Bays and Estuaries

Bays and Estuaries

Bays and estuaries are common throughout Australia and offer great fishing for a wide variety of species that can often be found in large numbers.

When fishing bays and estuaries look for drop-offs, channels and weed beds as these areas will hold concentrations of fish. Whether you are drifting or anchored in a boat or fishing from the shore, these areas are great places to find a wide variety of fish species.

To improve your results and concentrate fish to your area, a fine continuous trail of berley such as chicken pellets, bread or small fish pieces will help to improve your results. Another tip to remember is to fish on a tide change as the fish feed more actively.

Species	Rigs	Baits
Bream/Trevally	General running rig Beach rig  Bottom rig	Prawns Worms Nippers Fish pieces Chicken gut
Tips Bream respond extremely well to berley although they are very shy so it pays to use light line and as little lead on your rig as you possibly can

Species	Rigs	Baits
Whiting	General running rig Beach rig	Worms Nippers Prawns Pippies
Tips Whiting can be found on the edge of sand drop-offs where they feed. Anglers find that the addition of a red bead or piece of tubing above the hook will help to attract whiting to your bait.

Species	Rigs	Baits
Flathead	General running rig Paternoster rig Gang hook rig	Prawns Squid Live Mullet Pilchards Fish pieces
Tips  Flathead can be found regularly throughout bays and estuaries as they lie in wait along drop-offs, weed beds and gutters. Anglers can improve their results on flathead by keeping the bait slowly moving across the bottom

Species	Rigs	Baits
Mullet/Garfish	Beach rig Quill or pencil flat rig	Prawn pieces  Bread Worms
Tips Mullet and garfish are commonly found throughout bays and estuaries, they are most commonly found around weed beds. Berley such as breadcrumbs soaked in tuna oil will improve results, as it will bring fish from a wide area.

Species	Rigs	Baits
Mulloway	General running rig Floater rig	Live mullet Fresh Squid Live yellowtail
Tips  Mulloway are a large shy fish mainly caught at night where they feed around reefs and gutters. To catch one of these creatures you will need to have the freshest bait possible and be very patient. When one does grab your bait allow it time to move off with it as mulloway will often mouth the bait before swallowing it.

Species	Rigs	Baits
Tailor	Ganged hook rig Bobby cork gang rig	Pilchards Whitebait Garfish
Tips Tailor fish are veracious feeders that travel in schools and can often be seen feeding as they splash through the surface of the water especially around dawn and dusk. Another way of finding tailor is to troll or spin along deep drop-offs with small metal lures.

Species	Rigs	Baits
Snapper	Floater rig General running rig Bottom rig	Pilchards Squid Prawns Fish fillets
Tips  Snapper are shy feeders often caught around the dawn and dusk periods. Best methods include lightly berleying and fishing with lightly weighted baits. As with mulloway allow snapper time to eat the bait.