Catching Poddies

[diver1]

4 the life of me i cant catch these bloody poddy mullet! ive got 2 traps down the lake n when i go there u can see them everywere but alas, nuthing?

[jenno64]

What sort of trap?

[King slayer]

I found some really hungry poddies at roseville ramp yesterday. Just had to drop a small piece of bread in and my baited weightless bait jig in with it and had one on straight away.

I don't normally catch them for livies so it's all a bit new. Kept them alive and healthy all night in an aerated bucket and used them this morning.

Maybe it's just the burley you need?

[AZZ00]

I found some really hungry poddies at roseville ramp yesterday. Just had to drop a small piece of bread in and my baited weightless bait jig in with it and had one on straight away.

I don't normally catch them for livies so it's all a bit new. Kept them alive and healthy all night in an aerated bucket and used them this morning.

Maybe it's just the burley you need?

what kind of jig did you use

[diver1]

ive got 2 traps now 1 of the rectangle mesh ones and a clear alvey 1

[g.t.]

Hi diver,

The most important tip I could offer for catching poddies would be in regard to the depth that you place your trap. Despite what I've read in a number of different places, I always have most success when I place the trap at a depth where the opening(s) of the trap are approximately half in/ half out of the water. I find the poddies swim into the trap much more readily if the opening of the trap is near the surface of the water.

Other things I would suggest are keeping a reasonable distance from the trap once it is placed. I find they can be easily spooked, and once left alone they are much more likely to swim into the trap. This requires staying about 10 metres or more from the trap (i.e. not hovering over it). Also, I tend to have less success when wind is up and the water is choppy.

With regard to bait/ burley, I assume you're using bread? A couple of thing to note here are to not overload the trap with bread; a small amount is ample. And with burley, don't feed the poddies. Solid pieces of bread will distract the poddies from the trap. Mix up some bread and water into a "milky" consistency, and flick it around the trap so they are attracted to the trap, but not being fed.

Good luck, and feel free to ask questions if you'd like anything clarified!

[diver1]

gt thanks 4 that, i have been leaving the traps down there 4 a few hours.

[g.t.]

gt thanks 4 that, i have been leaving the traps down there 4 a few hours.

I generally don't leave them for any longer than 10-20 mins, and usually only for a few minutes. Particularly the smaller clear plastic traps (like your alvey one I suspect.. mine is made by SureCatch I think), as after a while they seem to find their way back out again. The bigger net traps can be left a bit longer. In fact, I'll stand back a safe distance and wait for the tell tale splashing inside the trap, signaling there are a poddies inside. At this point I usually make a bit of a "Steve Irwin" inspired dash towards the trap and quickly pick it up while carefully covering the openings with my hands so they don't escape.

From my observations, poddies seem to really just follow each other. So once you get one in the trap, many more will follow. When resetting the trap, I'll often leave a poddie in the trap to swim about and attract its buddies to join the party.

I should probably point out that this definitely isn't the only way to catch poddies, but it's just how I've had success. I hope it works for you too!

Edited March 8, 2009 by g.t.