Poddie training

[jeffb5.8]

7 hours ago, XD351 said:

The only place where I used to get poddies was north ridge boat ramp and they were a hit and miss thing at the best of times. When I was a kid, I remember catching them out of the canal just west of the Meadowbank bridge, we were using size 14 45401/2 Mustad hooks (sadly no longer made) and bread for bait. I think the wash from the river cats make life real difficult to set a trap, so you need to look at locations where it is protected from this.

I see Poddys in that canal every time i went to soccer training, that was going to be my trial spot, but haven't tried yet, 3kids, work and Xmas taking up my time.

[Koalaboi]

Hi Pickles,

Some great advice here on catching poddies. You ask about attaching a float to the trap. I think it shouldn't be necessary as you place the traps in shallow water so that there is only about an inch or two of water above the trap. I have found that they are easiest to trap when the sun is well up and there is not too much wind...so look for sheltered spots in the lee of any wind on those windy days like today!. A little ruffle on the surface is OK but not too much.

Some days the rectangular traps work a treat and other days they are no good at all and the cylindrical traps are the go. I think the rectangular containers that have the blue snap on clips would be easier to use than the ones you have to push on all the way around the perimeter of the lid.

I use the cylindrical traps with a couple of bits of styrofoam or cuttlefish bone or pumice in them (so they don't sink) along with white bread and breadcrumbs. I have about 5 to 6m of builders string on a small plastice handline spool so I can throw them out and then pull them in without wading. I leave them out for 15 minutes and then check and rebait. The cylindrical traps need careful handling so that you don't break the clip on points that secure the ends of the trap.

I have found that if you can't see any poddies around then it's usually not worth setting the traps.

The only other problem is fighting off the ducks!

Good luck, they make great bait and I use them every summer for flathead and usually pick up some good bycatch including salmon, tailor and big bream. Every now and again a long tom will take one and those fish are wild!

KB