How To Catch Live Bait

Thunder · March 15, 2007

Last weekend we tried Balmoral to catch live bait - squid, yakkas, garfish etc.

There were 4 of us trying to catch livies.

I was throwing yozuri's out in different colours and directions and couldn't find any squid.

We were burleying and had thousands of fish under the boat.

We tried small hooks with pieces of prawn, squid and bread (unweighted and a small weight)- no luck.

I tried a multi hook bait jig and sprayed it with stimulate (don't have egimax)- no luck.

I put squid and bread on the bait jig - no luck.

All we caught were baby snapper, baby bream and baby trevally.

There were schools of yakkas and garfish in amoungst all the other fish, but couldn't get any.

If I had a cast net (illegal in NSW) I could have got enough bait for the day in one cast.

What is the secret?

I can remember years ago catching them by the bucket full with a piece of fishing line wrapped around a beer can with a small hook and a split shot.

It was probably around 8.00am on Sunday. Are they getting fussier, or did all of you Fishraiders fill them up with bread and burley before I got there?

We tried Rose Bay first and only got a small whiting.

What's are the secrets and where are other good spots for livies?

Cheers

Greg

hatheadheaven · March 15, 2007

a familiar cry!! Sometimes they just don't want to play...

We were at Balmoral Sat morning and got 6 yakkas real quick but then the wised up and couldn't raise another.

Just had one of those 6 hook jigs (4 is better - less time spent re-baiting) with bread on them. Burleyed with bread to get them in a frenzy and dropped the jig amongst 'em.

Apparently squid are attracted to the fish/burley etc so I suggest next time you're there and going for yakkas, put out a jig or 2 on a paternoster rig and send it down off the back of the boat. Concentrate on the yakkas and the squid should play the game. Espec if you have egimax - good stuff apparently.

Edited March 15, 2007 by hatheadheaven