BAIT CHOICE

It pays to keep your bait simple and convenient. Frozen mackerel and boxes of calamari squid are about as good as it gets and are easy to keep in a freezer. It means you can be ready to go whenever the conditions are right.

Big baits are the way forward. A whole large calamari squid in the six-inch size or several smaller ones bound together with bait elastic do the job. When it comes to mackerel, then whole fillets are hard to beat. Bind them with elastic so they keep their shape and mount them on the hooks. Do not discard the head and guts part because it is also a good bait.

Peeler crabs are used by many bass anglers, but they are not my choice. They tend to be on the small side, expensive to buy or timeand consuming to gather. Effective in late spring early summer, peelers attract bass of all sizes, too many other species and lots of eels when the water is dirty. I’m much happier with a big lump of squid or mackerel to single out the bigger fish.

For livebait, you can’t go wrong with a medium-size mackerel or a scad. It’s easy to catch them with feathers or a small silver spoon for immediate use. Pouting, poor cod, whiting and other similar species can be used and are caught on small worm baits. The advantage with these species is they can be stored for short periods in a large bucket with an aerator. Regular changes of water are a good idea. ■