Live Bait Rigging

[Mindi]

Can someone advise how best to rig live bait for snapper or trout off the sunshine coast in 30-50M water around reefs. Comfortable with strips and drifting whole pillies but never sure how to get livies down effectively and how to hook them for best results.

[Pete62]

Mindi, our method for livies on the bottom is for smaller ones a circle hook through the bridge of the nose, 3 way swivel or a padanoster dropper with about 2 mtrs down to the sinker.
Bigger baits, same rig but with 2 hooks snelled, front one through the nose and the stinger in the tail wrist, small amount of slack between the hooks so the bait can swim uninpeeded.

Cheer's Pete.

[nickstock]

Live bait always seems to catch the bigger trout for me. In most cases, the bigger the live bait the bigger the trout.

I hope this helps you,

This is my basic rig for Trout - TLD 25, 15kg Berley Jig Stick, 80 pound braid, 2 meter wind on leader of 80 pound mono with a large ball sinker sitting on top of a 8/0 tuna circle, with a 15 - 20 cm livie hooked either through the nose or just behind the head/ neck area.

I seem to have a better strike rate with the bigger baits hooked behind the head but anything under say 15 cms, they woof the whole thing down anyway

It may sound over kill but I have been bricked by large Trout and Cod at night on it. Many people don't relise just how big Trout can get. I was one of these people until a mate showed me video footage of a genuine 25 kgs plus Trout he videoed wilst diving about 300kms off Gladstone. Although I have never landed anything close to that size they take some pulling to get off the bottom.

During the day I use a 4500 Baitrunner, 10 - 15kg Live Fibre, 50 pld braid , 50 pound mono leader and a sinker small enough to get the livie to the bottom but not too big. I have caught some nice Spangleds off Sunshine Reef using this rig.

I have found for smaller Trout - 40 - 50 cms , you can;t go past using the above rig (daytime) with half a pillie or strip of Trevally or Mackeral bloodlines.

Try and fish as light as you can for Snapper, they seem a bit more picky then the old Box Headed Trout.


Trout are the only fish that I usually keep. As a chef, I think that not only are they the best fish to eat but they are also brilliant cook . If only the 25 knot winds would bugger of in the next few weeks as I am almost out of Trout in the freezer.

I love Trout so much my boat is named after them - Blue Spot!

This Footballer downed a 25 cms Hussar fished on the bait runner rig, but it was mid water trying to catch a Spaniard. The fish was only about 65 cms from memory and that live bait was hooked behing the head.

Good luck mate and keep us posted on the outcome.

Nick

[Mindi]

Thanks Nick ...very helpful ..so you are saying just a plain running ball sinker sitting virtually on top of the livie's head (resting on the hook) ..? it doesnt put the target fish off..?...something that simple cant possibly work...hahaha

[nickstock]

lol

I find it to be the best method. One of the best things about it is the lack of snags you will get. Once snagged, just jiggle the rod up and down a few time and often the sinker dis lodges the hook from the coral.

Fish as light as possible (sinker weight wise) but obviously using a 500 gram lives requires some lead to hold it down in the strike zone.

[Mindi]

Nick also I agree on eating, in my opinion once you have eaten trout it's all downhill from there but I know lots disagree. How do you recommend cooking them to keep the delicacy of the flesh..? I came up here from Melb where people fall over themselves to eat farmed plate size barra that taste like the pellets they have been raised on....and they overlook local fish like rockling and genuine flake. There is a lot of nonsense talked about the eating qualities of fish IMHO

[nickstock]

I couldn't agree more mate. Farm barra is on par with that Freshwater Basa rubbish that used to be flogged off as Silver Dory.

First I portion the Trout fillet into 200 gram pieces ( about the size and thickness of a ciggy packet). Like all meats, fish should not be cooked cold or straight from the fridge. Pull out your fillets about 30 mins prior to cooking them.

With all fish, season moderately with sea salt and pepper., I pre heat an oven to about 240 degs cel. I then heat a thick based frying pan pan over gas cooktop untill the pan is smoking hot. Add oil, (carefully) and cook skin side first.

(I like Trout to be cooked with the skin on as it tastes good when its crispy and it also protects the fillet from drying out.)

Cook for about 3 minutes on the skin side, them flip for about two minutes on the other side.

I then put the pan into the hot oven for approx 3-5 mins (obviously dont use a plastic handled pan lol). This ensures that the fillet is cooked evenly through out but does not allow it to go dry.

Take the pan out of the oven and let it rest for a few mins.

It will be the tastiest, moist fillet of fish you will ever eat!

With trout (most tropical fish actually) I like to serve it with asian vege or a light salad ect.

For southern fish or more meaty fish (Snapper , Jewie , Barra) I like a more hearty meal - creamy mash , garlic beans, wilted rocket ect.

For Pelagics (Wahoo, Yellow fin Tuna, Marlin, Mahi Mahi, Marlin) I like also like a lighter meal like Trout but nothing beats fresh sashimi!

Hope this helps mate.

Nick