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Poddy Mullet Trap


Jedd95

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Feral wrote:

The trapss are good where you cant use a cast net, also keep kids amused.

I agree, my cast net would be my best fishing purchase ever I think, but I went out and bought a bait trap today as I've found some locations are not so suitable for using the cast net, also i'm thinking I can leave my bait trap in while I'm fishing, hoping that it will allow me to spend more time watching my rod on the days where bait is scarce.

I don't have kids but I'll try it on my 19 year old nephew, got a feeling it will work well ^^

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I always used to make them out of a large soft drink or milk bottle. Milk bottle is best as it has larger hole in the top.Stab a few holes in it,cut the top off in the tapered part and reverse it into the bottle so that it acts as a funnel. Couple of sinkers and a bit of bread inside and a bit of line to stop it washing away in the tide.

Cheers

Ray

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  • 10 years later...
16 minutes ago, SuperHans said:

This is my first ever post and I hope it helps someone. I'm in nsw so cast nets are illegal here. After watching videos, searching fishing forums and a lot of trial and error I have a trap that works best for me. 

Cracking first post mate. That is so helpful.

Thanks

I like to fish at Wooli and find it hard to get poddies down there. This will help heaps. 

🙂

I have cast out poddies in the surf with no problem. I use a running sinker to as swivel and then a trace to the hook so the sinker does not bump into the mullet and hook. 

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40 minutes ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Hi @SuperHans

Great first post - very informative and well written. I will certainly be giving this a go if I'm down in NSW any time soon.

@Breaming with bro, you'd probably be quite interested in this one seeing as though you are based in NSW?

Cheers Hamish

I did this years ago when I heard about it and when I had my crappy Kmart gear and didn’t know a single thing about fishing i seen it on the YouTube channel sandflat fishing Australia it’s a local guy who fish’s close to my area he has really good tips and I still watch him .anyway I made the trap filled it up with chicken pellets and used it on a breakwall in a shallow part with plenty of rocks around just before it drops off anyway after sitting in there for a hour all I got was a tiny prawn I then used that live tiny prawn on a hook and casted like 2 metres off the breakwall and I got a small bream I haven’t tried it since but it definitely works this was before I started using bread and actually learnt how to fish properly so bread would probably work better in the trap for baitfish and I normally fish lures for flathead now and usually have good success i also use proper gear now and have better experience and knowledge I might try again sometime in the future but I’m pretty sure my dog chewed the trap or it got thrown out so I will probably have to make a new one lmao

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  • 1 month later...
On 29/10/2020 at 1:40 PM, Drop Bear said:

Cracking first post mate. That is so helpful.

Thanks

I like to fish at Wooli and find it hard to get poddies down there. This will help heaps. 

🙂

I have cast out poddies in the surf with no problem. I use a running sinker to as swivel and then a trace to the hook so the sinker does not bump into the mullet and hook. 

Hi Drop Bear,

A sinker can be used just above the hook if you use a small bead between them. This stops the bait getting clobbered by the sinker. Having the sinker above the swivel means that the bait has to quickly accelerate to catch up with the sinker as it is cast. I think that this is why the bait is most likely to come off. I'm going to experiment with a new rig this week and will let you know how it goes 

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  • 2 weeks later...

The new rig works OK! I guess you could call it a a running paternoster? 

I wanted longer casting distance, less damage to baits (or losing them) during casting, and having the bait higher in the water column.

The sinker is fixed at the end of the line. I have about 1 metre of line between the sinker and a fixed swivel above it. This goes some way to keeping the bait off the bottom. Above this swivel is a running dropper attached to the main line by a free moving swivel. As there is no obstruction above the fixed swivel, the bait on the running trace never gets a jolt when it slows down. In fact the fixed sinker usually travels a great distance when being cast while the running trace just floats behind and doesn't go anywhere near as far as the sinker. Initially I thought this was a problem, but the bait lands on the surface, and can cover a lot of distance and change in depth as it slowly heads towards the distant, deeper sinker. I think the sinker also goes further because it isn't hindered by the air resistance of the bait.

Results? I have now been catching Tailor as well as flatties! I wanted to fish higher in the water column and the delay between the bait landing on the surface and its slow descent seems to achieve this. I had hoped that this rig allowed the bait to swim up and down the main line as it pleased, but without getting in the water to have a look I cant guarantee it.

