Bringing Bait When Fishing With Lures (Or Vice Versa)

[swong]

Not asking the question of bait vs lures. . .

but just wondering for you guys who fish with lures, do you bring bait just in case nothing's hitting? Or do you just exclusively fish with lures?

Or vice versa does anyone just using bait bring lures in case nothing is hitting as well?

[arpie]

Hi Spoz

Nup! Just take the lures! No smelly bait around, no squishy bits underfoot - no searching thru the freezer for a bit of old freezer burnt bait that would be better used as burley - just grab your rod & a small box of lures (or in my case, half a shop full ..... ) and walk the flats, cast from shore or get in a yak or boat & move around, searching out your quarry!

All good fun!

Roberta

Mind you, on the odd occasion, when I hook a herring or small tailor, I have been tempted to put it on a big hook & see if a big flattie would be interested ...... but haven't done it to date!

Edited April 30, 2010 by Roberta

[DGF]

i bring some worms usuaully with me just in case but my wife fishes with bait so yeah

[The Iceman]

I exclusivly use lures as I believe when using bait you need the freshest or live bait caught by myself to be able to fish well and with the time constraints I have with work and kids sport its easier to pick up a box of lures and go fishing Ive found after a lot of years using lures my catch rates are close to using bait but the quality of fish are better with lures

[swong]

Thanks for the quick replies . . .

i guess where i'm coming from is when im fishing with mates we always use locally bought bait. But when im by myself i tend to try and stick to just SP cos it's less hassle plus it's cheaper to just stick with my plastics.

unfortunately i always seem to do better with baits (just using prawns for now). . .I've managed to get a couple of throw-backs with SPs but i just cant seem to replicate it consistently or even get better fish - so im tempted to bring bait with me just in case, but that just defeats the whole 'its less hassle and cheaper' angle. . .everyone seems to say that once you have your first you've worked it out! so i figure i must be doing something terribly wrong with plastics. I'll prob hit up the 'adopt a learner' page some time soon after i work out when i have free time. . .(@DGF, i know im a newcomer, but hope you dont mind - ive been keeping an eye for when you go for a SP lesson too).

[GregL]

I think the hardest part switching from bait to lures is the mind set of where you throw your bait is not the same place your throwing a lure.

Most fisho's I watch throw there bait as far into the river as possible.....

Lures tend to catch more fish in the first 10m from the shore line and you will catch more if you cast along a shore line and not at 90 degrees of the shore.

Slow your retrieves down. Try only wind slack line onto the reel and use the rod to swim your lure by raising the rod tip to bring line in and dropping the rod to create slack line to wind in.

If you take lures only fish with them.

It might take a few trips but focus on what you do and when you do get a hit remember what you did to get it. It might be the pattern they are going to feed on at the time.

Good luck and stay focused and it will happen.

Greg

[fishtime]

G'day Spoz.

I'm no brilliant fisher by any means, however in my recent trips I have decided to not take any bait and that way I can concentrate on improving the SP technique. I still don't catch that many fish (although bait did not serve me any better in that department ), however I work on the basis that the ones I do catch have been due to my skills - not just a lucky hook-up.

I find that for me this is more satisfying .

cheers mate,

fishtime

[chris268]

im leaving the bates for a while to practice using SP and HB lures.

I'll only use bait these days if fishing for whiting. nothing beats live beach worms

[monch]

If i go for a lure only session, i usually stick to it.

Once in a while though i bring a few slices of bread with me and once the bites slow down on the lures, i mash up the bread for burley and also use it as bait to get some live baits. I can then choose to use them live or cut them up to catch more bait or other fish.

Although having lure only sessions seems to help you learn faster, Last time i took some bread along "just in case" i stumbled upon a school of garfish and converted it into my first kingy so you never know...

Edited April 30, 2010 by monch

[A.dawg]

Not asking the question of bait vs lures. . .

but just wondering for you guys who fish with lures, do you bring bait just in case nothing's hitting? Or do you just exclusively fish with lures?

Or vice versa does anyone just using bait bring lures in case nothing is hitting as well?

I will always keep both as i will hav more than 1 rod out

[Tiger Cam]

G'day Spoz,

It took me a few outings before I went soley lures. There was a period of transition when I took both bait and lures simply because I didn't have the confidence yet. Then I just bit the bullet and took lures only - I felt naked

It took a while to land my first fish but with some encouragement from fellow raiders it just got better. I am by no means a pro, but with each outing I learn a little bit more, catch the odd fish, and with that your confidence increases ..... and so does your lure tackle box . For me there is no turning back as I find it a more interactive method of fishing.

Go for it!

