queensland Live Bait Help

[Kat]

Hi All

Help needed again.  Caught some live bait for the first time today.  What are they? How do I rig them up best way so they don't die and can swim?

If any of you guys could draw a quick diagram and post it for me that would be great.

Cheers Katrina

[Brodie_S]

Just now, Kat said:

Hi All

Help needed again.  Caught some live bait for the first time today.  What are they? How do I rig them up best way so they don't die and can swim?

If any of you guys could draw a quick diagram and post it for me that would be great.

Cheers Katrina

These are silver biddys I once caught one around 20-30cm near a spot around my local area on a bream crankbait . For a live one get some a little bigger maybe around 12cm as the little ones will die quickly if you put a hook through them .usually you just hook them near the spine at the tail But this picture here has two good examples on how you should rig live bait

I don’t really know much about live baiting this is really a question for

AUS-BNE-FISHO

All I do know is how to rig them and I know silver biddys and poddy mullet make a great live bait

[Kat]

8 minutes ago, Breaming with bro said:

These are silver biddys I once caught one around 20-30cm near a spot around my local area on a bream crankbait . For a live one get some a little bigger maybe around 12cm as the little ones will die quickly if you put a hook through them .usually you just hook them near the spine at the tail But this picture here has two good examples on how you should rig live bait

I don’t really know much about live baiting this is really a question for

AUS-BNE-FISHO

All I do know is how to rig them and I know silver biddys and poddy mullet make a great live bait

Thanks that pic is fantastic just what i was looking for

[Kat]

They make okay dead bait.  Got some bream for dinnner

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hey Kat

That is known as a silver biddy or a live boney bream. Tops bait for a lot of fish.

The following live baits you'll encounter a lot around, here and there - 

Mullet - 

Herring - 

Prawn - 

 

Winter Whiting - 

Frogmouth Pilchards - 

I can't draw right now as I'm just in school with some free time, but in general you will either pin your livie (especially if they are herring, frogmouth pilchard, or silver biddy) through the nose, or the bit between the eye and the mouth. For baits such as mullet, and winter whiting, you pin them through the two lips.

Just a note on the winteries also, make sure they are winter whiting - you cannot just keep sand whiting and use them as they have a size limit of 23cm. 

Is that a cast net caught fish? 

Cheers Hamish  (P.S. I can tell you more later on each one)

[Kat]

Thanks heaps Hamish.  No it is a drag net someone gave me.  I have had it for about 6 weeks but was a bit nervous to use it until this morning when my servo bait was annoying the hell out of me, so I went for a swim in my clothes

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

1 hour ago, Kat said:

Thanks heaps Hamish.  No it is a drag net someone gave me.  I have had it for about 6 weeks but was a bit nervous to use it until this morning when my servo bait was annoying the hell out of me, so I went for a swim in my clothes

I have been wanting to invest in a drag net for the local park on high tides seeing as though it may increase catch rate.

They seem like a good, helpful thing!

Cheers Hamish

[Angry51]

2 hours ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

 

I can't draw right now as I'm just in school with some free time

Hamish, Don't let Greg find out you're using your phone in school hours.

It'll interrupt your learning.

[kmcrosby78]

2 hours ago, Kat said:

Thanks heaps Hamish.  No it is a drag net someone gave me.  I have had it for about 6 weeks but was a bit nervous to use it until this morning when my servo bait was annoying the hell out of me, so I went for a swim in my clothes

Nice work Kat. Did you have someone else help you with the drag net (ie. one person at each end) or just you by yourself? If the latter, would be interested to know your method.

Some good advice above about how to hook them. Try to suit the hook size to the size of the bait, otherwise it will look unnatural and tire the fish out too quickly. Circle hooks are excellent for live baiting - you can buy them cheaply off eBay. For larger baits (ie. 20cm+ whiting or mullet) you can snell two hools and place one near the tail and the other up around the head area - gives a better chance of hooking up. Good luck!!

