The catch BEFORE the catch — gathering your own bait is one of the satisfying skills of serious fishing. Cast nets, bait traps, yabby pumps, bait jigs — each method has its place. Plus the bait species (prawns, pillies, mullet, squid, whitebait, pippies) that catch most Aussie fish.

Here's the practical guide to bait + bait gathering — methods, regulations, top species + how to use them.

Photo by Harrison Kugler on Unsplash

Cast nets (or "throw nets") are the most efficient bait-gathering device. CRITICAL: regulations vary widely by state — check local rules on where + when they can be used + the maximum mesh size or net diameter. Penalties are real.

Two main net materials:

• Nylon nets — stronger, sink slower (good over snags), more tear-resistant, more UV-resistant, longer lifespan. Heavier when wet
• Monofilament nets — lighter (better for extended casting), less visible to fish, sink faster (catches escaping bait), easier to clean. Most popular in Australia

Casting technique takes practice. The net should land flat + open as a circle. YouTube tutorials are gold; backyard practice with a small weighted target = the way.

• Bait traps — set + leave; cylinder traps with funnel openings catch shrimp, small fish, yabbies. Bait with bread, cheese, dog food, fish offal. Check + reset every few hours
• Yabby pumps (bait pumps) — long tube with a piston for extracting beach worms, bloodworms, sand crabs from sandflats at low tide. Standard kit for surf fishers
• Bait jigs (Sabiki rigs) — multi-hook rigs with small flashy lures. Drop alongside structure (jetties, pylons, wrecks) + jig vertically. Catches whiting, slimy mackerel, yellowtail, pilchards. Cheap + effective
• Pre-set traps the night before + check at dawn for fresh bait at first light

Photo: Maël BALLAND / Unsplash

Prawns

• Universal bait — works on virtually every Aussie species: bream, flathead, whiting, snapper, jewfish, tailor
• Live prawns: deadly on bigger fish (mulloway, snapper). Net or trap your own at night under lights
• Frozen peeled or whole: convenient, cheap, always works

Pilchards (Pillies / Mulies)

• Oily, smelly, magnetic — major attractant. Tailor + Aussie salmon LOVE them
• Use whole on gang hooks for surf + headland fishing
• Cut into chunks for jetty fishing for snapper, jewfish

Mullet

• Live mullet = mulloway/jewfish magic. Cast net them yourself in shallow estuaries
• Cut mullet = excellent for tailor, salmon, school sharks

Squid + Octopus

• Tough on the hook (long-lasting), attracts most species
• Catch squid yourself with squid jigs at sheltered jetties at night under lights

Whitebait

• Tiny baitfish — perfect for small estuary species (whiting, bream)
• Used on gang hooks in clusters, mimicking schooling baitfish

Pippies (beach worms)

• Aussie beach + estuary classic — bream, whiting, flathead can't resist them
• Pump or dig from sand at low tide
• Use whole on a long-shank hook

• Earthworms — universal freshwater bait. Trout, redfin, golden perch, Murray cod all eat them
• Yabbies (live OR cooked tail meat) — cod + golden perch favourite
• Maggots (gentles) — trout fishing standard
• Corn kernels — surprisingly effective for redfin + carp
• Bread + dough — old-school but works for carp + mullet
• Cheese — trout love it; thread on the hook
• PowerBait dough (commercial) — designer trout bait; works in stocked waters

Photo: Maël BALLAND / Unsplash

• Keep bait COLD — esky or insulated bait container. Warm bait = stinky + ineffective
• Keep live bait LIVE — aerated bait bucket with battery air pump; oxygenates the water + keeps bait active longer
• Frozen baits should still be cold when used — refreezing partially-thawed bait ruins the texture
• Hook the bait NATURALLY — through the head for prawns; through the lips for whole baitfish; thread along the shank for worms
• Match the bait size to the hook — small bait + small hook for whiting; whole pilchard + gang hooks for tailor
• Match bait to local prey — fish key in on what they normally eat. Local prawns + local mullet outperform imported alternatives

• Cast net regulations vary by state — VIC bans them altogether in many waters; QLD + NSW have stricter mesh + size rules. Check before buying or using one
• Bag limits apply to bait species too — yabbies, beach worms, even prawns have legal limits in many places
• Live bait import restrictions — never transport live bait between waterways (introduces invasive species)
• Berleying (chumming) regulated in some areas — check local rules
• Take only what you need for the day — don't waste bait by collecting more than you'll use
• Discarded bait + bait packaging = leave nothing behind. Plastic bags + pilchard wrappers attract pests

Bait gathering is one of the great satisfactions of serious fishing — extending the experience beyond just the catch. A morning's cast netting + bait pumping is half the trip; the fishing afterwards becomes a bonus.

Buy quality frozen pilchards + prawns for back-up. Catch your own when possible. Match bait to species + situation. Once you've got the bait sorted, the catching becomes much more reliable.