Cheers,

Cam

[iMick]

I went through a stage of lures only but now I grab some bread and or/pillies for the gars/herring/yakka. Once I got my livies I anchor up for a jew, and once the suns up its lures and the electric for the rest of the day. Also goin through an old school flatty trawling stage right now, experimenting with cod lures (AC invaders, plows and stuff)

Mick

[myocard]

Both.

I like to fish long sessions & try a few things according to light/current/tide/mood/location/energy/catch.

If you went out for a 8-12 hour+ lure session your arms would fall off.

[iMick]

Both.

I like to fish long sessions & try a few things according to light/current/tide/mood/location/energy/catch.

If you went out for a 8-12 hour+ lure session your arms would fall off.

So true, that's why I mix it up with a trawl.

[Trapper Tom]

G'day Spoz

GregL really hit the nail on the head.

Try to focus on one method. For the more experienced can do either.

Fortunatly I have a few years (old fart me)on the water and can swap according to conditions easily.

When we go out if both a lure and bait option exist for the chosen area we will do that.

By that I mean we concentrate on a chosen form for the first conditions then change to the other form when those conditions do not seem optimal.

Seems to work for us and does expand your opportunites.

Cheers

Trapper Tom

[swong]

G'day Spoz

GregL really hit the nail on the head.

Try to focus on one method. For the more experienced can do either.

Fortunatly I have a few years (old fart me)on the water and can swap according to conditions easily.

When we go out if both a lure and bait option exist for the chosen area we will do that.

By that I mean we concentrate on a chosen form for the first conditions then change to the other form when those conditions do not seem optimal.

Seems to work for us and does expand your opportunites.

Cheers

Trapper Tom

I went yesterday and again had no success on plastics. . .but managed to pull in about 5 on bait. . .i think i'll take the advice of some and bring two rods . . .i fished for about 4 hours and although im keen to practice plastics i rkn i'd go nuts if i spent the whole time with nothing to show. . .i ended up speaking to two locals who regularly fish in the area and they said that no one has had much success with any lures at all at the spot i was in (fyi im fishing at east hills) but suggested a spot or two up shore a little closer to Milperra Bridge. . . i'll have a go at that place next time.

Trapper Tom, ive read/watched a fair few things on plastics, but i've never come across 'favourable' conditions for either bait or plastics. . .is there any chance you could give me some pointers on how you determine which conditions are best suited for what method of fishing?

[johnny doi]

i just stick to the sp's.iv been exclusively fishing plastics for the last couple months & now lately we'v been starting to get the results.as we'r landbased,we pack light,1 rod & a backpack with lure,jigheads,leader material,scissor,pliers & some water.we cover alot of ground searching out active fish.if we dont find em within 30mins or so,we move on.alot of the times we drive to a different section of river,sometimes 2-3 times till we find the fish.theres been a few times we'v gone fishless or only land 2-3 fish,but sometimes it can be a fish a cast once theyv been located.btw,i fish the upper georges,from around picnic pt up to chipping norton.

cheers johnny.

Edited May 3, 2010 by fisher doi

[lookin4big1]

spoz i am in the same boat where if i go out with mates or family i take both and find i use more bait cause i have most success with it, but i am starting to stock up on lures and plastics but i find it alot of $ to try and fit out 4 rods when the family or mate are in my boat.

i also think it takes a lot of different sizes and types to be able to get enough of a variety to be reliable enough to just use em.

i am now trying to get out alot more on my own to sus the lures so hopefully next summer i will be set and no more smelly bait in my boat

[cut_loose]

There's notting wrong with smelly bait, You dont have to go to the plastics 100 %

I find i have days were i just want to fix back with a bit of bait, seat down and fish

[brendong]

I'm a lure / sp only fan for sure....I reckon the catch rate can slow to begin with for sure til you get your rythm but once you work out your system and hit up your honey holes your tune will change. The only time bait is onboard is when I pump some nippers for my misses but of late she has started mixing it up a little. I do find the qulaity of fish are often better using lures vs bait as i used to have so many throw back esspecially with nippers.

If you are worried about your technique can I encourage you to spend a little of your hard earned on a sp / lure specialist. Scotty Lyons can probably help out plus he will show you some spots to work...best to find one that works your area that way you can repeat what you did with them til you build up your confidence....if there are none in your area just take note of what they do, when and where and then just try and find areas in your system that are similar and you will come up tight.

I've been with an SP / Hard body specialist 4 times now and he's really helped me refine my sp, popper, blade, hard body techniques and I've gone at different times of the year to make sure I'm always learning...after all most of them are on the water over 250 days a year vs my maybe 35 - 50 so it stands to reason they know the system and techniques.

Best bet is to get two or three mates and do it together that way you share the cost, all learn together and best of all have a cracking day with your friends....