Bait Fishing for Bream and Trevally

By Gary Brown

I am a big believer that when you go fishing you have decided before you go whether you are going to bait or lure fish. When it comes to either bait or lure fishing, I tend to keep it as simple as possible, especially if I am going to fish from the shore as I don't like to carry too much gear with me.

For bait fishing I have 2 x 24 compartment plastic tackle trays that are always in the boat and only get topped up every month or so. One has a range of sinkers, and the other has a range of hooks, swivels, beads and other odds and sods.

As for the one and only tackle tray that I carry when land-based fishing for bream and trevally, there is only a 1 x 18 compartment plastic tray that is carried in a shoulder/fish bag. This will hold hooks, swivels, sinkers, beads and other odds and sods. Having a set up like this will allow me to be much more mobile when fishing off the shore, because the only other item that I need is my rod and reel outfit.

In the boat sinker tray (labelled 2 in the associated image) the sinkers will range from 000 to size 6 ball sinkers, size 1 to 3 bean sinkers, trolling/plane sinkers, bomb and swivel sinkers, snapper sinkers and spit shots.

The other tray (labelled 1) will have Owner Needle Point hooks from size 1 to 2/0, Owner Circle hooks from size 2 to 3/0 and Owner long shank hooks from size 12 to 1. There is also a selection of ganged hooks, live bait hooks from 4/0 to 8/0, swivels, snap swivels and beads. The larger size hooks and smaller long shank hooks are for fish other than bream and trevally.

When it comes to the single tackle tray (labelled 3) for land-based fishing, there are ball sinkers from 000 to size 3, Owner Circle hooks from size 2 to 2/0, Owner bait keeper hooks from size 2 to 2/0, swivels, beads and a few bomb and swivel sinkers, snapper sinkers and spit shots.

Whether I am fishing out of the boat or from the shore, using bait, I will only use three different rigs; the running sinker down on the swivel with a leader, the running sinker down onto the bait and the paternoster rig, all of which can be viewed in the 'Rigging Guides' section.

As for baits, they will vary from area to area and what I can get my hands on at the time. It could be prawns (98% of the time peeled), pillie tails, strips of fish, live nippers or worms. For more information on how to rig them you need to check out the 'Rigging Guides' section of the website.

In NSW an angler is allowed to fish with four rods at a time. Sure, it can be quite hectic at times, however it's a good way to work out what bait or baits the bream and trevally prefer on the day and which is the better rig to use.

When it comes to fishing out of the boat for bream and trevally I will always be at anchor and there will always be a small and steady burley trail going on out the back of the boat. Remember the burley is to attract, not feed, the fish.

Now as to which outfits to use. I would look at soft tip spin rods that allow the fish to eat the bait with less resistance, matched with a spinning or baitfeeder reel in a size to suit. These can be spooled with Platypus Pulse Mono in 10lb as the main line, with Hard Armour FC Fluorocarbon as the leader.

Currently I am using 7'0", 2-4kg and 5-7kg rods with 3000 and 4000 size spin reels. You may prefer to use shorter rods when fishing from the boat, however I find that the extra length makes it easier when netting the fish in the boat and provides that extra casting distance without having to put on any extra weight.

When I am fishing from the shore and I need that extra casting distance, when casting say a peeled prawn that has been lightly weighted with a 000-size ball sinker, I will bring out my 8'0" spin rod. The softness of the top section of this rod allows me to get plenty of extra casting distance without having to increase the weight.

Cheers, Gary

Gear List:

Platypus Pulse Mono - 10lb
Platypus Hard Armour Fluorocarbon Leader - 6-10lb