Hook styles that could be use are Owner Mutu Light Circle, SSW Cutting Point & EBI Baitholder Hooks when fishing for bream, flathead, mulloway, trevally, snapper and many other saltwater fish species. Make sure the hook point and barb are protruding out of the bait.
What size hooks for pilchards?
You’ll need different sizes depending on the baits you’re using, however a 4/0 or 5/0 will suit most pilchards. These rigs are also easier to store than normal gangs and you can fold them up and wrap them in alfoil.
Where do I hook pilchards?
With a light current or drift, hook pilchards through the breast. This causes the bait to swim down about 6 to 8 feet and away from the boat. Hooking the pilchard through the back, just behind the dorsal fin, keeps the bait upright and splashing at the surface while dangled from a kite.
Can you use canned sardines as bait?
Only fresh pilchards are worth using as bait, as frozen or tinned pilchards are too soft to use. Sometimes sardines are sold as fresh fillets which have been washed and cleaned. These should be avoided as bait, as the washing process removes the blood and scent which attracts fish to the bait.
What is a paternoster rig?
The paternoster rig is a multi-hooked bottom fishing rig best used from an anchored boat or a pier when there’s not much tide running. Slack line should be avoided with this rig, as a biting fish will feel the resistance of the lead and drop the bait, long before it can be registered at the rod tip.
Are frozen pilchards good bait?
2. Frozen pilchards are a top frozen bait for Tailor, Salmon, Bream, Trevally, Squire and other reef species.
What fish can you catch on pilchards?
Hook styles that could be use are Owner Mutu Light Circle, SSW Cutting Point & EBI Baitholder Hooks when fishing for bream, flathead, mulloway, trevally, snapper and many other saltwater fish species. Make sure the hook point and barb are protruding out of the bait.
How do you attach sardines to a hook?
Choose a sharp knife and cut the tail of a sardine fish. The cut section should measure between 2 and 3 inches. Now use your favorite hook and try to thread the whole tail, side to side. In other words, you need to fully penetrate the tail and not only hook the topmost flesh.
How do you salt sardines for bait?
Badly damaged pilchards can be chopped into bait size pieces, either cubes or half pillies. Put a layer of salt in the bottom of a small container or clip seal bag and then place the pieces in. Fill the rest of the container or bag with salt, give it a shake to make sure all the pilchards are covered and then seal.
How long should a paternoster rig be?
When chasing leatherjackets in the estuaries the main thing I found when using this rig is that you need to keep the overall length of the rig to about half the length of the rod you are using and that the distance that the hook (number 8 to 12 long shanked hook) is away from the main line is no more than 12cm.
Why is a Paternoster lift so called?
The name paternoster – Latin for “our father” – is a reference to one of the prayers said by Catholics using rosary beads, which are meditatively passed through the hand, just as the cabins are in perpetual motion around the shaft.
What’s the best bait for mullet?
bread
Depending on where you fish, bread is without doubt the best bait for mullet. Some areas they will feed on fish bait, but in the main lumps of dough are the winners. Bread is not only the perfect hook bait, it’s also great for groundbaiting.
What is a ganged hook?
Ganged hooks are an excellent way of presenting whole fish or long strip baits, with good hook coverage throughout. The number of hooks in a gang and how they are rigged though, really depends on the target species.In tropical Queensland a whole wolf herring is arguably the best Spanish dead bait going around.
How long do frozen pilchards last?
They keep for a few months partially salted and fully salted can be stored in a freezer for at least 12 months.
How do you defrost pilchards?
Defrosting pilchards in the motor well or bucket on the way out fishing is a sure way to end up with soft or mushy bait. Defrost frozen baits slowly to ensure they retain their firmness. The best method is to wrap your bait up in 3-4 sheets of newspaper and leave it out to defrost overnight.
Do snapper eat pilchards?
The smaller pinky snapper will take a bait all year round and are the best eating as they are the perfect pan size. Best baits are pilchards or squid and for for best results, try a paternoster rig or a running sinker with your bait.
How much do pilchards cost?
Live bait – delivered or picked up
Pilchards are $20.00 per dozen.
What are IQF pilchards?
IQF stands for individually quick frozen.
What fish can you catch with whitebait?
Some big flounder, snapper, shovel nose sharks,, bream, whiting an array of species all on whitebait.
Is whitebait good bait?
Sprats were once a popular food fish in the UK, and seem to be undergoing something of a revival with many supermarkets now selling this species fresh on their fish counters, often under the name whitebait. Although little used, sprats are cheap and easily available and can be a useful and effective sea angling bait.
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