioned.

Which livebait to use depends on the day, but as a general rule you really only have three options - in order of preference these are squid, slimie mackeral, and yellowtail (scad, yakkas).
Yakkas are generally the easiest/quickest to catch around Sydney so that's what I usually use, but it might be different up your way.

There's a great post here http://www.akff.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=26328 that describes how to catch and rig a livie. I've never found sabiki rigs that great for yakkas so I tend to use a single size 12 hook, a tiny splitshot a foot or so above it, and a small piece of chicken or pillie (about 5-10mm at most) in a burley trail of bread crumbs. We catch our yakkas from the wharves around Sydney and then transport them to our launch site, as it's more reliable than trying to find schools while on the water. If you're after slimies then a sabiki or a small metal will work fine. Squidding is a whole differnent topic I won't get into 

There's a few ways to keep your livies alive whilst on the water. I use a slim bait tube, some use livewells with plumbed aeration/circulation, others use a bucket and change the water every half an hour. Search the posts here and you'll find plenty of info.

As for size, any size squid will do, though very large I tend to strip up instead. Slimies of any size are good - smaller will take more fish, larger will take large fish  With yakkas smaller are better then bigger for the most part because they're easier to swallow (they have a hard-to-swallow sharp/bony tail), but big yakkas (25cm plus) will still get you into bigger fish as well as the odd very aggressive rat. I prefer smaller baits in winter when there are fewer kings around and larger baits in summer when I want to avoid the plagues of rats.

When fishing a livie for kingfish I prefer to hold the rod so that I can feel when my livie starts getting twitchy, one of the benefits of a hobie of course being that you can do this whilst on the move! I use the snapper lead technique as mentioned in the linked post, but you can leave them unweighted on the surface, use a downrigger, or even use a knife jig as a sinker. Whatever you do, don't leave your drag loose - by the time the bait is taken and you've tightened up your drag you will have been reefed. Leave it in fighting drag and as soon as you hookup paddle/peddle as fast as you can towards deeper water and fight from there Even if there is no deep water close, get your boat moving as quick as possible and keep moving and swim the kingy up to you. You can't fight a king with brute force from a kayak - you will lose most of the time, even with smaller fish. You're better off getting it swimming and then slowly inch it through the water column.

Hope that helps!
Paul


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## Artie (Dec 19, 2011)

guys that is exactly what I was hoping for, and the link is priceless. Pat, Im hoping to get Stink (Dan) organised for an attack soonish, Ill let you know if we can organise something, I know your schedule is hectic but you never know, be nice to meet up one day.

Thanks again folks.... this is why I keep coming back to this forum....


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## shadowrunner (Jan 18, 2013)

FNQ, cast net then keep them in a live well, Yakka's, small slimey mackerel and tommy ruffs (Australian herring) are great baits, yakkas and slimeys are the best imo unless you are after the big fish then a decent sized tommy does the trick, pin em with a 4/0 hook in the back a little towards the tail so they can swim naturally. I run a 25kg uglystick with a shakespear US30b overhead reel 50kg braid with a 40 kg steel trace to a 4/0 hook when using live herring and am after a decent fight (been snapped off a few times on that set up too and more than a few hooks straightened)

or a sabiki rig on an elcheapo $15 rod/reel from Kmart ( i prefer the size 10 and 8 rigs) no limits on those in NSW or SA iirc)


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## premium (Nov 23, 2011)

paulthetaffy said:


> We catch our yakkas from the wharves around Sydney and then transport them to our launch site, as it's more reliable than trying to find schools while on the water.


Hey Paul,
I have been transporting yakkas in a large square clear plastic tub, but i'm having trouble keeping them alive until I get to launch (probably driving about 20 mins between where i get them and where i launch) - i'm getting about a 50% death rate, transporting up to 6 livies...

how do you go about transporting your livies?
how long do you transport them for?


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## SharkNett (Feb 20, 2006)

Premium,
Sometimes fish from a friends boat that has no plumbed live bait tank. Have found the ones in round containers survive longer. Because there are no corners they are constantly moving.
If I ever needed to transport livies I would use a large round painters bucket with aerator and small holes with tube thru the lid to vent. The tube thru the vent holes reduces the chance of water splashing out.
Probably also worth making sure the water in the bucket is changed immediately before loading into the car.
Rob


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## paulthetaffy (Jan 27, 2010)

Yeah I use a painters bucket (not even a large one) but an aerator is a must. I have the tube going through a single hole in the lid and that's it. Very little water escapes if any at all. I normally collect around 6 and transport them around 20 mins to launch site. If they're looking ok then they'll last another 20 mins until launch, but that's as long as I'd leave them without changing some water. With an aerator you shouldn't have any die within half an hour as long as the water is pretty fresh before you set off. Get rid of any livies that are bleeding at all, it'll kill the others. You can get aerators at pet shops and many fishing shops now too. Buy a good one and keep it dry as the internals rust. I go through at least one every season


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## paulb (Nov 12, 2006)

I'd suggest 6 yakka's 20 litre bucket without aerator 20mins max before you should completely change the water - but do a complete water change just before you head off to your launch spot. An aerator maybe gives you another 10mins or so. Once on the water, I've kept 4 or 5 alive all morning in an open crate, approx 10-15l of water - just pour a few litres of fresh water into the crate every 15 mins.


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## premium (Nov 23, 2011)

Cheers Guys, i re-jigged my tactics based on those suggestions and it worked a treat.
Unfortunately now it means there's one less thing I can blame for my lack of success on the kings!


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