Best Shark bait

[Bamboes-Vis]

Good morning fellow fishermen.


How would you rank the following baits in term of effectiveness for sharks (specifically raggies, but also others)


1) Yellowtail head frozen
2) Bonito Head frozen
3) flapped mullet fresh
4) Live mullet
5) fresh head of a kob/blacktail (and when I say fresh, caught the same day)
6) small shark head
7) live black tail
8) Mackerel

[REEFMAN]

For me, live bait has always been best. Even live Shad. Otherwise, freshly caught fish heads.

 If live/fresh not available, a Bonnie head is miles ahead of other frozen baits due to the blood and oils in Bonnito, followed by Mackies.

Fresh Kob heads are known to be a favourite of Zambies.

[travelmember]

I've always found my bridled skipjack / yellowfin that took me hours to catch and which is being pulled for marlin will attract every bloody shark within 10 miles.

[khaliq]

A freshly caught lesser is catnip for sharks

[mza786]

a nice grunter for zambies work well

[Bamboes-Vis]

Thanks guys you have more or less answered my question.


So to some it up:


Of all the frozen baits, bonnie is preferable to yellowtail.


but......A freshly caught head is better.


And.....Livebait is the best?




Also, have anyone ever tried the head of a shy shark for bigger sharks?

[Visenvryheid]

A freshly caught lesser is catnip for sharks

He has answered you already :)

But ous please try not use fish with depressed stocks, live-bearing or slow growing fish for bait for catch and release of sharks.. Does not make much ethical sense. How are we ever going to get back to grunt and cob runs of the past with them being sent out for bait? Nevermind how good an ethical (not too big) size of grunt or cob tastes! Bit of a waste. Bonnies are full up and take a year or two to grow to adult size only, machies also..perfect bait, blood, oils, lots of them in the sea, quick growing. Small blacktails would be more ethical than large ones as they are extremely slow growing, but a bonnie best. My shark fishing mates swear by them.

[Durran]

Shark catches SHARK!

[Allie]

I've always found my bridled skipjack / yellowfin that took me hours to catch and which is being pulled for marlin will attract every bloody shark within 10 miles.

 

[Bamboes-Vis]

Just an update.
A friend and myself went for a gooi at Bigha on Suturday.
We were struggling early on with only barbel and a small lesser.
We did eventually manage to catch a couple of nice bronze breams.


We then stopped for a final gooi at the river mouth.
I decided I might try my luck to get live mullet with the gooinet.
(by the way thanks for that video Reefers, thats the way I'm using)
(Ps a Vaalie and a gooinet is generally not a good mix)


I managed to get 3 smallish mullets.
I put a live one out, while my friend went with chokka.
Result, he caught another barbel.
So he too changed to live mullet, on a circle with a steel bite trace.


I got a pick up but the fish did not swallow the mullet properly.
You could actually see the small teeth marks on the mullet.


My friend then managed to get a nice 60cm kob on the livey.


I doubt we would've caught that kob with bait on that particular day.


Sorry I know its a slight detour from shark bait, but I think the lesson applies.
And if the sharkies are not around, you have to scratch for something else.

[REEFMAN]

Nice story! 

[mza786]

went to brazen head this weekend and these were some of the baits we put out with goo results
145kg bronzy
110kg bronzy
123kg black tip
75kg grey
68kg thorntail
50kg black tip
some small hammers and grey as well, a few bust ups as well but a good trip

[Bamboes-Vis]

Thanks Mza.
What is the last two pictures?

[mza786]

both of it were sada sada fillets but the top 1 was cut fresh the second was used a while after so it lost the color but was still good

[Bamboes-Vis]

I went to catch some streepies (Karanteen) last night.
How would you present these as a shark bait?
The Head with a flap? (with or without some floatation?)


And are streepies any good?
Will flatfish eat it as well?


And lastly, it is just me, or does these buggers have a bit of a foul smell?


Regards