Printable View
I have only ever tried live baits a few times and never had any bites so what is the go?
How do you catch live baits?
What fish work best?
How do you rig em?
When to live bait and when not to ?
What depths and current levels is it effective/practical to do?
He meant to say "For Flounder" :O_O:
You can catch small mullet just inside the cut anchor in front of the jetty, easy peasy
Some of my mates livebait along the boulder bank using 6lb KY's and do OK on Kingis
Snapper and Kings Maca ;) and anything else likely to take a live bait..... those fish with a target on the side take live baits dont they?Quote:
Originally Posted by Maca49
Hook size and how are they hooked up? any sinker?Quote:
Originally Posted by mikee
10/0 hooked thru the back under a small balloon, no sinker. I have also tried mullet livies out front of Okiwi trying to catch my favourite species (JD) and still trying not caught one yetQuote:
Originally Posted by veitnamcam
Most fish will eat another fish 10%their own weight was the rule of thumb we would use. 5lb kahawhai would be targeted for 50lb+ kingi's and Marlin for example. Some fish are more resilient than others for live bait. Piper were atrocious but koheru and kahawhai awesome. Smaller mackerels and the like were best hooked through the nose. I had best results with larger bait hooked in the scruff of the neck inline and just forward of the dorsal. I never liked the hook laying horizontally, especially hooks with an offset. 9/0 Gamakatsu's were my go to.
Let the fish take the bait before setting. They will often slam the lively and run, then turn and swallow. This would take a good 10-20 seconds at times. Most of my live baiting was surface fishing under a float (balloon). John Dories were suckers for anything on the bottom.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
So how deep are the JDs? do you use a sinker to get the bait down?
No idea what livies you have down here bro. Trick with rigging for kings is to go forward from the point of entry with the hook on the back, the kings swallow head first so you don't want the hook hindering them getting it in there mouth. Snapper just fucking wrangle them from wherever they grab em so not too much of an issue. It does change how you strike/load up though.
We use a decent size ball sinker when dropping onto pins 50+M deep. Basically count a second for each metre you want the drop to meet the school.
Drew this epic illustration for you bro :thumbsup:
Attachment 41175
Or bridle rig em but its a lot of mucking around for bugger all gain imo
Thats a good pic cheers Gibo
Little cod are like lolly pops for JDs, almost as good as baby snapper (had to be said). JDs are hard case to catch, the rod just bends in half and if your not on to it you will think its dundees lost gumboot
I was going to put baby snaps too!Quote:
Originally Posted by Gibo
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Got a picture of that?Quote:
Originally Posted by Gibo
JD often hang around structure such as warfe piles, specially in the dark. Ambush them with a Livy suspended under a float with a decent light source shining straight at it from above.
Johnnies are seldom deep. I've only found them in close around a bit of structure/kelp.Quote:
Originally Posted by veitnamcam
Yes to the sinker.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
How's your sewing?Quote:
Originally Posted by veitnamcam
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Its sad but true, its the little tackers that you don't know are on there. Have caught a few on softbaits but not as guaranteed as the real thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by kiwijames
With string normally. I dont bother with this trick anymore
Attachment 41177
For marlin i use a cable tie with a rubber docking ring on it. Can rig the skippys up and chuck em in the tubes. When youre ready just hook through the ring and in she goes. The cable tie gets pulled up tight. Them rings are tough as fuck but a marlin with ping a fish off em if you dont give them enough slack line
Attachment 41178
Did you get the wairoa wonder to draw those for you by any chance?
He wishes he had these skills!!
I was wondering the very same thing !!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Pengy
I use kahawai that I catch on lures
I keep them alive in my tuna tube and stack them in up to 10 at a time
a hook just in front of their top fin the size of the hook depends on the size of the live bait I use both J hooks and circles both work with the J hooks getting spat a little less often
its a ton of fun watching a kingfish climb all over a live bait
If im slow trolling then I hook them in the top lip In their mouth and out the top
or use a zip tie as above
I have had no success with docking rings as they dont seem to release as needed when the fish is swallowed and all you get is a scaled kahawai
so Im going to change to rubber bands
tow them just in gear as slow as your boat will go along edges of rocks, harbour mouths, or shallow structure
Ideally i have a live bait rigged and ready to pitch at a moments notice
If you want to target deeper fish or structure bridle rig and put a large ball sinker on the top of the hook
they go straight down then
bridle rigging makes the fish last alot longer meaning you need alot less live baits which is great when they are hard to catch, so its worth learning
easiest way is big zip ties cut on an angle to make them sharp forced thru the cartilage between the eyes without puncturing the eyes then attach a rubber band to that
and loop the rubber band directly to your hook
when the kingii takes the bait give him plenty of time in freespool or very light drag to swallow it otherwise you will pull the fish out of his mouth
Im moving toward setting the net deep the night before and getting the mullet out of the net still alive so I dont have to muck around chasing kahawai around
it hasnt quite worked as planned just yet
A sweet trick I learnt was if you have live piper and shit loads of kingis around. Run a long, thin bait needle down their spine. They don't live long like this but it doesn't matter much cause any kingi will be crawling over each other to eat the piper doing the funky chicken.
Whats a bait needle?
Exactly what it sounds like. A biggish sewing needle for 'sewing' your bait fish onto the hookQuote:
Originally Posted by Gibo
Buy Live Bait Needle Pack online at Marine-Deals.co.nz
Ok it is just that :D
I just go to a sewing shop, anything fishing costs extra, same with bobbin for pr knots
I just use the $2 ball of rubber bands from the warehouse.
Bit like bait elastic from sport shop, hank of cotton from The $2 Shop works fine.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gibo
The fishing.net site is a good resource:
Livebait:
Livebait - The Fishing Website
Slide baiting:
Slide Baiting in the surf - The Fishing Website
Fark that would hurt so much your nose would run:oQuote:
Originally Posted by Gibo
Dont tell the greenies bro, fish go through more trauma than any pig getting rag dolled by dogsQuote:
Originally Posted by Maca49
We use jock Stuarts for grouper they are tuff little buggers drop them in 100-120 meters of water with a 30oz sinker on & it has little effect on them some last 3 or 4 drops.