[Angry51]

Kelvin, If bait netting solo you can tie one end to anchor buried in the sand

and walk the circle back to it.

Saw a tourist at the Point at Karumba doing that but he had his Land Rover at the waters edge 

and was out chest deep. He didn't seem worried about the croc's or didn't know.

Braver ( dumber ) than me.

[Junky]

I did a lot of live baiting land based and when attaching hook to the nose I only used to go through the top lip. 

That way you don't clamp the mouth shut and suffocate them. 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

52 minutes ago, Junky said:

I did a lot of live baiting land based and when attaching hook to the nose I only used to go through the top lip. 

That way you don't clamp the mouth shut and suffocate them. 

I normally either go through the top or the bottom, Junky. The only problem I’ve found with doing this is when going for a big cast it can go flying off.

[Kat]

4 hours ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

I have been wanting to invest in a drag net for the local park on high tides seeing as though it may increase catch rate.

They seem like a good, helpful thing!

Cheers Hamish

Yeah it was great.  I got so many on my 3rd drag (when I knew what I was doing wrong) - that I had to put heaps back.  Will be trying the net at the local beach next.  I was fortunate to be given one.  Fishing is soooo expensive, you can never have too much gear.  When I started I thought it was just going to be buying bait etc.  Sooo naive

[Kat]

3 hours ago, kmcrosby78 said:

Nice work Kat. Did you have someone else help you with the drag net (ie. one person at each end) or just you by yourself? If the latter, would be interested to know your method.

Some good advice above about how to hook them. Try to suit the hook size to the size of the bait, otherwise it will look unnatural and tire the fish out too quickly. Circle hooks are excellent for live baiting - you can buy them cheaply off eBay. For larger baits (ie. 20cm+ whiting or mullet) you can snell two hools and place one near the tail and the other up around the head area - gives a better chance of hooking up. Good luck!!

Hi @kmcrosby78, thanks for the advice.  Yes I will have to invest in different sized hooks and learn some more rigs.

So with regard to the drag net -. the guy that gave it to me showed me how to do it solo and gave me a pole he had lying around to stake one end.  Basically you tie the bottom of one end of the net to the bottom of the pole, top of net to top of pole, stake it in the sand and make sure the bottom of the net remains on the bottom of the beach or estuary.  Tie the other bottom bit of the net at the other end around your ankle - hold tha e top of the net at that end and walk out as far as is sensible then turn and walk across slowly at first and when you are dragging the net back in and towards the pole walk a bit faster - helps to scare the fish around and back into the net.  And hey presto live bait!  I actually had fun.

Cheers Kat

[Kat]

1 hour ago, Junky said:

I did a lot of live baiting land based and when attaching hook to the nose I only used to go through the top lip. 

That way you don't clamp the mouth shut and suffocate them. 

I was wondering about that.  But don't they breathe through their gills?

[Kat]

2 hours ago, Angry51 said:

Kelvin, If bait netting solo you can tie one end to anchor buried in the sand

and walk the circle back to it.

Saw a tourist at the Point at Karumba doing that but he had his Land Rover at the waters edge 

and was out chest deep. He didn't seem worried about the croc's or didn't know.

Braver ( dumber ) than me.

Ha ha.  Sorry responded before I saw your post.  Yeah I had clothes on - not togs but thought it would be hot enough to dry while fishing!  I didn't quite go chest deep but close.  No crocs in Coombabah Creek thank god.

 

[deegee12g]

36 minutes ago, Kat said:

I was wondering about that.  But don't they breathe through their gills?

They inhale water though their mouths and exhale though the gills so that the water passes over the gill filaments which collect oxygen as it flows over them.

[Kat]

Anyway Guys thanks for all the advice.  I was gonna do a proper fishing report but I am too tired so mini report.  

