The team behind popular fishing brand EDGE, design and test heaps of new gear every year. As soon as the conditions are right, they’re out there putting the latest products through their paces. So, who better to answer your questions about all things saltwater fishing?

Q. I’m struggling to regularly get live baits, have you got any tips to increase the likelihood of putting a few more in the tank? Trevor, Auckland

Live baits can be very fickle to catch, however there are a few ways to increase your chances of making your bait gathering sessions a success.

First things first – berley, berley and more berley. Bait fish are an absolute sucker for an oily berley trail, it brings them in close and usually gets them biting.

Secondly – location, generally bait fish like to hold around some sort of structure, normally out of the current. If gathering bait in a harbour then jetties, marker poles or places where current has been broken such as sand banks is a good place to start. If offshore, use your sounder to find bait balls, generally you will find these on the top or off to the side of a reef in the lee of the current.

Sabiki Rigs: Made to mimic a small school of baitfish, using flasher material bound to typically 4-6 small hooks, pre-tied on a trace and with a sinker attached to the bottom. These are simple to use and very effective – drop these down vertically to the desired depth (if you see a bait ball on your sounder) or, drop to the bottom and slowly wind up stopping briefly every 2-3 turns of your reel.

Tip: Use very small pieces of bait if you are not getting any bites.

Microjigs: As the name suggests, these are extremely small jigs with a small hook attached to one end. Simply attach your trace onto the jig eyelet and either drop to the bottom or cast. Small lifts of the rod tip whilst retrieving will impart the required action of the jig.

Lastly, if you are using a live bait tank, do not overload it. Bait fish need plenty of oxygenated water so by having too many in a small tank may result in them dying. All that time and effort you put into catching them in the first place may then be worthless.

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Tight Lines!

  - The Team at Edge Fishing