anthman Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 (edited) Hi all, I've been berleying for the last few months with chicken pellets, soaked in tuna oil and occasionally mixed with old bait scraps (yabbies, fish frames) and sometimes cat food. I've been using a metal berleying cage that I lower based on current (fast current = deeper placement, slow current = shallower placement). I every now and again give it shake to release a berleying "cloud". Pretty consistently, bait fish will often swarm around (which might be useful for attracting kingies but maybe not right now in the cooler weather). This has caused many yakka to take our unweighted baits - even when cast out 10-15m into the berleying trail (where of course they are, aswell). Very annoying. My primary target is snapper - what's the best way and content to berley? I'm thinking of still using the metal berley pot with fish scraps and some pilchard and slimy bits. No pellets (to avoid the yakka) and maybe throw out a few tiny (i.e. 1cm squared) pilchard and slimy cubes at the beginning... I'm fishing in 10-12m, over rocky terrain (will also try sow and pigs again). Edited August 10, 2018 by anthman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kracka Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Sounds like a solid burley mix mate. I would throw a yakka out on another rod as kingies are still around. You can still focus on snapper using your main rod. If it's slow current with some structure u might get lucky with a JD too! I encountered the same issue when fishing around middle harbour. Burlying heavily will attract everything - bait fish especially and the pelagics too. But it's the bait fish that will steal your bait first! So now I burley lightly with the trimmings off whatever bait I'm using at the time. Usually prawn shells if using prawns. Pillie heads or tails tips if using pillies. Squid skin and guts if using squid strips. Mix whichever with some moist sand and it works well. Since you're using a cage which is great also, you might want to make a "mash" of everything in an old ice-cream tub and freeze it. Chuck into the cage and it'll slowly thaw out and disperse. I would also minus the tuna oil as I've found that attracts a lot less baitfish. Hope that helps u out. Tight lines Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoingFishing Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 You also have the option of making your baits bigger to "outlast" the pickers and allow enough time for your target species to find the bait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharknett Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Snapper will eat a live bait so always worth having one on the bottom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berleyguts Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 1 hour ago, GoingFishing said: You also have the option of making your baits bigger to "outlast" the pickers and allow enough time for your target species to find the bait. Slimey heads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Some great advice on this thread! On the occasion that I do anchor and use bait, I will berley a consistent flow of fish scraps and heavily around the boat (berley pot) Then I’ll use either unweighted slimie heads or lightly weighted slimie fillets and cast 20-30m behind the boat. The heads will stop the pickers and the fillets if large enough will eventually hit the mark! Remember, action creates action! Cheers scratchie!!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthman Posted August 10, 2018 Author Share Posted August 10, 2018 Thanks all! This has been such a useful series of responses (very timely aswell being the night before) - I shall bring pilchard and leave the pellets and tuna oil behind. Might bring a tin of catfood as backup ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 21 minutes ago, anthman said: Might bring a tin of catfood as backup ? I use cat food for berley almost every time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthman Posted August 10, 2018 Author Share Posted August 10, 2018 20 minutes ago, Scratchie said: I use cat food for berley almost every time! Almost every time WITH pilchard and other stuff ? Or just straight catfood? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Just now, anthman said: Almost every time WITH pilchard and other stuff ? Or just straight catfood? Cat food in the berley pot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthman Posted August 10, 2018 Author Share Posted August 10, 2018 Just now, Scratchie said: Cat food in the berley pot! Yup, that's what I meant - and whether there is anything else in there. I go the aldi "sardine and tuna" flavour - cheap as! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 8 minutes ago, anthman said: Yup, that's what I meant - and whether there is anything else in there. I go the aldi "sardine and tuna" flavour - cheap as! Yeah, stale bread, bits of fish! Anything really. Whilst berley can be important, it’s more important to be in the right spot!!! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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