Got to the first spot in Coombabah Creek at 6am this morning with servo white pilchards bought yesterday in anticipation.  After about an hour of, as Hamish would say, getting pickered I was becoming very annoyed at bait coming off so easily.  It then occurred to me I was standing not far from a little sandy "beach" and I had the net and pole in the boot.  So I packed my gear up and trekked to the car.  Came back with my net, bucket and pole and gave it a go.  After catching the livies dripping wet I was trying to figure out how to rig them up and keep them alive and swimming.  Wasn't having any luck so chopped up a dead one and caught a just legal bream for dinner.  Anyway after a few more casts with "live" bait I was getting no more bites.  Think the tide was turning.  Changed the water in the bucket and drove home to refrigerate my dinner and fill my water bottle.  Had a plan to go to another spot on Coombabah Creek with the rest of the livies.  So after an apple and refill of water drove to the other spot.  I wanted to try there because I met another fisho there yesterday who was really helpful and gave me a few tips on the spot.  He was fishing with livies and told me there were plenty of mangrove jacks around there - but my line and rod wouldn't handle them.  Thought I might try and prove him wrong.  Using the advice from Afoers earlier in the day I was able to rig some of the livies and keep them swimming.  After about 1/2 hour got a real good hook up, heavy strong fish - busted my braid.  I don't know what a Mangrove Jack feels like but it wasn't like anything I have hooked before.  So maybe.  All but one of my livies were dead at this point.  I carefully rigged my last livie and gently dropped him into the water. A minute later I got a hit and hook up.  I was dreading being busted off again but this fish didn't have the same fight it ran a little and was heading to the rocks so I kept the pressure on the line and started to reel in.  I saw a flash of silver and realised it was a Bream, looked a decent size. As I was reeling him in I was praying he wouldn't shake the hook.  Finally he was on land and after grabbing the measure I let out a big whoop.  My PB bream 30cm.  Don't laugh .

Had a great day and has been a learning curve.  After losing a few bigguns in the last few weeks due to my braid snapping I am yearning for bigger and better.

Cheers and Thanks

Kat

[Kat]

Not sure it ended up a mini report but with no weather or tackle report not quite up to Hamish's standard ,

[Kat]

Oh and photo or it didn't happen . ..

[Kat]

13 minutes ago, deegee12g said:

They inhale water though their mouths and exhale though the gills so that the water passes over the gill filaments which collect oxygen as it flows over them.

Thanks!  Good to know.  I should do some research on fish.  I am sure there is much more to learn that will help with my fishing obsession, addiction.

[ellicat]

Nice one, Kat.

What were the livies ? All silver biddies ?

If not a mangrove jack it may have been a mangrove snapper .

[Brodie_S]

Don’t worry Kat a PB bream around 30cm is fine after awhile you might get one over 40cm my PB is 37cm I’ve caught two 37cm bream my goal is to catch one that’s 50cm one of my friends found a set line that had been in the water for awhile I was fishing with him when this happened anyway he pulled it up and the bream on the end of it was over 50cm never forget that day . Also good tip buy good hooks I personally use mustad but other brands like owner and gamkastu work just as well. I’ve lost a few fish because of cheap hooks that bend out . Also I found hooks that are black work better then shiny or silver hooks .I’ve been fishing before where I’ve been using silver hooks and then change to a dark black hook and fish just prefer them not always but sometimes they do I found this was very true at Bli bli Barra park even the mustad fine worm hooks didn’t bend out on big Barra I usually use them for bream but are most commonly used for blackfish and mullet or fish with small mouths 

[Kat]

19 minutes ago, Breaming with bro said:

Don’t worry Kat a PB bream around 30cm is fine after awhile you might get one over 40cm my PB is 37cm I’ve caught two 37cm bream my goal is to catch one that’s 50cm one of my friends found a set line that had been in the water for awhile I was fishing with him when this happened anyway he pulled it up and the bream on the end of it was over 50cm never forget that day . Also good tip buy good hooks I personally use mustad but other brands like owner and gamkastu work just as well. I’ve lost a few fish because of cheap hooks that bend out . Also I found hooks that are black work better then shiny or silver hooks .I’ve been fishing before where I’ve been using silver hooks and then change to a dark black hook and fish just prefer them not always but sometimes they do I found this was very true at Bli bli Barra park even the mustad fine worm hooks didn’t bend out on big Barra I usually use them for bream but are most commonly used for blackfish and mullet or fish with small mouths 

