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Freshwater Bait Fishing
| common
baits
Diag.1 Fresh Bardi grub on a No.4 to No.4/0 hook. Use "Bait mate" (Hosiery elastic) to firmly fix to hook and keep alive longer.
Diag.2 Live Yabbies are best hooked on a No.4 to 4/O hook through the end of the tail and they will stay alive indefinitely this way.
Diag.3 Freshwater shrimp can be hooked singly or for best results place 2 or 3 shrimp on the same hook. Use No.4 to No.4/0 hook depending on size of bait. common rigs
Diag.4 Running sinker with swivel, 30cm-50cm leader and a No.4 to 6/0 hooks. Use 6kg to 10kg line.
Diag.5 Running sinker No.2 to 4 on a single No.4 to 4/0 hook.
Diag.6 Patternoster Rig - Double No. 4 to 2/0 hook with a No2 to 4 bean sinker
Publications & Location guides
Geoff Wilson has a great series of little handbooks that explains myriads of knots, rigs and baits.
Another excellent publication from AFN, not only gives info on all types of fish it gives you helpful hints on where to catch how to catch and how to rig your tackle.
These 3 books would have to be a must for all Fisho's planning to fish the rivers & lakes in Victorian and border regions of NSW. Has good info on the hot spots and how to catch a fish. Great advice from some of the most experienced freshwater fisherman in S/E Aust.. River Murray Carts is a brilliant handbook a must for all Anglers who fish from Remark (SA) to Yarrawonga (Vic). Is also available from tackle shops, bookstores and department stores.
AFN Fishing maps have detailed maps of all the major rivers and water impoundments in Vic, NSW & Qld. They also give you good tips on the best spots to try and what method including where to bank fish and where the boat ramps are. A valuable tool for all fisherman. They can also be purchased in major department stores and good tackle shops.
Ode to the Angler Sitting on the bank On a river slow & grand Sitting on the bank With a rod in ones hand Oh the joy & bliss The rod twitches at the end Your heart thumps and you spring to attend I'm on, I'm on you yell And excitement starts to swell The water breaks and a tail splashes Your the happiest man by many a yard You reel your catch in & your heart you gulp It's a big'n by many a mark Only to be disappointed by a European Carp Ian Stead Copyright © 2008 by GOODOO DREAMING All rights reserved. |
Freshwater Bait Fishing Even the most adept & stubborn lure caster will at sometime or another finally mutter the words, "Enough is enough!", and succumb to the old tried & true method of fishing , and that is bait fishing. Some days a lure caster could be casting away all day at more snags that you could shake the proverbial stick at and not come up with a single hit from a fish. It is times like these that you will hear yourself mumble a few expletives and its then that you finally pack away your casting rod and gear up for some bait fishing. Even stubborn lure casters like myself do from time to time decide to give the bait a try and end up catching a fish from what would have been normally a fishless day. The natural smell & allure of live or fresh bait is irresistible to a foraging fish and creates a larger strike zone as it the can give off a trail that is easily tracked down by a hungry fish or lateral signals are sent out from struggling live bait that every fish in the area will hone in on and swallow up. There is no argument that good quality bait increases your chances of catching a fish but it's the effort of obtaining it that usually is the main drawback for fisho's who just haven't the time and even the know how to spend on bait gathering. This is the main reason why most fisho's spend countless dollars at the local tackle shop or the backyard entrepreneur which can leave you with more time to fish and not waste it looking for bait. But act of bait gathering does not have to be a chore or something that the fisho thinks is too hard as it can be just as much fun as fishing especially if you can get children involved. Kids love nothing more than to get their hands a little muddy and explore areas where they hope to find some little creatures there to catch and put in the bucket. There're fascinated about the small wriggly things and become very inquisitive and this experience is enough to keep you in good spirits and enjoy gathering bait. It is time consuming and a fair effort is needed but you will be rewarded in the end as you will have ensured yourself every chance to catch a fish as there is nothing better than freshly caught live bait to excite a strike from a fish. When fishing for natives wether it be for Murray Cod or Yellowbelly the most common bait to collect would be Bardi grubs, Yabbies, Freshwater Shrimp, Scrub worms and