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 The diet of Australia’s larger, predatory fish comprises many of the smaller baitfish, so livies are a top offering for many hunted fish. There is practically no limit to the kinds of fish that can be used as live bait to catch other bigger fish. Bonito, luderick, mackerel, mullet, anchovies, pilchards, trevally tailor, tuna, garfish and yellowtail are just a small segment of the more common baitfish. However, choosing the bait is only half the problem. The way these fish are offered on the hook and their overall state of vigour and appearance can be of vital importance when live...

  Snapper can be found dwelling in and around shallow and deep reefs, with a particular liking to rubbly grounds, within the sheltered bays and also in the deeper offshore systems.  A snapper’s diet consists of octopus, mussels, crustaceans, squid and small fish like bluebait, whitebait and pilchards.  Additionally, Snapper have a special taste for prawn. This is a very inexpensive and accessible bait for all anglers around Australia.  Snapper are a grazing fish and usually feed whilst they are on the move. This principle is true for both their feeding habits, snapper feed on the bottom for Octopus, crab...

Getting the best from cut fish baits is a rudimentary saltwater fishing proficiency. There are all sorts of common baits, and just about any fish can be used for cut bait. Nevertheless, as with most things, some work better than others. The soft, oily fleshed species are usually the favoured target of most fish, so it stands to reason that those sorts of baits will work best. Fish like small tuna, slimy mackerel, yellowtail, mullet, herring, tailor and bonito are among the finest cut bait contenders. The Basics The secret of using fish baits is in how they are cut and...

I’m sure we have no disagreement that fresh, natural baits provide any angler with a positive head start in the pursuit for a desired species of fish. Essentially all shellfish make excellent offerings for estuary and inshore varieties, in southern states. Shallow, featureless and frequently turbulent stretch of sand running from Victoria, South Australian and Western Australia is home to one of the most popular baits in those state. These meaty little bivalves are plentiful between the high and low tide marks on some beaches, where they hideaway beneath the surface whilst nourishing on microscopic organisms. An average pipis measures...

  For the surf anglers, there’s nothing rather like that first sight of silver as a defeated mulloway appears from the crashing waves. It’s a spectacle that makes all the lengthy, isolated nights on the sand seem meaningful. The mulloway is a adaptable fish in many ways. It is similarly at home in the shore, around offshore reefs and ruins, and in the estuary. Nevertheless, catching it in these three locations often demands an assortment of methods and tactics.  The capture of a big specimen from the coastline at night is the definitive desire of most surf anglers, but it...