Thanks for that.  Yes I was using some cheap hooks a while ago that I was given (so can't be ungrateful).  I was getting plenty of bites but just no hook-ups.  I splurged and bought some of the good ones (yes they are black).  My hookup and landing rate improved immediately. Thanks for the alternate brand advice too.

[Kat]

47 minutes ago, ellicat said:

Nice one, Kat.

What were the livies ? All silver biddies ?

If not a mangrove jack it may have been a mangrove snapper .

Yes they were all silver biddies.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

1 hour ago, Kat said:

Yeah it was great.  I got so many on my 3rd drag (when I knew what I was doing wrong) - that I had to put heaps back.  Will be trying the net at the local beach next.  I was fortunate to be given one.  Fishing is soooo expensive, you can never have too much gear.  When I started I thought it was just going to be buying bait etc.  Sooo naive

Hey Kat

Yep, you could spend millions and not even have all the fishing gear in the world! (Well I dream of Christmas and my B'day because that's when the good stuff comes in for free Haha). If you are getting so many that you have to get rid of them, make sure you know your bag limits. Herring, frogmouth pilchards, and biddies don't have one (herring and frogmouth freeze well as well as biddies so it is a good idea to have some ziplock bags ready to chuck your bait in and then in the freezer), but mullet have a bag limit of 20 (or the small poddy ones) so don't go overboard on keeping them to freeze. I think it is OK to keep the small ones as long as it is not crazily excessive. Finally, winter whiting have a bag limit of 50.

5 hours ago, Angry51 said:

Hamish, Don't let Greg find out you're using your phone in school hours.

It'll interrupt your learning.

Hi Angry51

It was ACTUALLY a laptop... not that anyone knew at all  (free time in class before you ask why)

1 hour ago, Kat said:

Ha ha.  Sorry responded before I saw your post.  Yeah I had clothes on - not togs but thought it would be hot enough to dry while fishing!  I didn't quite go chest deep but close.  No crocs in Coombabah Creek thank god.

 

The only type of croc is Coombabah Creek would be the ones that are Dusky and Flat

Nice job on the report, the bream, the bait, and getting out Kat. You will soon be catching stonkas. 

Remember when fishing for jacks that people who would say they are getting them on ten pound have probably been busted off a truckload more. A 20lb set up for chasing jacks may be very wise if you seem to be getting into them. You can browse around on the internet for a lot of Youtube videos on the Gold Coast jack fishing scene which are fun to watch.

Cheers Hamish  

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

1 minute ago, Kat said:

Thanks for that.  Yes I was using some cheap hooks a while ago that I was given (so can't be ungrateful).  I was getting plenty of bites but just no hook-ups.  I splurged and bought some of the good ones (yes they are black).  My hookup and landing rate improved immediately. Thanks for the alternate brand advice too.

The new hooks will help as they are often either chemically sharpened (meaning they are deadly sharp but go blunt relatively quick) or sharpened really well. 

I use Kato hooks, Mustad, (and I find Gamakastu to expensive to splash out on every time you need more hooks).

Cheers Hamish

[Brodie_S]

I will also add I buy my hooks in bulk it’s a lot cheaper my go to hooks are mustad fine worm hooks in size 8 use them for most of my bait fishing . And yes I have caught jacks on 10lb but I would recommend going heavier something like 2500-3000 size reel 3-7kg rod with 20lb braid and leader

[GregOug]

8 hours ago, Angry51 said:

Hamish, Don't let Greg find out you're using your phone in school hours.

It'll interrupt your learning.

Too late!