Live Bait or Lure???

For those who want to catch Mr Big this Easter, and by that i mean a big F@#k off jewfish, the perennial question always is Live bait or lure??? Obviously both techniques work, i grant that, but will one technique give you a better chance of catching one than the other???

If you read the marketing hype on the packets of plastix these days you could convince yourself that lures with out perfrom live bait every time. With blurbs like "outfishes live bait" splashed across them novices can be tricked ino thinking this is fact not fiction. I will conceed that in the right scenario and in the right hands, lures will outfish live bait sometimes. In saying that, put live bait in the hands of a true pro and watch the fish succumb! Lure anglers would shiver with jealousy.

As much as i'd hate to admit it, it is fact. Bait or lure is a lie told by a fisherman to a fish. This is a popular quote from one of Austs most well respected journo's, David Green. But Greeny refers this to lures. I tend to expand that out a little and refer it to bait as well. I mean, a dirty big 8/0 will go a long way to marginalising the concept of free swimming prey. And let's put things into perspective, live bait is a dead ringer for the real live thing...cause its the same bloody thing! All we need to do is convince the fish the live bait is infact an easy meal and not connected to 30lb nylon. Doesnt seem so hard now does it??

Now let's look at plastix. The very definition of how plastix work can translate to live bait. The whole concept is to create the illusion that a live prey item is an easy meal. So now you have to convince a fish that a piece of plastic moving in just the right manner is in fact real. Your behind the 8 ball before you even start. But the concept is still similar, we want fish to react to our live bait and our lures in the same way. Therefore a lure can be referred to as a live bait. But will it outfish the real thing??? Its hard to comprehend it will when one is real flesh and blood and the other is petro-chemical based or scented food starch!

With scents these days the line of demarcation is blurred. There's no doubt that scents like Gulp and S-Factor are closing the gap, and the way fish react to lures is changing. Fish seem to be more aggresive, more willing to hit a lure or they are tempted to strike outside of peak fishing times. This is a positive thing for lure fishos. But a fish will still hit a live bait similarly. A free tucker is still hard to turn down, even for us scavengers:)

In the end, when all is boiled down live bait is still live bait. It smells like live bait, It looks like live bait and swims like live bait. It even sends off tempting distress signals. Most of these things can be recreated in a labratory but the essence of life is lost. I cant see how lures will ever outfish the real thing. But im more than keen to try and find out for myself!

If you want Mr Big and you are not a lure convert already, learn live bait. It will be your best chance. For those of us who prefer to take the road of most resistence, welcome to land of a thousand casts.

Autumn's 3 Likely Suspects

Hi People,

Since we have been on a Autumn theme, its probably a good idea to look at what 3 species are available during these cooling months. It's no secret these are my favourite months of the year for fishing but lets look at what 3 species i love catching...

I fish Sydney's waterways and have done so for over 30 years. In that time many things have changed, my techniques have changed and even some species migratory patterns have changed. But there have been a few constants. Fish patterns you can even set your watch to.

Autumn in the Hawkesbury means one thing; big blue nose bream. The kind of bream that you would win every bream comp in oz. The brembos start to migrate out to sea to breed and are on the move out from the upper reaches of the river and creeks. The main chanels are highways now so foraging the shore is a little pointless. Try drifting the main water flow with small softies and deeper channels with long streamlined plastix. Dont be surprised when 1.5kg plus monsters start to come over the gunnels. Even Botany is inundated with bream at the moment so take advantage. Once the bream head out they wont be back for a few months!

Also this is time of year EP's start to head down to full salt to breed too. There is a closed season during winter but autumn is fair game. I dont keep any and most people dont so i dont see why we cant catch and release this species during thier spawning run. Every fish we catch is targeted during thier spawning period???? Silly policy makers!!! Try the edge of full salt and the brackish reaches of any of sydneys waterways, they all hold EP's. Small softies in charteuse are golden!

Another target is monster jewies. The small soapies usually start to move to the upper reaches of the rivers and the monster jews, who have been put off by the hot summer temps and holiday crowds start to move around the mouths of the rivers. If your going to get Mr. Big (over 25kgs) now is the time. Obviously live bait is gun and more specifically live squid is your best option to get your monster. But if you are like me, all lures, then big lures are needed, 6" should be your minimum. I like jerk minnows (stickbaits) fished in the deepest gutters and eddies i can find. Now big plastix arent always essential. Big fish are regularly caught on small lures. Remember even elephants eat peanuts!

There you have it. My 3 gun fish targets that make me salivate. Its these fish that keep me from sleeping at nights!