How to Collect Bait (Freshwater)

By Robert Thornton

In the last blog we looked at collecting your own bait for saltwater fishing. In this instalment of the series, we’ll be looking at freshwater baits. Collecting baits for the freshwater is a little bit different, but it’s just as fun as it is in the salt – in fact, if you ask me, it’s probably more fun!

Just like last time, we’re going to look at five popular freshwater baits that you can collect yourself. We’ll be offering some tips on how and where to find them, and also how to use them as a bait.

A FRESH START

Freshwater bait collection is every bit as much of an adventure as in the salt, but it’s a very different kind of adventure. In the saltwater, most baits are collected in or along the water’s edge close to where you intend to fish. In the fresh, a bait gathering mission could start anywhere from the backyard and take you on a bushwalk up the side of a mountain or along a dry stream bed. Indeed, a lot of what our sweetwater species eat is terrestrial, meaning they spend most of their life on land.

This really shows just how connected the different biomes of our environment are, and that if we want to look after our freshwater habitats, we can’t neglect the nearby bushland or rainforests. A bait gathering mission is a great way to cement this idea, especially with kids, and as with any bait collection it’s a fun pastime for youngsters.

TOP FIVE FRESHWATER BAITS 

Let’s now look at what I (and many others) believe are the top five Aussie freshwater baits. Aussies living across our sunburnt country should be able to find at least some version of these bait types close to home. And just like last time, it requires only a few tools and a sense of adventure!

Shrimps

Freshwater are one of the absolute best all-round baits for predatory freshwater fish, full stop. There’s not many species, native or introduced, that will turn their nose up at well-rigged shrimp. Most freshwater bodies will harbour some species of shrimp, from urban duck ponds and land-locked lagoons, to ephemeral streams and cascading gullies, and of course lazy, slow-flowing rivers.

In my home state of Queensland, the easiest way to collect some shrimps is with a collapsible shrimp trap, baited with anything from cat food, dog food, meat offcuts, fish frames or anything else oily. Make sure you check local regulations if you want to use shrimp traps.

The other way is to go down to the water’s edge at night with a torch, and once shrimp are located (you’ll usually see their eyes first) they can be scooped up with a small net and some dexterity. Keeping them alive can be tricky, but I usually either leave them in a submersible bucket or take them home in a bucket with water from where they were caught and run a small aerator. Shrimps won’t survive longer than about half an hour without some form of aeration.  

Shrimps are at their best as a live bait, and can be fished either under a float, on the bottom, or unweighted with just a hook. I like to pin them once through the tail, as this allows them to swim, kick and make plenty of commotion to attract predators.

Earthworms

Worms are another brilliant all-rounder, and just like shrimps, there isn’t much that won’t eat worms. Worms are perhaps even more effective, as they’ll also appeal to less aggressive fish that won’t eat shrimps or yabbies. Many different species of earthworms can be found across the country, and all of them will catch fish.

Those with a compost or a well-fertilised garden can easily dig a few straight from the dirt, but if you don’t have either of these you’ll have to go searching. Any damp ground is worth a look for worms, and right after rain is when they will be on or near the surface, making them easier to find and collect. In failing that, most bait and tackle shops will sell punnets of live earthworms.

Threading earthworms onto the hook can be done a few ways. One popular way is to pin the worm several times along the body, leaving a jiggling ball of succulent worm. Another way is to thread the hook through the worm from one end and then bring the hook point out about halfway along the body, leaving one end to hang free. This second method hides most of the hook and allows the worm to move more naturally.

Grubs

Grubs are more of a specialist bait and tend to be used for specific species like Murray cod and yellowbelly, however other species will also respond to grubs. Collecting grubs for bait is honest work, and each one has to be earned.

There are a few grub species that make good bait, with the most well-known being the bardi grub. Most grubs, including the bardi, are moth larvae, and are often found around the base of dead or dying trees. Getting into where the grubs are requires either an axe, a shovel or any implement that allows you to dig into rotting wood. The other way is to use a small coil of wire with a sharp end, where the trick is to stick the coil into a hole in the wood or clay, carefully prick one end of the grub, and then gently extract it.

Bardi grubs are said to be one of the most effective Murray cod baits, so it’s not surprising that many cod anglers are willing to put in a few hours labour just to get a couple of grubs.

Yabbies

Yabbies are another specialist bait, requiring time, tools and a bit of know-how to gather. The good news is yabbies, like shrimp, inhabit a variety of environments. In fact, freshwater yabbies are much hardier and can be found in places where even shrimp can’t survive, such as dry creek beds and stagnant ponds.

Shrimp traps (where legal) are a good way to catch yabbies, and much of the same bait and methodology used for shrimping will work on yabbies. Another way is to use a pyramid net, which are a lift-style trap and much better for regular checks.

At night, some yabbies will wander into the shallows where they can be easily grabbed or scooped up. During the day, these same yabbies will be hiding under rocks, in their burrows or hanging out in deeper water. When the yabbies aren’t in the shallows, the old meat-on-string trick works wonders, where the idea is to throw the meat out from the bank, and when the string pulls tight, the meat is retrieved very slowly so the yabby doesn’t let go, and once the yabby comes into sight it can be netted. Yabbies will survive in basically anything, so a bucket of water from the waterway you collected them will be fine for at least a few days.

Small yabbies are a fantastic bait for redfin, yellowbelly, trout, bass and many others. The larger ones are a great Murray cod bait, where no yabby is too big. One downside of using live yabbies is their tendency to dig if on the bottom, but a float can remedy this problem. Yabby tails are another effective bait in the fresh for all the same species.

Mudeyes

Mudeyes are a bait virtually synonymous with trout, but they are effective on other species as well. These curious little critters are actually a dragonfly nymph, and there are many species around the country.

To find mudeyes, the first good indication in a dam, pond, stream or lake, is the presence of dragonflies. If you see dragonflies buzzing around, it’s quite likely there’ll be mudeyes in the water. They may be living in amongst the aquatic weed, where they can be collected by running a net through the weed and then picking through the net to find them. They could also be living under timber and rocks, which is more common in streams, in which case you’ll need to wade into the water, lift some items and check their underside.   

In trout regions, mudeyes are usually sold in tackle shops, and this is a good option if you’re struggling to find them yourself.

Mudeyes need to be kept in a damp and cool place, with polystyrene boxes popular for storage.

Mudeyes are a deadly trout and salmon bait, but bass, redfin, yellowbelly and virtually any other freshwater predatory fish will respond to mudeyes. Putting more than one on the hook can be effective as well, especially if chasing predators with a larger appetite.

FRESH IS BEST

It’s often said that the best bait is the one you collect yourself, and this is very true in freshwater fishing. A freshwater baitfishing adventure often starts well away from where you will eventually fish, and sometimes days in advance. It really is a complete experience. It just makes it all the more special when the plan comes together and you’ve finally got that fish in your hand.