Live baits

[Jax]

Z A Shad 2 copy.jpg


HOOK POSITION FOR BEST RESULTS



Which of the three positions in the picture is your preferred place for securing Live Bait and why??
I prefer the X point as I believe it keeps the fish “Off Balance” and it looks to be in a lot of distress. This method worked well using Pinkies when fishing for Garrick off a beach just north of the Umgeni river mouth way back when.

[Scythe]

From what little I have seen about bait fishing with livies.

a, b and a new position c, near the meaty part of the tail for when you get some toothy critter that nips the tail off as opposed to hitting the head or square on.

[Korrie]

As a young boy (4 or 5 maybe 6 years old), we went fishing with the "groot seuns en ooms" our job was to catch Pinkies for live bait.
(North pier, South pier, Durban harbour etc)
Have not heard those names, for a very long time.
Thinking back now, it was an easy way for the older chaps to keep us occupied/busy. as there were plenty Pinkies and Carrantine around.
We had a super time, continuously, catching fish. we could bait up ourselves, and just let the little reel free spool of the quay.
A couple of other fish comes to mind "moonies, angelfish.
It was probably an easy way to keep us occupied and busy, while the "big guys" got around to the serious things of fishing.

In Durban harbour, I think it was of Pier 1, there was a little cafe.
It made the best bunny chows,
If our moms did not pack lunch, the best treat, was a bunny chow, each, for my friend and I.
Thanks Tax. a super little memory trip.

I think the Umgeni river mouth is called "Blue lagoon"

PS: we use to hook the fish in "A"

[MarkK]

When fishing for live bait - mullet, moonies and the like - I prefer to hook them in the mouth. When the fly catches them outside the mouth I consider them to be foul hooked...

[gkieser]

MOst success i have had is with A.

[Ko7Ad]

When fishing for live bait - mullet, moonies and the like - I prefer to hook them in the mouth. When the fly catches them outside the mouth I consider them to be foul hooked...

I almost spat out my coffee laughing :biggrin:

Jax what is the intention of asking this question on a fly fishing forum? I am just wondering if there is some other reason than just checking how best to hook up a livey.Maybe in regards to fly action, Hook or weight positions?

Any way back to the original question. I have never been big on bait fishing, but the days that I did use live bait I always hooked them up on position A or even further back trying to force them to swim head first towards the bottom. I always used a big float to keep them suspended in the water. Works great for Kob in estuaries and very well for Bass and Tigerfish!

[Jax]

Ko7AD; Yes there was an ulterior reason for posting the Bait question on a Fly fishing Site.

Mainly I wanted to see if I would get any replies or weather I would be told it was a fly fishing site.

Glad to see the guys are broad minded and happy to play along. I guess a lot of them remember how they took up fishing in the first place.

I know I spent many hours in my younger years Fishing the North and south coasts of Natal before I took to Fly fishing in earnest.

Korrie; You have outlined my boyhood to a "T" living on the Natal coast and in Durban in particular.

[gazzarowan]

hey Jax...for me it depends on the target species...

often when fishing for Garrick, i'll use either just behind A or B (circle hook through the top jaw)
for salmon, B or top jaw
for kingies, B primarily (shad, mozzies, mackerel, bonnies)
kingies,garrick and salmon swallow baits head first so the theory is they wont feel the hook as prominently towards the tail as it folds easily against the body.
for couta, 1/0 tuna hook through top jaw/nostrils and an adjustable second hook behind A for the short bite.
pinkies usually through A
caranteen through A - but when targeting big Shad, through nose and behind A with steel wire trace

[RobG]

I would use two hooks. One at A and one at B. The other option would be a bait needle just under the skin from tail to head.

[hairyleery]

:P i also thought you'd get flak for asking this on an ff forum

When fishing livies we normally hook them through their top lip. keeps them swimming straight so more water through the gills mean they last longer.