There is usually a subtle difference between those who have been brought up fishing and those who take the pastime up sometime later in life. Chances are, if you grew up fishing from a young tacker then bait was involved.
As you got older this became fresher and possibly even live bait. But somewhere in that journey, bait was placed on a hook!
Normally, when we think about bread-n-butter fishing, we are referring to the type kids might grow up doing to gain a fuller understanding of the pursuit.
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But it’s not just kids and in no sense is bread-n-butter fishing just about bait.
For the purposes of this article, let’s consider bread and butter fishing to be any activity on the water designed to procure a feed of common, reliable seafood for the family. Let’s throw crabbing, prawning and trapping in for good measure.
Catching bait
For me as a kid it was pumping yabbies (pink nippers), digging pippies and catching sand worms on a wide open beach.
It’s funny how some of your earliest fishing memories still burn the brightest. As soon as dad could pass on the bait gathering tactics, he did. Which for me left a bossy older brother to traipse after, ready at his beck and call! If you’re fishing obsessed there is clear motivation to get amongst these bait gathering activities.
So many of the keenest fishers I’ve met grew up as kids using bait. It might have been dragging a bait net, throwing a cast net, dropping bait jigs, squid jigs or any method under the sun to catch bait. And in many instances the bait itself is worthy of being eaten fresh. Australia in many aspects really is the lucky country. What we think of as fish bait would be readily eaten in many more populous countries.
As most of us would care to admit, we’ve all had to buy bait from time to time, be it a bag of pilchards or a bag of prawns or squid.
Thoughts that go through the mind of a bait fisherman contain real calculations behind turning food into fish! So it always hurts to start forking out more money before a fish has been landed.
Lets take a quick look at what makes the best baits. Fresh is best, always. Something that is either alive or that has been kept as close to resembling something live will usually work best.
Take the humble garden worm, those slimy little wrigglers that might have caught fish in the creek as a kid. Keeping them fresh, cool and alive in the soil they were found in will go a long way to enticing that catfish, yellow belly or rainbow trout living in your local stream. Beachworms and bloodworms can be kept alive for days if placed in a cool spot, covered in the damp sand they love so much.
A castnet or bait net (always check local restrictions) are responsible for many types of live and dead bait used by fishers around the country.
The humble poddy mullet, sardines, hardy-heads, silver biddies, little whiting and a myriad of prawn species are just some of the targets. It can be tiresome, dirty work and keeping the bait alive equally as daunting, but oh so worthwhile.
In some areas, fishers are allowed to use opera house pots and small mesh traps to catch bait.
Most of these small fish, yappies and prawn species will be attracted to scent and something as simple as bread, flesh or cat biscuits are usually enough to attract your quarry.
These traps can prove troubling to species like turtles which become tangled or trapped and drown. Enclosed pots are being phased out in many areas.
Try to check them regularly and ensure they are not lost, as ghost traps keep catching and killing.
Out in the deep blue, game fishers will often be found at the ‘bait grounds’ dropping down tiny jigs to bring up yakkas, slimy mackerel, herring, sardines and all manner of small fish that can be used live to attract larger predators.
Others such as pilchards, garfish, mullet, pike and wolf herring are often rigged dead but swimming in a natural fashion.
Turning bait into a feed
Most of our bread and butter species are abundant and relatively easy to catch. Besides the myriad of inland creeks, rivers, lakes, lagoons and swamps our quarry are also found in estuaries, shallow bays, beaches, sand flats and nearshore reefs.
Most of the fishing we are talking about is land based and needs only transport and a sense of adventure to get amongst. But for the more adventurous, we might also be talking about kayaks and canoes being used to access waterways or shallow reefs, gutters and rubble patches close to the shore.
Man made structures provide masses of fishing opportunities around the Australian coastline. Jetties, docks, weirs and rock walls are some of the more obvious structures, but fishing boats, mooring boys, floats and all manner of objects tend to attract fish. Contrary to what many believe, fishing can actually be surprisingly good in many of Australia’s more built up areas ,where structure in the waterways and coastal environments is more prevalent.
As many a young fisho will know, an endless game of cat and mouse is possible to reach some of these human modified locations. Security, police and vigilant land owners are just some of the obstacles fisherman are willing to overcome to put a feed on the table. Hiding their pleasure at such blatant disregard for access restrictions in the excuse of sustenance.
