How would you guys target baldchin groper?
Submitted by beeroclock on Thu, 2016-09-01 19:53
Gday guys - ive been catching good numbers of dhueys and some pinkys lately out off two rocks in water from depth range 24 -45m so cant complain too much but have noticed I havent got a baldie in quite a few trips out there. I use 10/o owner circles and big baits of either a whole squid or two small squid on one hook. Do any of you guys find you get more baldies on occy or mulies or is squid just as good in your experience? Im thinking maybe i should run a 10/o hook with big bait for dhueys and a small, say 7/o for baldies, but i dont want all the by-catch of wrasse and sweep. Maybe i should be fishing deeper for baldies say 60-70m depths what do you guys reckon?
Jim
Posts: 1336
Date Joined: 05/05/06
I reckon your hooks may too
I reckon your hooks may too big, they dont really have huge mouths.
Bend over
sea-kem
Posts: 15001
Date Joined: 30/11/09
I get most of mine on hard
I get most of mine on hard coral in the 40's, I run a larger 8 or 9/0 for top hook and then a 6 or 7/0 Mustad Hoodlam on the bottom. They are finicky buggers and I find they need to be hit at the right time to get a good hook up. Bait is whatever but I do get get them on ganged mulies too. Going to have a crack using placcy's this year.
Love the West!
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
If you can find them try to
If you can find them try to use live red rock crabs as bait.
Fish! HARD!
black gen
Posts: 762
Date Joined: 13/04/11
With a 1.9m piece of sprung
With a 1.9m piece of sprung steel fired straight at its thick head
scotto
Posts: 2470
Date Joined: 21/04/08
^ like
1.9m x 6.5mm dia, single 20mm rubber.
BOOM.
nightfish
Posts: 327
Date Joined: 18/10/10
Hardy heads
took out some hardy heads one day and couldn't escape them, not a bad problem to have!
Chinbald
Posts: 317
Date Joined: 21/02/09
Fresh cephalopod Occy
Calamari or Cuttlefish on snelled 4/0 suicides flat coral in the 40s, fish lightest sinker on paternoster rig. Baldy killing setup. Very rarely get busted up and the bites and first strong run are cool fun on baitcaster outfit. 40lb braid and 50lb mono trace.
Madmerv
Posts: 672
Date Joined: 24/01/15
Baldies..Mmmm
Baldies do hide in the caves and crevices but prefer to feed more on the flat rubble areas. That is why you generally get them hooked after the drift over that cracking Dhu hole just when you are thinking of moving. As said above they prefer a smaller bait than a whole squid but have a decent set of shell crushers on them and i have often felt my bait being shredded, a longish pause and then hookup up on the top top hook of the snell setup. Usually a 5/0 bait holder. As Chinbald said go as light as you dare. I usually fish 30lb and keep sinkers and jigs as light as the drift will allow. I have always thought those prawn jigs would be dynamite on baldies but have had no sucess so far. Mind you my jigging still has a long way to go before i can recommend anything. Bloody jigs.
50% of all fishermen will call the Baldie as the best eating fish on the SW Coast. Worth while getting your Dhu and spending the rest of the day specifically targeting them with smaller hooks and sure, more by-catch.
Sometimes when the water is quiet, you can hear the fish laughing at you !
little johnny
Posts: 5360
Date Joined: 04/12/11
Smaller hooks
100%. Fresh occy or squid brilliant. Try something different, peeled cooked Prawn tails are amazing. If any baldies in area they will belt it. I don't know weather it's the colour of cooked tail or scent unsure. But guarantee they work brilliant . Good luck
roberta
Posts: 2773
Date Joined: 08/07/08
Hahahah Old fart
always took his mate fishing as his mate always and I mean always caught the baldies (he could never catch dhuie's) while old fart caught the dhuies and snapper.
Ginger Tablets Rock
groverwa
Posts: 286
Date Joined: 21/07/14
Prawns that are turning brown
Prawns that are turning brown and smelly after being in the sun and near going bad worked for me when I lived in Exmouth.
ranmar850
Posts: 2702
Date Joined: 12/08/12
Small tainawa circle hooks
Are deadly, with fresh squid. But they also love king prawns, and small crabs.
jarrid
Posts: 363
Date Joined: 20/08/10
they love whiting heads on
they love whiting heads on smaller hooks too