Brodie_S

Pretty good setup for baitfishing should be able to land some quality fish with it 😁

The jacks haven’t been around recently we chucked a g splash and a splash prawn and got nothing for 4 days no bites so we are going for big flatties my mate got on a 1.13m one but it snapped him off we use 30lb for Em but next after Australia Day we’ll go for snapper at wavebreak I’m using 20lb braid 20kg swivels and 30lb fc rock and 4/0s do I need a divider between sinker and swivel and are my swivels the right size also what bait should I use? Cheers, Myles

Tell him next time instead of accurately measuring it whilst still fighting it, to focus on landing it first and then accurately measuring it ......... 🤔🤭🙃🤣

Here’s an overview of my setup for snapper on bait

I have caught great snapper on live hardyheads in the Southern Moreton Bay Islands and lost a few even better snapper on the same bait.  They definitely work and I would expect it is a bit of a "match the hatch" situation.  Fish are feeding on the baitfish that are in the area and if hardyheads are what you are netting then you should use them.  I do like gar though - especially if you are thinking about freezing and using as dead bait.
And for some reason I am replying to a very very old post????
Cheers Kat
 

If put straight on the hook the same way you would live bait a small mullet they are extremely good bait for flathead as good or even better than the mullet especially at night 

Hello to all fellow fishers and I hope this will help with the question about Hardy heads as bait. Some years back my Dad and I dragged the bait net around Elliott heads near Bundy and caught buckets and I mean buckets of Hardy heads which we froze fresh and took off shore on our next trip from Burnett heads. The results were and no I am not kidding we caught over 250 lb of turrum or trevally and every time we baited up with these small fish we get to half way down and were hit with another double head of trevally. I guess to point was if you don't mind eating them then they are a fantastic bait , we caught the occasional hussar etc. but mostly Trevor's.

I always carry at least one bait runner style reel for live baiting yakkas, allow me to set the baitrunner drag loose enough that the yakka can still swim and once you get a hit can quickly and easily increase the drag with a flick to strike.
If there are no livies i will sometimes use the baitrunner function to float baits out in the current.
So basically use it to get the bait (live or dead) to be able to move around more rather then in a fixed location if it were on a locked up reel.

Haha, I've never used the one I'm giving Hamish so it probably has good mojo from @Bri The Pom, who I bought it off.

hamish, a baitrunner is the perfect reel for the kind of fishing you do.
I used to run several when i regularly fished the river with livies, also great when floating baits for snapper, macks etc.  Great for shark fishing as well.
Very generous mr @ellicat - hopefully hamish can catch more fish on that reel that i have ever seen you catch! 😛 

Thanks for the tips Tuna. Fishing in NZ sounds like good fun! Lots of snapper and kingies over there.
Cheers Hamish

G'day @Philippp
If I am not mistaken, you should be very careful dealing with those crabs. They are a species of stone crabs that are poisonous to eat and have very strong claws.

I read this sometime ago when researching a few spots in the river. Taken from Brisbane Hooked on Fishing group on Facebook. 
Cheers Hamish

Hi everyone, first time posting 
I would like some help identifying a species of crab that keeps entering my crab pot in Hawthorne 
Photos attached below
When I use to catch mud crabs >10 years ago (exact same spot) they were the large with a greenish appearance, with a paddle like rear leg on either side, similar to the ones sold in all fish markets, but for the past two days I keep getting these ones, no paddle and white under the claw, dark black on the top side
So my question is
- What species are they, are they edible??, and whats the legal size for them? (Only kept catching small ones)
 
All crabs were released 
Thanks in advance
Philip

Here's an old thread that you might get something from reading -
 

Mate, there are a number of ways to work any given lure, the real trick is working out (for yourself) which retrieval gets the fish, there is no substitute for time spent actually fishing.
As for knots, that is entirely personal preference, the best knot is the one you can tie easily, and have enough confidence that it will do the job, again, there’s no substitute for time spent trying all sorts of different knots out, to see what works best for you.
Im looking forward to seeing some results of all your hard work, best of luck.

Hey Charlie
Personally, I would spend a little bit more money on a rod. I reckon an Abu Garcia Veritas is hard to go past. They range from about $120-$140.
Cheers Hamish

Thanks everyone.

Back when i lived in NZ, bait runners were epic, you could just float a pilchard down a burly trail and catch snapper by the dozen.  it is also great for live baiting as you can have the drag loose and the tighten it with the flick of the switch,  for live baiting as you said you will be mainly using  it for i would say go for it.  Both look like good reels.

Thanks Kat. I rarely hold my rod when fishing live baiting to be honest - or even dead baiting. I find most fish I hook tend to run away from structure, and only start running in there when I pull them towards it. I guess that's different on a boat though.
Thanks Bro. I don't think I will end up buying a high (er) end spinning reel.
Hey Steve
Thanks for the tips.
Oh yeah, and I may be able to stop cashing in bottles. I've just written up a resume to try and get a job at Woolies (although I'm not sure if they will employ me until I'm older - legally I can be employed at 13 though I think I need to be older for woolies). 
Hi Brian
Thanks for the kind offer! I think I will take you up on it! Sounds like it will be a great reel.
Also, thanks for the other tips relating to baitrunners.
Thanks @Cobiaaddict, sounds like you love them!
Hi Ed.
Thanks for the great tips. If I do end up purchasing one I'll definitely test it out on my rod before I buy it.
Cheers,
Hamish

YES, I have 5, swear by them, the amount of fish they have accounted for in the bay fishing for snapper is countless

I don’t use it as much as I used to because I am getting lazy and don’t chase live bait as often as I used to, and I have other gear that I prefer to use. I would use it bait fishing for threadies or jew. Also snapper sometimes. The threadies and jew often have a slow first run before they really take the bait, so the baitrunner function is good for not giving them too much pressure in that early run. Snapper on the other hand often just smash the bait and run and having the baitrunner engaged gives a really, really satisfying noise.

I almost exclusively use the baitrunner function when fishing unweighted livies targeting cobia, jew and anything else that doesn't generally stick to the bottom that might happen along while I'm bottom bashing.
So, yes I do use it, but I'm not in that position regularly. I use the reel like a spinning reel at times though.
 
 
 

So @ellicatand @Old Scaley, yes I knew of the benefit of the double drag but do you regularly use a Baitrunner and if not why not? What situations do you use it in?  What fish are you targeting.
sorry Hamish not trying to take over your thread 🙂
Cheers Kat

The benefit of the baitrunner is, like Steve said, being able to have your drag set properly for when you click it into gear. As a rule of thumb your drag should be set at 1/3 the breaking strain of your main line.
So you set your drag, put it in baitrunner mode (which is also adjustable) and then when a fish takes your bait you just start winding and it automatically kicks into gear and sets the hook. If you just have your drag loose and then have to wind it in to strike you might end up like I did one day and miss a very good fish. ho hum

Today I was looking at some reels that I haven't used in a long time. I thought what can I do with this 6000 size Shimano Baitrunner. Then I read this thread and it is obvious.
Hamish, you can have mine for free to try out and if you like it then all is good. If you don't - give it to someone else. It won't be as flash as a new reel of course. It has 50lb braid on it I think, but you would need to change that as it is well past its use by date (probably 15 years old).