livies Slimies & Yakkas vs. Sweep etc

[MainframeJames]

Hi Raiders,

I've been reading through threads about catching live bait and I see a lot of negative press for sweep and diamondfish and pretty much anything else that isnt a slimy or yakka. I think the obvious assumption I can make is that other types of fish don't make good live bait, but I find myself curious as to why. I would very much appreciate some commentary or insight about this. For the purposes of this question I'm ignoring worms, prawns, nippers, etc. 

1. For live bait, is the preference roughly slimies > yakkas > poddies?

2. Why is this so, outside of the assumption that it's because they work the best? (It doesn't matter why they work so much as knowing that they do, but enquiring minds and so forth...)

[xerotao]

All depends on the target species. Iv personally never used sweep as live bait

i have used mullet and herring for jewies in the estuary systems

also seen a kingie take a live trevally set out as live bait

[geshy]

pike/herring i once ha a big flattie smash a trumpeter 

[rickmarlin62]

Ive caught longtails on mados an sweep

[PaddyT]

Sweep are a very secret weapon for jew off the rocks and beach, Nth Narrabeen special. There is no "perfect " livebait, some days  fish want slime, some days yakka's, some days you cant get livies. Just stick a hook through it and go for it. Killed a striped marlin a couple of years back that we caught on a lure and it was chockers with leatherjackets- fish eat fish

[Matt]

Used to Sweep a lot for John Dory (and Mado's) and caught more Johnies on those than I ever did on Yakka's or Slimies.   I think anglers just get caught up using Yakka's and slimies at times.  Another gun tactic we used to use (not any more, not legal) is undersize Sand Whiting for big Flathead.

 

Cheers

Windy

[rickmarlin62]

Trumpeter are excellent for flatties

[Scratchie]

I often use whiting and tailor for Jew. A slimie head for snapper is a gun bait. I also use bonito for kings and marlin! As paddyT said, fish eat fish! 

Cheers scratchie!!! 

[MainframeJames]

5 hours ago, Matt said:

Used to Sweep a lot for John Dory (and Mado's) and caught more Johnies on those than I ever did on Yakka's or Slimies.   I think anglers just get caught up using Yakka's and slimies at times.  Another gun tactic we used to use (not any more, not legal) is undersize Sand Whiting for big Flathead.

 

Cheers

Windy

 

Would it hold for all species that if there's a minimum size limit you can't use small ones for bait? Poddies, for instance, are very small mullet, right? 

[Matt]

12 hours ago, MainframeJames said:

 

Would it hold for all species that if there's a minimum size limit you can't use small ones for bait? Poddies, for instance, are very small mullet, right? 

I am pretty sure that the regulations for size limits are 'in possession' so using an undersize fish for bait is illegal.  Having said that, I do believe there are allowances for Poddy Mullet in particular for bait use.  But in my example where I used to use live, undersize Whiting it would be illegal.

I remember the howls of protest when they introduced size limits on Tailor meaning no one could use small Tailor as bait anymore (another gun bait, but very hard to keep alive).

As always, best to check fisheries for exact rulings.

 

Cheers

Windy

[xerotao]

 

13 hours ago, MainframeJames said:

 

Would it hold for all species that if there's a minimum size limit you can't use small ones for bait? Poddies, for instance, are very small mullet, right? 

Only took me a quick look at the nsw fisheries size guide to find find sizing for mullet.

and yes poodies are small mullets

https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/fishing-rules-and-regs/saltwater-bag-and-size-limits

 

[PaddyT]

big bait, big fish. 

[Captain Spanner]

I think yakkas and slimies are probably more popular because they are readily accessible and handle heavy current and being slow trolled. It is also about maximising your chances on what you think the fish would prefer. Fish will eat fish but they often prefer certain types. I would pick a slimy, over a small yakka over a large yakka or sweep or mado out of habit. I would try whatever you can get and whatever is around. Kingies are often following schools of sweep and mados around the bait grounds, probably because they feed on them.

[campr]

I belive any small live fish of legal size is usually better than a dead bait.  When using undersize poddy mulet don't forget you must keep them alive as you can be fined if caught with dead ones.

Dont be afraid of using large baits either.  This can reduce the number of small fish you catch, but you get more big ones.  As examples, last year I dropped a near metre flathead next to my boat when it let go of a 40cm flathead I  had hooked and 2 months ago I caught and released an 80cm flatty that took a live 40cm mullet I had set out for a mulloway.  My preferred baits are sqid, slimies, yakkas, pike legal size tailor and mullet in that order due to their availability and ease of keeping alive if you have a decent size recirculating live bait tank.  But as I said, if nothing else available I will use anythinglive and legal.

[macca02]

Sweep can be a real pain in some locations when attempting to catch Yakkas for livebaits.
If you can't get any Yakkas or Slimies and you're catching sweep then i'd use them for livebait. My thinking is that a more torpedo/slimline shaped fish like a yakka or slimy would be much easier to eat/swallow for a predatory fish, as opposed to something that has a taller body shape & protruding fins.

That being said if a fish is hungry its going to eat! i've caught rat kings when retrieving reef fish (angel fish, or something similar) which were hooked on a bait/sabiki jig.