Fishing for Bait Fish to Catch a Sea Trout

This entry is the first part on live bait fish fishing. The idea is simple enough you use a small live fish to catch a big fish. In this entry I show you how I prepare sardine for both fishing the bait fish (and Mullet) and also to use on the beach for sea bass and flat fish. I also go out to test the water as it were.

Preparing the sardine:

I went out today to buy sardine but unfortunately it’s a little early in the year to get fresh sardine so I bought baby sardines here called “Parrocha”. These are just a little smaller than the sardines found in tins but don’t be tempted to use canned sardines as they’re not very effective.

First fill a pan (or something) with sea water, if you can’t get sea water us bottled water but not tap water as this generally has fluoride, chlorine and heavens knows what else and the fish are much more sensitive to these chemicals than people give them credit.

Peel a potato (size in relation to the pan used) and drop in the water. It sinks.

You then begin adding salt stirring well to dissolve until the potato floats. This will be just the right amount of salt. If using bottled water it’ll take quite a lot of salt to make the potato float.

Now add a fair amount of sugar. Here I added three good table spoons worth. This creates a kind of sealant keeping all the goodness in the sardine, at least for other fish.

Put the Sardines into the water

Keep the sardines in the water for at least an hour before taking out and allowing them to dry. If you go to fish on the beach this is probably the best bait for large sea bass and flat fish.

In the following video I show you how I attract the fish to where I’m fishing.

In this video is the fishing itself.

The idea is to use the live bait fish for fishing sea trout (it is also extremely effective with sea bass). Sea trout hang around the ports at the mouths of estuaries at this time of year feeding as often as possible to build up strength whilst waiting for the right moment to start their journey up river.

Here in Spain it’s illegal to kill them while they’re still in the sea, something I agree with, but if released no action is taken against the angler.

This “port and harbour fishing” is a great way to introduce children to fishing. Mullet aren’t easy prey and it teaches kids the feel of very delicate bites and the skill to hook a fish. Mullet are also good fighters and can weigh a fair amount giving the angler a great rush of adrenaline. Mullet are also pretty robust fish that survive well after being released.

If you take your kids, or try it for yourself, never leave the rod unattended, especially with the bait in the water. I’ve seen several people losing their rods to the depths while taking a pee and it was at this precise moment that the mullet decided to hit. Also never leave the hook baited even out of the water as seagulls will come in very quickly if the rod is left unattended with similar consequences.

I’ll be going out in the next few days in search of the sea trout. I stand little to no chance of catching one but as the strong winds persist, and I hate heavy lures, I might as well try and even if I don’t catch a sea trout there is a good chance of catching some good sea bass using the same technique that I’ll show you in the next entry.

Until next time.

Happy Fishing