When it comes to catching your personal best fish, sometimes you just can’t beat live bait! You’ll need to know where the best bait spots are, have the right sabiki rigs, and use a few handy tools that can really help. Here are my top tips:
Tip #1 Get Some GPS Marks from Other People!
Bait can often be found around structure on reefs and rocky areas, but as a beginner, it can be hard to know where to start. Asking more experienced fishos is one of the best ways to begin your search.
Unlike favourite “honey holes” that hold quality fish, many anglers are less protective of their bait spots. Search websites, ask politely in forums, Facebook groups, and fishing communities for some GPS marks before you head out.
You’ll most likely receive GPS coordinates, so make sure you know how to enter them into your sounder or GPS unit before the trip. Bait won’t always be sitting exactly on one mark, so scout around nearby areas and save any better spots you discover for future trips.
Tip #2 Know What Bait Looks Like!
Speaking of sounders, do a little research online so you know what bait schools may look like on the screen. That way, you’re not searching for a needle in a haystack.
There are plenty of images online that give you a general idea. Sometimes what looks like bait can actually be prawns, weed, or even schools of much larger fish.
After a few successful bait sessions, you’ll start spotting bait everywhere. Sometimes they sit off the bottom in the water column, so drop your rig to their depth. Other times, drop to the bottom and slowly wind up through the school.
Tip #3 Go Early and Go Hard!
We’ve found there is often a sweet spot between sunrise and early morning when baitfish really fire up and bite aggressively. Other times can still work depending on depth and conditions, but lower light usually helps.
At tide changes, bait can sometimes go quiet. It may be because they rely on current flow to help evade predators, or because predators feed harder around those times.
I’ve also noticed when bigger fish move in, baitfish often stop biting. They’re more focused on survival than feeding. If that happens, it may be the perfect time to drop a live bait over the side and target the predator instead.
Some fishos also add tiny pieces of squid or bait to sabiki hooks. It can work, but I rarely bother because baiting those tiny hooks takes time.
Tip #4 Use Good Quality — and Strong — Sabiki Rigs
There’s always a chance of hooking something much bigger than baitfish while collecting bait. Nothing is more frustrating than hooking a solid fish only to have it snap your entire rig off.
I use a fold-up sabiki rod so I can deploy and stow quickly, with less chance of hooks snagging clothes, gear, or fingers. My specialist rod stores the rig inside a hollow tube, and re-rigging on the water is difficult once the lines are wet. Carrying a heavy bait needle or similar tool can help feed the rig back through.
I prefer stronger sabiki rigs with around 40lb main line and 30lb branch lines. I’ve landed a 45cm cod on one, and even 40cm bonito that later I turned into a far larger Amberjack!
My go-to rigs have been an obscure brand called Seaguar, model 4265, in hook sizes 8, 9 or 10. Size 10 is the largest that fits my sabiki rod tube. I now import and sell them on the Jetcast website as I could not source them in Australia,
Tip #5 Catching the Bait
This should be the easiest part — but sometimes it can be frustrating when bites are hard to come by.
The basic technique is to drop the hooks to the bottom and jig slowly up and down about a metre or less. Often the bait will hit as soon as the rig reaches bottom. Keep the line tight at all times.
Use a teardrop or dropper sinker of at least 4oz. If it’s too light, baitfish can spit the hooks more easily. The larger and more active slimy mackerel also tend to swim up when hooked and will tangle your line very easily if you have too little weight to act against them.
Sometimes it pays to leave the rig down a few seconds longer after feeling fish on to try for a “full string” — one fish on every hook. Just make sure the sinker is heavy enough to stop fish tangling the rig while you wait.
Wind up slowly at first to encourage extra hook-ups, then increase speed if the rig gets heavy. Keep pressure on the line and don’t let it go slack.
If fish are showing but not biting, some days it helps to add tiny strips of squid or scent to the hooks. I rarely do this on a jet ski because it’s cumbersome, but it can work well.
At certain times of year, the bait may only be tiny species 3–6cm long that won’t take sabiki jigs. On days like that, carrying lures or dead bait means your trip isn’t over.
Tip #6 Get a De-Hooker!
Small de-hooker tools cost only a few dollars and can save you heaps of time — while also reducing the chance of embedding tiny hooks in your fingers. These little hooks are very sharp and they can really hurt! Not to mention that they can be hard to remove from anything they latch on to.
Another big advantage is that you don’t need to handle the fish. Some bait species lose scales easily and can die quickly if handled roughly. Use wet gloves, or better still, a small toy fish net or butterfly net to move them safely.
Tip #7 Keep Water Fresh in the Bait Tank
Bait can die quickly if water quality drops. Overcrowding also reduces survival time unless your tank has excellent circulation.
My ski uses a live bait tank fed by a scoop near the jet unit. It circulates water whenever the engine is running, even at slow speed. If drifting, I keep an eye on water quality and refresh it manually with bucketfuls of fresh water.
Electric pumps are another option, though many don’t last long in jet ski environments. Saltwarter + cheap 12v pumps = short life.
Tip #8 Understand Different Live Bait Rigs
Some predator fish eat bait tail-first, while others eat head-first. Because of that, hook placement matters. Understanding how to rig bait for each species can make a big difference.
(See my blogs and videos on rigs for Snapper and Mackerel).
Tip #9 Find the Bait, Find the Fish
Two sayings worth remembering:
- Find the bait, find the fish
- Match the hatch
Where bait gathers is often where predator fish will be. And the bait species and size you catch is often exactly what predators are feeding on.
If you mark bigger fish on the sounder or see bust-ups nearby, dropping a live bait down can produce instant results. If staying in the area, you can even set a live bait in a rod holder while continuing to catch more bait on the sabiki rig.
I hope these simple tips help you gather more live bait — and eventually land your own trophy fish. I also have a video covering some of these tips. Please click the link below.
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About the Author
Paul Hayes is the creator of Jetcast, a YouTube channel and online store focused on offshore jet ski fishing, marine electronics protection, and real-world fishing gear. After spending nearly 10 years fishing offshore from personal watercraft around Australia, Paul combines hands-on experience with detailed product testing and practical fishing techniques designed for harsh saltwater conditions.
Through Jetcast videos, guides, and product reviews, he aims to help more people safely experience the excitement, freedom, and adventure of offshore fishing from jet skis and small watercraft.