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Best bait for fishing for each season or month?

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=138783
Printed Date: 02 Feb 2026 at 2:12am


Topic: Best bait for fishing for each season or month?
Posted By: pedestrianfisher
Subject: Best bait for fishing for each season or month?
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2024 at 7:32am
Kia ora, what’s the best bait to use for fishing during each season or month of the year as a landbased fisher?

I’ve heard from some that pilchards are best in the summer and grey mullet is best in Autumn.

I’ve surprisingly seen a lot of fishers use raw chicken on the wharf!

Thank you!





Replies:
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2024 at 11:35am
As someone who doesn't do much bait fishing (and therefore probably not the right person to answer!), I don't imagine it makes much difference to snapper. I've seen them eat everything from dead birds to polystyrene. They even eat my metal and plastic lures occasionally. Just can't see a snapper turning it's nose up at any free meal, they are the scavengers of our ocean. I do think the various baits have different attractant properties, so oily baits like blue mackerel and skipjack tuna will put out a good scent trail. If the snapper can't find your bait, it can't eat it and that may make the difference on the day. 


Posted By: BotStomper
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2024 at 12:51pm
Fish can completely switch diet during a day, let alone a season. You should always be taking at least a couple of different types of bait with you and be prepared to change things depending on what's working on the day. There is a pretty big list of factors that are theorised to affect how fish will feed, and probably a bunch more we don't know about because we're not fish.


Posted By: Pcj
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2024 at 2:22pm
Mullet from a fish shop as its NZ,gas stationsetc use frozen from aussie and its mush.Burley is the secret.

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"Times up"


Posted By: kiwi_hunter678
Date Posted: 14 Sep 2024 at 1:41pm
Originally posted by pedestrianfisher pedestrianfisher wrote:

Kia ora, what’s the best bait to use for fishing during each season or month of the year as a landbased fisher?

I’ve heard from some that pilchards are best in the summer and grey mullet is best in Autumn.

I’ve surprisingly seen a lot of fishers use raw chicken on the wharf!

Thank you!



I see the same with people using chicken on the wharfs! 
Shocking to me, why not eat the chicken???


Posted By: Mc Tool
Date Posted: 15 Sep 2024 at 11:18am
Frozen bait should be thawed slowly .... like on a plate in the fridge ..... not at the last minute in the microwave .
 My bait  depends on whats on sale at the supermarket  , often free flow pillies  or banana prawns ( eat the tail and use the heads for bait ) and live mussels. Salted baits are ok  for a bit of variety and they keep . If your really desperate  have a look round any rocks at the ramp , we have often started the day with limpets or cats eyes . 
 Sometimes we bone out chicken  and any leftovers go in the " to be minced for berley freezer " as does pretty much anything else remotely meaty or boney.......even leftover cat food , KFC leftovers . Pig or chicken pellets are good berley too , just need to put them in a  mesh net  or just chuck em  over the side   .
 I gotta laugh at them two clowns of fishing and adventure ,  a hunk of bait that would feed a starving nation  , hooked once thru the skinny end  while Im cutting pillies in half LOL


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I wish I was young again .... Id be heaps smarter than this time


Posted By: Pcj
Date Posted: 15 Sep 2024 at 12:38pm
Nothing wrong with liver or sheep heart. Yet to try garden snails. I do know that after a dry spell snapper will venture to river mouths and feed on whats coming down the river.Only for a day or 2

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"Times up"


Posted By: Mc Tool
Date Posted: 15 Sep 2024 at 12:57pm
Ha ha , just picturing the Mrs trying to get liver on a hook.......yeah , wouldnt want to be in the same ocean let alone the same boat LOL

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I wish I was young again .... Id be heaps smarter than this time


Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 15 Sep 2024 at 5:34pm
Mullet or squid are normally good all year round baits.


Posted By: pedestrianfisher
Date Posted: 15 Sep 2024 at 9:15pm
Thanks all for the advice, looking forward to trying different baits this Spring!



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