Yabbies are easy to catch and are great bait for catching popular estuary species such as whiting, bream, and flathead.

What to do: Look for sand flats at low tide with small holes, as this is where the yabbies live. Using a yabby pump, pump 2 or 3 times and direct the sand and water onto the ground. Look for yabbies crawling around in the sand, mud or water, often spotted by their orange egg sac. Pick them up and keep them fresh in a bucket of seawater. They may have nippers so be careful when collecting and baiting on your hook as they can pinch.

Note: Yabbies caught in the white spot disease movement restriction area in South East Queensland cannot be moved out of the area unless cooked first.

Cast nets are great for catching a range of bait species such as prawns, mullet and herring. Learning how to throw a cast net correctly takes practice, but once mastered it is an invaluable skill for any fisher. To get started, speak to the staff at the bait and tackle store when you buy your cast net and they will be able to give you some pointers on different casting techniques. Alternatively, there are many demonstrational videos available online to help you perfect your technique.

Note: For details on size restrictions for cast nets, refer to the fishing rules and regulations for Queensland.

Cast netting prawns – Fresh prawns are great for catching inshore fish species such as whiting, dart, bream, flathead, snapper, and mulloway.

Note: Prawns caught in the white spot disease movement restriction area in South East Queensland cannot be moved out of the area unless cooked first.

Beach worms are great for catching inshore fish species such as whiting, dart, bream, flathead, and mulloway. Beach worms are subject to a possession limit of 30.

What to do: Pipis and fish frames can be used to catch beachworms. Be sure you are within your pipi possession limit of 30 at all times.

Using a bait bag or stocking, fill it with fish frames or pilchards, and wash through shallow water on an ocean beach to attract the worms. Once you locate a worm sticking its head out of the sand looking for the food source, place a small amount of fish about 1cm away and 1cm off the sand. Don’t let the bait touch the worm. The worm will arch its ‘neck’ out of the sand and grab hold of the bait. At this point carefully slide your fingers, around the worms head and grab the worm tightly, but not too tight as to crush it. Slowly pull the worm out from the sand with an even pressure to ensure you don’t break it. Store your worms in a bucket of fresh seawater ready for use. There are many demonstrational videos available online to help you perfect your technique.

Note: Beach worms caught in the white spot disease movement restriction area in South East Queensland cannot be moved out of the area unless cooked first.

Cribb Island worms are great for catching most estuary species such as whiting, bream and flathead. Cribb Island worms are subject to a possession limit of 50.

What to do: At low tide look for easily accessible seagrass-flats and using a garden fork turn sods upside down, exposing the roots and mud underneath. Look for red-brown worms moving in the mud, pick them up, and place in a bucket of fresh seawater.

Seagrass meadows are fragile habitats, and activities that damage them may affect associated fish populations. People harvesting bloodworms (commercially or recreationally) must level the working area and replace all seagrass in an upright position either during digging or immediately afterwards. Disturbance to seagrass is an offence under fisheries legislation, so all harvesters must be vigilant during their operations.

Note: Cribb Island worms caught in the white spot disease movement restriction area in South East Queensland cannot be moved out of the area unless cooked first.

Pipis are great for catching small estuary species such as whiting, bream and flathead. Pipis are subject to a possession limit of 30 in Queensland. Other gastropods and bivalve molluscs are no take in Moreton Bay. More information is available at Management changes for Gastropod and bivalve molluscs in Moreton Bay.

What to do: On a sandy surf beach, look for small rises, about the size of 50 cent coin, in the hard sand between the high and low tide marks. In ankle deep water, dig into the sand about 10cm deep, or wriggle your feet side-to-side until you feel a hard shell. Turn the sand over and pick up any pipis you find. Keep your pipis in a bucket of fresh seawater. Open them with a knife or hit them together and thread the soft muscle inside straight on your hook.

Bait jigging is a great way to catch a range of small fish species such as herring and yellowtail scad that can be used as live or dead bait. Try jigging from a jetty or rubble reefs.

What to do: Buy a 6-hook bait jig from your local tackle store. The bait rig has a series of small hooks and shiny plastic strips to attract fish and a sinker on the end. Jigging works best near submerged structures such as jetty pylons, beacon poles or rock walls, where you find small schools of fish. Bounce the jig up and down in the water until you feel a fish take hold. Keep your bait fish fresh in a bucket of seawater until you are ready to use them.

For details on in possession limits for fish and bait species, refer to the fishing rules and regulations for Queensland.

Lures and soft plastics are a great alternative to bait fishing. They are reusable and aren’t messy and smelly like some bait. There is a huge range of lures and soft plastics available that target different fish species and are suitable for different fishing situations. Ask the staff at your bait and tackle store for advice when selecting lures and soft plastics or go online and search for demonstrational videos to help you perfect your technique.