Catching Yellowtail and Slimy Mackerel for Live Bait

Catching the bait is often the first proper fishing job of the day. You want enough lively yellowtail or slimy mackerel to fish with, without spending the whole morning making bait or filling a tank beyond what it can keep healthy.

The useful sequence is simple: have the holding water ready, find the school, use a manageable small-hook rig, and get each fish into the water promptly. Catching another dozen does not help if the first dozen are already struggling.

Have the bucket or livewell ready first

Before the first bait comes aboard, check that the container is clean and filled with suitable seawater. Start the aerator or livewell system and look at what it is actually doing. A running motor is not proof of water flow through a blocked intake.

Have a small bait net or suitable dehooking tool within reach. Clear somewhere to control the rig without loose hooks dragging across feet, seats or other rods. That preparation matters more when several fish arrive together.

A lightweight rod makes it easier to work a small rig without wrenching the hooks around. Match the sinker to the depth and current so the rig reaches the bait rather than trailing well behind the boat. There is no need to use the same heavy outfit you intend to catch a kingfish on.

Find the bait before fishing an empty patch

Look for small fish around suitable structure and watch the sounder for a concentration above or near the bottom. A mark is a reason to investigate, not a reliable species identification.

Where the water is clear, look over the side. The school may be much shallower than expected. Start the rig near the depth where fish are visible or marked, then work through that band instead of automatically sending every drop to the bottom.

If nothing touches the rig, change one thing at a time. Check the depth, reduce the size of any bait pieces, or move to another concentration. Repeatedly working the same empty water is not a technique.

For help separating bottom, fish and clutter on the screen, use the sounder-reading guide. It explains the screen rather than promising that every coloured patch is bait.

Keep the bait rig manageable

A small-hook bait jig or sabiki is a sensible starting point. Lower it under control and use modest lifts with pauses. Aggressive sweeping strokes are unnecessary when the hooks are already among small fish.

If they inspect the rig without taking it, tiny pieces of suitable bait on the hooks can be worth trying. Keep the hook points clear. A large lump hanging from a tiny hook makes the whole presentation harder for a small fish to take.

You do not have to fill every hook before winding up. Several twisting fish can turn a useful rig into a knot, particularly when the trace is longer than you can comfortably control. Choose a rig length and permitted hook arrangement that you can handle safely.

The opening photograph is a useful reminder that a small metal jig can also catch slimies. It is not a picture of a conventional sabiki and should not be read as one. The right choice is the one the fish will take and you can retrieve without a tangle.

Yellowtail and slimies need care after capture

Do not leave fish bouncing on a hot deck while searching for the bucket. Handle them gently with wet hands or an appropriate wet net, keep air exposure brief and avoid scraping off scales.

Use the fish's behaviour as a continuing check. Bait repeatedly losing balance, crowding the surface or becoming unresponsive needs attention. Check water supply and aeration promptly, and stop adding more fish.

The bucket above shows a practical portable arrangement: an aerator clipped outside, a hose into the water and fish swimming inside. Andrew photographed it while watching an angler catching yellowtail with a float and sabiki.

It does not establish a safe number of fish for every bucket. Fish size, water temperature, holding time and water exchange all matter. An aerator adds air; it does not remove accumulated waste or make an overcrowded container unlimited.

Keep the bucket secure and out of direct sun where practical. Renew water as needed without a sudden temperature or salinity change. A portable container is something to monitor, not something to fill and forget.

Check the livewell as a system

A boat livewell should be checked at the beginning of the trip and again after travelling. Look for a working inlet, a clear outlet or overflow, and unobstructed circulation. Loose scales, bait scraps or debris can end up where you do not want them.

The fish in Mark Wilson's tank came from a successful bait session, but the photograph is not a stocking recommendation. Leave room for the bait to swim and respond to its condition.

When selecting a bait, keep the net ready and the lid open only as long as necessary. Chasing fish around the tank with bare hands wastes time and can damage them. If you need to stop and sort the fishing rig, do that before taking the bait out.

A light can help at night

An underwater light can gather small fish where you can see and fish for them. It is especially useful when the alternative is searching in darkness, but it cannot guarantee yellowtail, slimies or a full tank.

Watch what actually arrives. A cloud of tiny fish may be interesting without being the bait size you need. The underwater LED squid light is one option for attracting activity, not a substitute for finding suitable water and using an appropriate rig.

Keep the light cable clear of hooks and the propeller, follow the product's electrical instructions, and recover it before moving off. Never let watching the light distract from other boats or safe footing.

Finish by emptying and checking the tank

At the end of the trip, account for the bait and deal with it in accordance with local rules. Do not transport or release live bait into another waterway. Remove any dead fish and scraps, drain and rinse the system, and inspect places a small fish could remain hidden.

This forgotten yellowtail makes the point better than a spotless product photograph. Check the bottom of the tank and around fittings before closing the lid.

Before collecting bait, check the current rules for the water you are fishing, including permitted gear, hook arrangements, possession limits and closures. NSW anglers can start with the official fishing rules. Being a baitfish does not make a fish exempt.

Once the bait is lively and the fishing outfit is ready, the next job is presentation. The separate live-bait rigging guide covers the bait-needle method. Keeping the two jobs separate gives you a better chance of starting with a healthy bait instead of trying to rescue one after the rig is finished.