common garden worms. When using Freshwater Shrimp and worms, don't be afraid to put more than one on the hook and also make a mixed cocktail of both as long as their able to move and wriggle about then you have done your best. Below is a brief description on some of the ways that this live bait can be gathered and then stored so it is kept healthy and fresh for when it is needed. Bardi grub's Ask any Murray Cod fisho what's the best bait and the answer nine times out of ten would be the Bardi grub. These are found in the ground under the river gums mainly along or near the Murray River or its tributaries but they can also be found just about everywhere there is a gum tree that looses it's bark I've been told.. A little skill and old fashioned know how is needed to find these juicy morsels and once this skill is learnt you are on your way to saving yourself alot of money as they can cost as much as $1.50 to $2.50 each. The technique of finding Bardi Grubs is to scrape away the loose surface with a sharp shovel and if your in the right spot you will see the hole they dig into the ground. The old timer's who have done this for years would tap the ground over the hole or some even blow into the hole with their mouth's. Doing this gives a certain sound or resonance that will indicate wether a grub is present or not and once you have tried this a few times you will get to know the correct sound that is heard when a grub is present and yes it does work. Once the grub is thought to be there then the next task is to get it out with out damaging it and this is done quite easy if you have purchased one of the grub pullers that are available in some tackle shops. You will find most tackle shops in the country towns will have these and just ask them and they'll help you out with one. Another way is to place a small piece of ladies stocking on the end of a flexible curtain wire and feed it into the hole until it touches the grub. The idea is to give it a gentle jiggle, enough to upset the grub and it bites the stocking and gets tangled in the stocking and then withdraw it quickly enough before the grub lets go, simple yeah. Well it might take a few goes but experience will make you a champion and you will be able to confidently gather Bardi grubs in no time. The most important thing you must do once you have finished working an area is to spread the loose surface material back over the area that you have just finished working. This will ensure the local ecosystem is not disturbed too much and can go on with life for our benefit so we can come back next season and find more grubs.
Bardi grubs once gathered/bought need to be placed in a tight dark compartment just big enough to fit in. Do not put grubs together in the same compartment as they will kill each other. The best item to use would be a chocolate box or something similar and place dividers in them and line with news paper, also put small pin holes in the lid for ventilation. Once their gathered and snug tightly in their new home they will be quite happy there until it's time to use them. If your not going to use them within a week or two then you can place the container full of Bardi grubs in the bottom of the fridge for use another time. The grubs will last for a few months this way as they go into hibernation and spin themselves a web in there compartments, just tell mum what they are or you just might end up with them in your next stew. 8^) (LOL). There are other preferred ways to store your grubs for the long term although not alive, one way is to slightly boil them and then freeze. Another way is to boil/blanche them in milk until the float to the top, this apparently whitens and toughens their skins and also keeps them from turning into the awful black colour when their frozen. Also they can be pickled but they do lose their scent. But wether you buy them or gather them yourself you can be rest assured that you have the best bait available for a grumpy Murray Cod. A product called a "Bardi Sock" ( SMH Angling Solutions) is a great item to have as it keeps your grubs from being damaged by small bait fish. It's a very simple and cheap item to have in your tackle box and is quite invisible once in the water so the fish your targeting will not know any better. It's merely a small stocking that fits over the grub and hugs tightly to the grub. Your grubs will last many times longer using Bardi Socks which is another well made local Victorian product created by Stephen Harris of Rochester, Victoria. We've used the "Bardi Sock" and found that it cuts your grub losses down by 75% and this saves you alot of money if you buy them. Drop Stephen Harris an email if your interested and he'll gladly send you off some "Bardi Sock's".