Australia is now covered in so many more obstacles to fisherman in the form of closed and restricted fishing areas. Yet these usually have a solid foundation of sustainability and our fisheries are healthier because of them.
The equipment used by those partaking in bread-n-butter fishing is relatively straight forward, simple to use and suitably priced. A few of the most common set ups include light threadline or spinning outfits, Alvey reels matched with slightly longer beach and bay rods and overhead (baitcast) set ups.
The choice will vary wildly based on location, weather conditions, price point and target species.
Lines in most instances will be monofilament main lines with a little stretch. This provides more flexibility with use and allows less experienced fishers to hook and land more fish. These days however, many have shifted to using braided lines, which offer no stretch and can make knot tying more complex. The huge plus comes in distance casting and a more direct feel between bait and fisher.
The tackle box of a bread-n-butter fisher need tot be complex. A couple of spools of leader (10-20lb and 30-40lb), a variety of hooks, sinkers and swivels will normally suffice. Some extras like squid jigs, floats, flash / red tubing and metal slices might be mixed into many old tackle boxes littering the country.
Who goes well with bread and butter
Whiting are a prolific saltwater fish captured in some form right around the Australian coastline. We have a few species including yellowfin, sand, winter and King George whiting. The largest of these, the Kind George is found mainly in Victoria, South Australia and southern Western Australia. Asides from their larger size and impressive eating qualities, they are much the same in diet and abundance as the other whiting species.
Sand whiting are common right along Asutralia’s eastern coastline and Winter whiting are a smaller species caught in the larger bays and broad waters. Whiting prefer sandy bottoms, shallow tidal flats and estuarine channels.
They love worms, pipis, prawns, and small yabbies. Being quite timid and curious, light rods, long leaders, and small size 6–8 hooks improve hookup rates dramatically. Growing up, we always put either some red tubing or tiny red plastic beads on our leader to help capture that curiosity and cause a close inspection.
Bream species can be categorised as either Yellowfin of Black bream. Yellowfin bream occur along the eastern seaboard, thriving in tidal estuaries and mangrove-lined creeks.
Black bream dominate southern estuaries from Tasmania across to Western Australia. There are also dusky bream which are caught in the northers creeks and bays. Another close relative the tarwhine is found mostly alongside yellowfin bream.
Bream are extremely structure-oriented. Although captures on open beaches are common enough they tend to congregate around snags, pylons, rocks, pontoons, and weed beds. Bream feed on crustaceans, molluscs and baitfish with peeled prawns and tiny crabs amongst the best bait.
Yum
Dusky flathead, sand flathead, tiger flathead and bar tailed flathead are all famous in recreational angler circles. They are reasonably prolific in easy to reach areas and can be caught on a wide variety of baits and lures. Flathead of pretty much every variety taste nice if handled with a little care and cooked simply. Lemon, pepper, salt, butter kinda stuff.
Dusky flathead are perhaps the most widely targeted. Found from Queensland down to Victoria they fill a wide variety of in-water niche. Their smaller cousins further south once infested the bays and banks in south eastern Australia. They are still relatively easy to catch drifting around just offshore.
Flathead are ambush feeders and will normally move into positions throughout the tidal cycle that provide most opportunities to feed. They will transition comfortably between shallow and deeper waters. Often flathead will be right at your feet when wading in shallow bays, flats, beaches and creek mouths.
Flatties are best targeted on an incoming tide near drop-offs, drains, and current lines. Their ambush positions are usually on sandy or muddy bottoms, often half-buried waiting for prey.
They will take a huge variety of baits such as pilchards, whitebait, prawns, mullet and little whiting. A slow retrieve of your bait or lure along the bottom triggers a bite response from these ambushing terrors.
Silver trevally are a hard-fighting inshore fish common in southern bays and estuaries. Juvenile giant trevally and golden trevally are prevalent around most tropical creek mouths.
Numerous other similar trevally species are found throughout a wide distribution of Australian estuaries. Hunting in packs and being hyper aggressive is in most trevally’s nature. They compete hard over food and a dead bait, live bait or lure might be eaten with equal gusto depending on the mood.
Australian herring (Tommy Ruff) are popular in South Australian and West Australian waters.
