Bait
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: The Briny Bar
Forum Description: The place for general chat on saltwater fishing!
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=137933
Printed Date: 13 Oct 2024 at 5:27am
Topic: Bait
Posted By: Tonto2
Subject: Bait
Date Posted: 12 Nov 2023 at 3:57pm
Bought this mullet from a local dairy, it stunk so bad and the skin had peeled away from the body😖😡🤨😒 ------------- slowly going where everyone else has already been |
Replies:
Posted By: Schecter
Date Posted: 12 Nov 2023 at 4:09pm
| Not good. |
Posted By: Pcj
Date Posted: 12 Nov 2023 at 5:45pm
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Brought some fresh 2 weeks ago from the fishshop in manukau and it was soft/smelt. ------------- "Times up" |
Posted By: Mc Tool
Date Posted: 12 Nov 2023 at 6:29pm
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Check out the fish dept at your local supermarket. I have got free flow frozen pillies , sardines and sanmar , also the freezer oft contains " reduced for a quick sale " items ( whole fish ) I even keep the front end off frozen whole prawns and anything cheap and a bit suss goes thru the mincer along with the remains of a filleting session
------------- I wish I was young again .... Id be heaps smarter than this time |
Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 12 Nov 2023 at 8:56pm
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People think fish are garbage guts. Nope. They don't feed 24/7 - just like you. You prob spend about 1-5% of your time per day feeding. There are times fish don't want to feed. So expecting them to eat any old crap you put on the line has poor results. Some baits work a whole lot better than others at certain times. So when you get rubbish bait don't be surprised if the bite is off. I find one of the best is Kahawhai. Either fresh or not too long frozen. I rarely buy bait - a bag of pillies will last me a summer. But I hardly go fishing without a few in the bin. Sometimes (rarely tho) they are all that seems to work. Alan
------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 12 Nov 2023 at 9:14pm
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Agree with Alan you need good quality bait not soft smelly rubbish that won’t stay on the hook. The problem I had wasn’t bait but bait freezers. I’ve been through 3 and the one being a standup leaked smelly rotten fish all over the floor when it decided to stop working. So I changed to lures only end of problem |
Posted By: GregS
Date Posted: 13 Nov 2023 at 7:29am
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Late summer or early Autumn I usually stumble upon Skippies while softbaiting, sometimes in only 20m deep, I try to get half a dozen which is fun on light gear. I look after them like any normal catch, bag them with thick wall plastic bag and cable tie to seal them then freeze. They are still good for the following summer, just used on Saturday and still in good condition. Great oily bait |
Posted By: Mc Tool
Date Posted: 13 Nov 2023 at 7:29am
 the any old crap still works for blue cod and berley , and , yes the fish probly dont feed 24/7 , we have "bite times and the likes of Bill Hohepa's calendar to guide us thru hard times  but some fish are foragers ? no? and as such they feed untill full and most locals will have some idea about what tide works for them There is no denying better quality bait catches more fish but when you get to the point where your bait cost as much or even close to the price of a bought fish for tea...... Everything goes in berley , even left over cat food ( my Mrs overfeeds the hell out of them ) trout frames , coutta's and anything else I catch but wouldnt eat . And mushy bait can be saved for one more go with bait elastic ( I thought thats what it was made for )  before its comdemed to the mincer------------- I wish I was young again .... Id be heaps smarter than this time |
Alan L wrote:Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 13 Nov 2023 at 12:04pm
Brilliant bait. Even better if brined. Try that next time. Drop in a bucket of very salty water (I add salt to seawater). Leave o/night, drain then pack as you already are. Toughens them up - stay on hook better, and last longer in freezer. Alan ------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 13 Nov 2023 at 12:13pm
Agree with the berley - chuck whatever you have. Some of my best berley comes from crayfish shells (with a helping of pig/chook pellets and fish oil). It is basically a scent trail to get them to you. Yes - they may pick away at some tasty bits - paua guts. But I don't spend much on bait per yr - as far as the cost thing goes. As Greg S does - if you find some skippies - salt them and freeze. Will last til next yr. I haven't done it, we have a reasonable supply of fresh KY - but salting that should work OK too. If it has been in my freezer more than 2-3 weeks it usually end up in the cray pot. But that stuff Tonto posted is junk. Prob worth taking back - post it. Alan ------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 13 Nov 2023 at 6:13pm
Another vote for kahawai. Jack macks are great for snaps. My least favourite bait is pilchards. Skipjack and squid would be a close second for me. Bullet tuna are quire possibly one of the best big snapper baits though ------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 13 Nov 2023 at 8:58pm
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And have you tried fishing it without the skin on? Multiples different. Fished with the skin on for yrs/decades. Tough, stays on... Never again. Now tell me fish aren't fussy eaters. Sure there are times anything goes. But that is not the norm. Not a hot bite everytime you drop a line. You need all the %ages working for you. Alan
------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: GregS
Date Posted: 13 Nov 2023 at 11:53pm
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Thanks Alan for the tip about brining, I like the sound of that, I have thawed them and then cut into pieces and salted it which does toughen it up as unsalted it is a bit soft. I will give it a try this summer, Cheers Greg
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Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2023 at 3:31pm
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I pack them, after brined, into ziplock bags big enough for maybe a half day fishing. Take as many bags as you want but keep them frozen til you need them. So you are only using one small bag at a time. it doesn't like being thawed then frozen again - mushy. As I am sure you know. But it will keep for ages in the freezer after brining. Regards Alan
------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 15 Nov 2023 at 5:34pm
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FWIW I brine them in the fridge o/night - in a plastic container full of brine. Wit that much salt I doubt any bacterial degradation would occur o/night at ambient, but keeping it cool must help preserve it. Alan ------------- Legasea Legend member |