Tangles above the fixed swivel can occur if the main line is braid, but so far I haven't had that problem with mono.

If the description of the rig isnt clear, let me know and I'll post a picture

 

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Hi DB,

I've heard of plans being "written on the back of an envelope", but never imagined I ever do one! I must get around to getting more photocopying paper. 🙂

This rig has worked well for me on quiet beaches and estuaries near me and haven't tested it yet in rough surf and I imagine that an incoming tide or strong wave action may push the bait to shore up along the main line. If I find that happens I may have to resort to a second fixed swivel above the sliding trace. Its probably not a good rig to use if there are lots of gulls around as I think they may like the live bait sitting on top when it has been cast.

 

Edited by SuperHans
not sure pdf will open
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I like the idea of the rig but what happens if a fish picks up the bait and moves with it? Won’t it feel the fixed sinked and drop the bait I suppose it doesn’t matter that much for flathead because flathead don’t often move with the bait they Usually just sit still hidden in the mud/sand other times they do get curious and swim around it’s not that common but I have seen flathead swimming around like bream before . I surpose you use it like a patanoster rig and keep the line tight at all times to avoid fish picking up the bait and running with it ok makes sense now 

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Hi BWB,

you are right. I also like running sinker rigs but sometimes a fixed sinker is the only option (eg star sinkers to anchor a rig in the surf).

I guess for me it is a choice of getting a live bait further out where I want it and hopefully where the fish are, versus putting it closer where I don't think they are. Also I am banking on predators liking live mullet so much they will nail it and wont fool about with it.

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6 minutes ago, SuperHans said:

Hi BWB,

you are right. I also like running sinker rigs but sometimes a fixed sinker is the only option (eg star sinkers to anchor a rig in the surf).

I guess for me it is a choice of getting a live bait further out where I want it and hopefully where the fish are, versus putting it closer where I don't think they are. Also I am banking on predators liking live mullet so much they will nail it and wont fool about with it.

The rig looks good to me SuperHans. Good job on being creative abs finding something that’s working. 
 

In my opinion, if it’s not going to do a little poddy mullet in one go, it’s probably not worth catching.

Cheers Hamish 

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Hi DB,

soz if the description was unclear. If you have any other ideas I'm happy to consider them. I'm thinking that a small split shot on the trace may help it sink a little faster and overcome any wave action that brings the bait inshore. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it 'though. PS I'm glad you arent raiding our wholesome clean living NSW jennies for your decadent crab junket to Victoria 🙂 

 

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On 13/12/2020 at 11:14 AM, SuperHans said:

PS I'm glad you arent raiding our wholesome clean living NSW jennies for your decadent crab junket to Victoria

hahahaha now thats a good idea! A quick fish on the way down! 

Are Jennies legal in Vic or just NSW? 

NSW and NT Jennies make the best chilli mudcrab haha. 

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3 hours ago, Drop Bear said:

What about in VIC?

Hey Robbie

After I looked quickly on the DPI website in Victoria, all crabs apart from European Green Shore Crabs and European Shore Crabs have a bag limit of five. I assume that means you can take jennies...

In the spirit of letting breeders go though, I would let any egg carriers go back. 

https://vfa.vic.gov.au/recreational-fishing/recreational-fishing-guide/catch-limits-and-closed-seasons/types-of-fish/crabs

Cheers Hamish 🙂  

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  • 4 months later...
On 29/10/2020 at 1:22 PM, SuperHans said:

I dont burley.

I didn't need to burley in my original spot, but elsewhere I do so pls disregard my original advice. My original spot is now swarming with pest fish.

While lying the jar on its side works better than standing it up, there is the risk that some mullet panic and swim out as you approach to empty it. I minimise this by having the entrance point toward the direction from which I will approach. As the mullet them try to swim away from me as I approach they head into the back of the jar rather than towards me at the entrance. 

Other tweaks are:

1. Punching small holes around the flange of the plastic where it is fixed to the glass. This allows the silicone a greater surface area to adhere.

2. Using pliers to squeeze the  flaps open as otherwise they tend to close up over time and blocking access to larger baits.

Alternatively, the old juice bottle with some sinkers attached also works fine.

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