They are a small yet abundant fish that can be turned into food of bait, depending on your preference. They stack up near jetties and beaches and are easily caught using burley and small hooks with bait like whitebait or worms.
Australian Salmon have both east and west coast variants that run in massive schools during winter and autumn most years. Salmon can be found off surf beaches, rocky headlands, and occasionally estuary mouths chasing baitfish. Although a marginal table fish, salmon are great sport on light gear
with strong surface strikes and powerful runs.
Tailor are another sport fish a little similar to an Australian salmon, but a touch tastier. They roam sub-tropical beaches in central Western Australia, southern Queensland and central NSW.
Aggressive just like the Aussi salmon, tailor have sharp little teeth that are the cause of frustration for those fishing light leader for other species. And just like salmon, they will feed voraciously on dawn, dusk and sometimes into the late morning if there is a feast to be had.
Most of the fish mentioned can be caught on ultralight tackle, making them ideal for kids or finesse anglers. Burley helps hold species like herring, bream, and trevally in the area. Some simple saw dust and tuna oil might be all thats needed when fish are prolific.
What else is on the menu
Blue Swimmer Crabs are most common in sandy estuaries, shallow bays and seagrass beds around the southern states. There is a northern variety that doesn’t seem to grow quite as large.
The delicate white flesh is amongst the sweetest of all meats. Mud Crabs dominate mangrove-lined estuaries and tidal creeks from northern NSW all the way around Queensland, the NT and WA. As we all know their flesh is amongst the most prized of all, despite their relative abundance.
Blue swimmers are best targeted during warmer months and incoming tides, especially at night.
Mud crabs are most active after rain or around the new /full moon with larger tide discharges. Most crabbing is done using drop nets, crab pots, or scoop nets with baits of fish frames, mullet, or chicken carcasses as bait. A mud crab sandwich is what many bread-n-butter fishos are after!
Southern calamari are relatively abundant around weed beds, jetties, and rocky coastlines of most of our southern coastline.
They are best targeted using artificial squid jigs in pink, orange, or natural patterns. Arrow squid are more common in deeper waters but occasionally make their way closer inshore.
There is a smaller northern arrow squid and tiger squid that congregates enough in nighttime deck lights and jetties to make jigging them worthwhile. A flash fried fresh tempura squid tentacle set with a dash of salt and pepper can be memorable; crunchy, chewy goodness.
Dawn, dusk, and night are peak squid feeding periods and many jetties and boats have dedicated squid lights. Use a slow lift-and-drop retrieve with the squid jigs. The alien looking molluscs will often grab on the pause. Beware winding them in too quickly, the ink can really discolour a hull! Fresh squid is excellent bait for snapper, kingfish, mulloway and many other species.
Recreational prawning is a summer night-time activity in estuaries, especially around new moon periods. School prawns dominate east coast estuaries like some famous mid NSW coast rivers. Prawning is best done with a hand-held prawn scoop net and waterproof light or headlamp.
Castanets can be hugely productive wherever these little crustaceans are congregated. Be sure to abide by local rules and regs regarding prawning. Prawns are delicious eating, especially quickly boiled, sautéed or flash fried and make superior bait for bream, flathead, and whiting.
Yummy yabbies
Freshwater Yabbies of various types are common across inland Australia, especially in farm dams, creeks, and billabongs. Most yabbies are caught using opera house nets, drum nets, or open-top traps (many states now ban enclosed nets). Bait with meat scraps, dry dog or cat food or fish scraps.
Pots are best placed near banks or vegetation, old creek beds and submerged timber.
Check nets every couple of hours; overnight soaking increases catches but might attract freshwater turtles or crocodiles. Yabbies are active during warmer months, especially after rain and during summer breeding season.
They are a bush tucker classic—boiled, grilled, or cooked on the open fire. Yabbies are also a popular live bait for Aussi natives such as Murray cod and yellowbelly.
Their saltwater counterpart the crayfish is found right around our coastline, with a cold water and warm water divide in species.
The jewel in the crown of most brean-n.butter hunters and gatherers, crayfish are delicious, amazing looking and within reach of anyone with a sense of adventure. They live in shallow waters around rock and reef structure often quite close in to shore.
Bread-and-butter fishing is where it began for most Aussi fishers—accessible, affordable, and rewarding. It’s what gets the kids out there and sparks a passion for those whose addiction remains strong today.