Yabbies The main food source for almost all predatory freshwater fish species in the Murray-Darling Basin is the common Yabby (Cherax Destructor), so no wonder why it is the most popular bait to be gathered and used. It is relatively effortless to catch them as they are found in most waterways and farm dams. All you need is to put a bit of fatty meat in a drop net or bait trap that conforms to the fishing regulations of the state you are gathering them in and you will have enough Yabbies for your fishing trip in no time. Using a whole Yabby (Diag.2) hooked in the end of the tail on a No.4 to 4/0 hook depending on the size of the Yabby, with a No.2 to 4 ball running sinker right to the hook (Diag.5) on a 6kg to 10kg leader of about 50cm-60cm long attached to a swivel. This rig is what is most commonly used in the Murray River and is most reliable way of of catching a Murray Cod or Yellowbelly. Another method used is to drop an unweighted Yabby directly off the side of the boat and bob it up and down slowly. If the river current is too strong put a sinker on (Diag.5) to help keep it down in the strike zone. When you have a day when it seems that you'll be going home empty handed and the fish don't want to bite, try using a peeled Yabby tail and that just might be what's needed to get the fish interested. Some cunning fisho's I know crush a few yabbies up in a berley bucket and lower into the water and this gives off a berley trail even the most laziest fish could not resist. Yabbies are best kept live and well in a dark well ventilated & drained box (made of waterproof material) but do not keep them in water as this will increase their death rate. Some of the best ideas I have seen are containers usually lined with damp Hessian or even heavy duty fly wire mesh at the base of the box and occasionally splash a little water on them to keep them moist and do not feed them. And most importantly, keep them in a cool & shaded area and they will last for days. If you would like to learn a little more about the humble Yabby and its immediate family click here to go to a great website called Crayfish World. Freshwater Shrimp Freshwater Shrimp are to be gathered the same way as Yabbies except that just by using a small bar of pure soap in the bait traps will be all that is needed to collect large quantities of Shrimp. Bait them the same way as Yabbies but down size the hook to about a No.2 to 1/0 according to the bait size. You can also put 2 to 4 shrimp on the one hook or peeled Shrimp tails. Scrub worms Scrub worms are another top bait to catch a Murray Cod or Yellowbelly, they are found in plentiful numbers along the Murray Darling basin. The best place to look for these huge greyish worms are along the moist edges of the backwaters or lagoons near where there is still water. The common place they are found is usually on a slightly sloping edge of the water where there is a good covering of leaf and water weed mulch in blackish soils. In summer months it becomes a little harder to find them but they are still available in large numbers even at the height of summer. Looking under rotting wood and plant matter is another place they are found as long as the soil is moist and not wet or water logged. The scrub worms once placed on the hook which need to be hook a few times due to their size will exude a sticky fluid and have a smell of their own which the fish, especially Yellowbelly find rather attractive. Use a No.2 to 2/0 hook and try any one of the rigs in Diag.4,5 & 6. Garden worms The old common garden worms would have to be the most universal bait in the world and they are no exception with our native freshwater fish here either. You will catch many Murray Cod and Yellowbelly on garden worms but you need to present them in a way that the fish find them attractive. On a No.1 to 4 size hook bunch a half a dozen worms on the one hook as the bigger presentation the better to grab their attention. Many experienced Yellowbelly fisho's love to do this but also place a couple of freshwater shrimp on the same hook as well and this is a very productive way of catching them. Use the rigs in Diag's. 4,5 & 6. The only draw back is that you will no doubt draw alot of attention from Carp which is good because everyone caught is one less in our water ways. Garden worms too are a great bait for Silver Perch in some area's. Just remember they are protected in some waterways so consult the relevant fishing regulations for that state. Unusual/Uncommon Baits Now this is a subject that has always been an intriguing one for me as over the years I have sat and listened to many an angler tell of how he caught his big fish and usually it would be by some unusual or unthought of way. I know for a fact that some of the more commonly used "unusual" and/or "uncommon" baits used while fishing for Murray Cod are pieces of cooked sausage and other meats like chicken, beef & lamb. I have used some of these methods before and have found them to be very effective whilst bait soaking at night. The reason why these are used is mainly thought that the fatty meat baits attract alot of shrimp and yabbies around your hook which intern gain the attention of a night foraging Murray Cod. Another bait that has been used in the Murray River region is the humble boiled egg on a rather large hook. The theory behind this is that Murray Cod are known for taking bird eggs that fall into the river so why shouldn't the humble chook egg do the same. From what I have been told it does work. I suppose the idea is even more re-affirmed as it is very common to find golf balls in the belly of Murray Cod where golf courses are close to the river in places like Yarrawonga, Victoria. I'm sure most would have heard of the same or similar stories and thought to yourself that it was a bit odd but maybe worth a try. So don't discount anything until you have given it a go and you might in fact surprise yourself and get good results by using some new unorthodox method. Tips on bait fishing the Murray River The Murray river is a picturesque and peaceful place to relax and do a spot of fishing, it's very calming to the sole while you sit back on the bank with your fishing rod and take in the surroundings. But fishing this majestic river can be a little tricky