Fresh Bait for Salt Creek?

[kadava 0]

G'day Guys...Looking to do my first Salt Creek trip this year as the weather fines up and I get the 4wd running... I've got a bit of a stupid question here about bait to use for Mullys. Everyone says use fresh bait, are they referring to bait that has been caught a day or two before hand and not frozen? I have a heap of squid heads ive been keeping, they've been frozen and kept for a while - hoping these would be ok as bait? And would I need to use whole squids or will the heads do the job? And would frozen tommys and ST's go okay as well?One more thing, normally when fishing the beaches on Yorkes i'll catch small sand whiting close to the shore - do you get anything similar down Salt Creek way that I can catch on site to use as live bait?Any help for a newb would be appreciated. Cheers.

[Knackers 696]

Everything you have mentioned is fine. I always run two rods, one for mulloway and one for bait - salmon trout, mullet or tommies. As soon as I get a live one on it goes.

[kadava 0]

Thanks Knackers... Probably another stupid question here but with your rod for catching live bait can you get away with using a normal rod? I've got a 7'2" 2-4 kilo rod or do you need to use a surf rod to cast out far enough?

[bent87 0]

You're probably going to need a bit more grunt than that at salt Creek mate. Best bet for livies there is salmon trout, there should be plenty about if conditions are half decent. The squid you have should be fine, i avoid the californian frozen bricks of imported squid like the plague. Fresh squid is always best (caught or bought that day)- i like the humble IQF pilchard at salt creek- The Mullies swallow them like jelly beans. Rub them in some coarse salt to toughen them up a couple of days prior to your mission.

[kadava 0]

Thanks Brent. Yeah I wasn't sure how fast it tapers off down there as to whether id need a surf rod to catch the bait. As you said conditions will determine that on the day and as to whether they are around.... Well I'll stock up as much squid and tommys / ST's as a I can for the next few weeks and get a few pillys before I go - replace the head on the forby and hopefully set off to finally see what its like for myself

[Knackers 696]

Mate,Other than the live stuff I prefer tommy fillets for bait rather than pillies or salmon. They stay on the hook for longer than either (except the salmon skin, its like kevlar) and are oily enough to attract the fish.

[bent87 0]

Goodluck mate, i'ts always an adventure down there. Gets bloody cold so beware!