Fishy Facts - Lures Vs. Bait Part 1

end of a line is almost magical, and it makes it all more likely to enjoy the trip. Some kids might struggle to use a reel when there is the weight of a fish on the end. I have personally seen many a rod go overboard when a child has had enough. Oops… Landing a fish for the first time What an experience it will be when this first happens! If possible, ask another person to net the fish when it comes close so that it doesn’t get away. Take lots of photos of your little person reeling in the big one – it’s something they will treasure forever.

Handling fish you have caught

Be respectful to the animal you have just caught. Some fish species require you to bleed them once caught so they taste better. Others are not to be taken from the water and need to be put back immediately. All fish have a legal limit, both for the number of fish you can keep (the catch limit) and the minimum size they must be in order to take them home. It is your responsibility to know these legalities.

Check out your Department of Agriculture and Fisheries website for information about size and bag limits within your state. Good fishing and tackle shops have measuring sticks and stickers that you can put on the side of your boat which display the various size limits for fish species in your state. By adhering to these limits, we ensure these species will be around for our grandchildren to enjoy catching.

The above heading is likely to raise some eyebrows and get a few anglers squaring off against each other as they passionately exclaim to anyone who will listen, the reason why ‘their’ angling method is superior to the other. The truth is, each method has its pros and cons, and selecting one type of fishing over the other on anything other than personal taste is hard to back up with facts. But comparisons can be made between the two. These days, there are more and more anglers participating in ‘sportfishing’, which involves targeting fish for the challenge and fun of it, rather than simply going out and catching a few fish to eat. Most sport fishers chase fish with lures or flies rather than using bait because the fish can be easily and harmlessly released as most lure-caught fish are hooked in the mouth rather than the gut.

Having said that, these days the lines between bait and lure fishing are becoming blurred, there’s so much variety to be found in modern-day lures, including many that are edible and biodegradable! Do you see where I’m coming from? In fact, some of these new ‘lures’ are even called artificial baits! That’s right, you don’t have to put up with baiting live or dead animals onto hooks anymore, you can buy your baits, which are often shaped like small fish, frogs and other creatures in plastic bottles and packets!

Natural Baits

If you’re chasing freshwater fish, you’ll probably end up using live worms, yabbies, baitfish or mudeyes for bait. It’s possible to buy worms, yabbies and mudeyes from tackle shops in fishing areas. But often you have to gather these yourself. There are also artificial power baits available that come in small jars and are pliable and putty-like in texture. These are very successful baits when chasing rainbow trout in lakes in particular and are less messy and offer a great alternative to live baits that have a tendency to put off many newcomers from participating in the whole bait fishing process.

In saltwater, there are both live (fresh) and dead (packaged/frozen) real baits available for fishing and chasing bread and butter fish species such as bream, mullet, flathead or whiting while on holidays or away for a weekend. This type of fishing is often the first taste of fishing for many grownups and children. Try popular fishing locations have numerous outlets that sell both live and dead bait. Basic light to a medium spinning rod and reel, with a monofilament line and a simple rig with a running ball sinker above a stopper, such as a swivel, above a onemetre leader down to a single hook is all that is needed to catch just about any species of fresh or saltwater fish that the average angler might be interested in chasing.