and many inexperienced anglers make a few fundamental mistakes when fishing this waterway. Since most of the river is used for some form of irrigation the strength and the speed to which the water in this river travels when irrigating is in full flight is quite remarkable. When this river is at it's peak it will drag some of the biggest river sinkers along with it and under snags making it near impossible to retrieve your line let alone catch a fish. The best way to combat this is not to use ball or roundish sinkers, try using the half sphere type sinkers that are totally flat on one side and you will find that your rig will stay where you left it and this will decrease snagging and make your day a whole lot more productive and pleasurable. Another common mistake to trap young anglers is that they tend to cast there line out toward the middle of the river or there abouts. To understand why this is not very productive you need to understand the fish you are targeting. All native freshwater fish in the Murray River are known to be quite lazy and during daylight hours they tend to lie in wait for their meal to come to them. They are more or less an opportunistic fish that generally point themselves into the slowest part of the current under some form of cover, usually a snag, undercut or rock so they do not waste their energy. These types of places are usually found closer to the banks under large Red gums that look like their about to fall in the river. With this in mind it is easily understood as to why it is best to fish the first 3 to 5 metres from the bank and you will find a much improved catch rate. It is best to use a reasonably heavy line around 6kg to 8kg, this will help to bring your fish in a little quicker and avoid them heading for the snags and loosing your catch. It will also allow you to cause the fish the least amount of stress if you catch an undersize fish or if you want practice catch & release or more importantly if you catch a Murray Cod in the closed season which is Sept-Nov. Try not to reef too hard on your line but be firm and get your catch in as quick as possible and with the smallest amount of stress on the fish. This can not be stressed enough if you hook up on a large Murray Cod and you intend on releasing it. The quicker you get it in the better the chances of a healthy released fish. Fishing rods best suited to fishing the Murray river should be around the 4kg to 6kg strength with a good quality reel that is well maintained and in good condition. The baitcaster type reels are well suited to fishing the Murray river and if you hook up on a good sized Murray Cod you will be thankful of the day you were advised to buy a good quality baitcaster reel. Get yourself a good strong fishing rod holder that is held firmly in the ground and most importantly ensure your drag setting on the reel is not left too tight when your rod is left unattended or otherwise it will be dragged into the river and never be seen again. Try and get in the habit of taking fish that are table quality only and take only what you need for a meal and no more. A table quality fish is of small to medium size that adheres to the state fishing regulations, any undersize fish are to be returned to the water unharmed. Any Murray Cod over 70cm is not what I would call a quality table fish and should be returned as well as any Yellowbelly that are over 45cm should also be returned as they are too fatty and have a muddy taste. It's good practice to use catch & release methods on the larger fish as these are the main breeders and they will ensure the future fish stocks will be there for us to fish for in the years to come. When you think about it watching some bloke stagger into the local pub with a huge Murray Cod in his arms just so he can boast to his mates that he caught it saddens me as this fish will just end up in the bin as its meat quality is not of any value. Trophy catching Murray Cod is a thing of the past these days as replica fibreglass moulds are used and can look better than the original hung up on your wall. These large fish are much better left in the river than being paraded by an angler that has an ego bigger than the fish although sadly you may find that once a large Murray Cod is brought in the fight is too much for them and they do no recover but at least your conscience knows that you tried your best. In closing ensure you have a good seat, plenty of sun cream on, a good wide brimmed hat, Polaroid glasses and a strong landing net with a good long handle as the banks are often very steep and difficult to get down to the waters edge. Try to use a landing net that will not be too abrasive on your catch because if you plan to release it a rough net will remove the very important slime covering that fish have. This slime covering is an important part of the fish's health as it protects it from parasites and disease. One of the saddest parts of some good fishing area's is the amount of litter that is left behind by other anglers and recreational users. It's impossible to count the times I've arrived at one of my favourite destinations only to find it left with bait containers, food wrappers, empty drink bottles and cans, it's just appalling. So don't forget to take any rubbish home with you and try and leave the site as you found it or even better do as I do and take some of the rubbish that was there before you got there from some other careless people and you will be proud of yourself knowing you are a contributor to a better environment and better fishing. If you use all this as a guide you are well on your way to becoming a regular fisho and will enjoy fishing for our native freshwater fish for the rest of your life. But remember, we have been given the job of caretakers of this experience so do your best to conserve what parts of it you can and there will be much joy to pass down from generation to generation. Cheer's & hope you can all experience the GOODOO DREAMING
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Or go to the GOODOO DREAMING homesnag
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A WEBSITE FOR THE MURRAY COD ENTHUSIAST |
Copyright © 2001 by GOODOO
DREAMING All rights reserved.
Revised: 13 Mar 2008
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