Bait fishing

Editor note: Pete Lamb operates Pete Lamb Fishing Charters, and runs a bait and tackle shop out of Wellington. He’s fished the Wellington region for most of his life and knows just about every place that holds fish in the region like the back of his hand. Pete is a land based and surf casting specialist, but also runs a charter operation that targets the main coastal areas on the south and west coast. He’s learned a hell of a lot over the years, and like all good fishermen is still learning every day. He is most always happy to share information to help you get a better fishing experience if you rock up to his shop in Rongotai. Here’s Pete’s top tips for targeting arguably NZ’s favourite fish, the good old snapper.

Although the world seems to have turned to fishing with lures, there are still those among us that just prefer using good old bait! Going into winter is a time where I believe that the good old stink of a bit of fish, the natural food of...well, fish, will do the job as good or better than anything else. Here's a few tips to putting more fish in the bin.

Anyone can slap a bait on a dropper rig and catch a fish, but there is absolutely no question that some anglers have a lot more success than others. How do they do it? I believe the most important aspect of bait fishing is choosing the right rig for the conditions. How you tie a rig, how you present the bait, the size and quality of your hooks and your choice of sinker size all have an important bearing on the outcome.

It might be easy to buy yourself a bag of bait from your local store but catching baits can yield much better results in deep water

Whether to use a long trace, a sinker on the bottom, a floating bait or a soft bait; these are the questions facing the snapper fisherman every time he heads out on to the water. Geoff Thomas looks at the different methods and the tackle and when we use them.

Most serious rock fishos only feel comfortable when they have a soupy brew fanning out into the depths. Tom Lusk gives us his favourite recipes that the fish will love. The principle is simple: bring the fish from far and wide with delicious oily smells and fragments then get them in the mood to feed, so that when they see your bait drifting along, they won’t be able to resist.

When fishing for kingfish from the rocks or in the boat, fresh live baits are always welcomed as the best offering for the kings. But the kahawai, piper or mackerel that are favoured do not always play ball and can prove frustrating to catch. There are some tricks that will help put the livie on the end of your kingfish tackle.

Here's how to rig a whole pilchard, both head first, and tail first.

No one likes to be a one-trick pony. Read part one of our nine part series bait guide.

A very popular and effective way to catch snapper for many people—especially novice and young anglers. Check out this quick and easy way to improve it, adding a new dimension—who knows where it might lead.

A great rig for days when the fish are present but the bites not strong. Application: Straylining with various weights, running sinker rig, bottom fishing.

Part three in our bait guide. Time to step up and try a Pilchard / Squid Hybrid. Application: Straylining with various weights, running sinker rig, bottom fishing.

This piper rig is deadly on kingfish. As a technique it is the first step in the process of mastering more advanced slow-troll baits and pitch baits. Application: Any situation where the alternative would be a popper or stickbait – ideal for kingfish around structure.

With all the advancements in artificial lures over recent years, many fishers have abandoned their trusty bait gear. But bait fishing is still a great way to catch fish and, as John Durrant discovered, there’s a few advancements in the traditional methods too. Flash lures and scent-infused softbaits are all fishos seem to talk about these days.

The authors favourite straylined snapper bait. Application: Any situation where the alternative would be a straylined pilchard.

Slide baiting is an awesome way to target big predatory species such as kingfish and snapper from shore. Beach, rocks or even from the wharf, this is a very effective and clever way to get you live bait out way further than you could normally cast. Check out our Aussie mates for a few pointers.