Berley on the surface or the bottom?
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Newbies Corner
Forum Description: If you're new to fishing this is the place to ask any questions about getting started ...
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=138222
Printed Date: 29 Jan 2026 at 11:14am
Topic: Berley on the surface or the bottom?
Posted By: kiwi_hunter678
Subject: Berley on the surface or the bottom?
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2024 at 9:39pm
| Should we have the berley on the surface or on the seafloor? I generally have it on the bottom as I am snapper fishing but will sometimes have it on the surface at slack tide. Am I on the right track here or should I always float it? |
Replies:
Posted By: Pcj
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2024 at 7:42am
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Few factors in play,depth, current strength,species targeted. On the surface can disperse in tidal stream and feeding bait fish/birds,attracts kahawai/kings or the bottom or midway point targeting bottom dwellers. I havent used burley for awhile due to water temp and holding things with teeth.Why attract them  When it cools down and slow fishing.I use it about midway but fishing in sub 20m with minimal tidal strength. Have heard of some tying to anchor,did this and attracted all the lice,covered in them.Summer. Not much help am I. ------------- "Times up" |
Posted By: kitno
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2024 at 11:38am
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The depth you're fishing is a key factor. I mainly strayline anywhere up to 20m deep. Under 10m I'll have it on the surface or half a metre under. At 20 metres deep, I'll have it about 5 metres down. If snapper are feeding hard, they'll come up off the bottom to investigate. If birds are becoming a problem, surface berley needs to be deployed deeper. |
Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2024 at 12:32pm
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I don't do too much shallow fishing, but at 30m I drop it on the bottom. I am bottom fishingso am dropping it in the target zone. If I can get a decent bite without it, I don't drop. You don't get to choose what is attracted to it. Alan
------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2024 at 3:33pm
| I'm no expert, but have done OK in Whangārei Harbour with the burley just off the bottom and baits on the bottom. That said, surface burley can bring baitfish off the back of the boat and occasionally, bigger predators. I've decided to run bottom and surface burley next time. I've made a big batch of burley DIY, so cost is minimal. |
Posted By: The Tamure Kid
Date Posted: 08 Feb 2024 at 11:40am
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Some excellent input above. It's worth considering a couple of factors - such as the speed of current, and the tidal rise and fall, and weight of the berley basket. I remember reading in a good book on snapper fishing that current is usually slowest right on the bottom, so it's best to drop the bomb to the bottom and pull it up a few metres - where the current is strongest. But that approach means that in a 3m tide variation day, you should re-set the berley a few times during a session. Obviously if you have a plastic berley basket, that won't get to the bottom like a wire basket. You will likely need to use some weights - e.g. a hapuku sinker - to get it down. And the faster the current, the more weight needed to keep it vertical. And if you set berley in a strong current on the surface, the berley may never get to the bottom, rendering it a waste of time (and money). And the type of berley can make a difference. Some tries to float, while the stuff with mussel or kina shell in it sinks much faster. I was once told not to attach the berley to the anchor line as the current can take the berley in a cross direction without you realising, and if you stick to fishing out of the stern, you may completely miss the fish attracted to the berley.
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