b'BAITAlways keep an eye out for large black-backed gulls gathered on the beach or look for the birds fighting over shellfish, this means you have found a good spot to gather bait and fish.Find the shellfish beds and the fish wont be far behind.When casting soft fleshed shellfish with force, it means you must use elastic cotton to keep the bait on the hook.Snapper will happily take tuatua, pipis or cockles cast out on the hook but often trevally are the first to hit these tasty baits when used, a great fish for sashimi or smoking, but trevs also makes a top snapper bait.I like to cut thin strips of fresh trevally for snapper, and it has paid off big time, landing my biggest snapper over 12-15lb on trevally.MULLETNETTEDOut in the surf mullet are found in large numbers feeding on plankton.This is where you need a long (40-60m) net to catch them and often you will score 30-50 in one drag.I can remember as a kid dragging the net with my grandfather Alby Pattinson, and we got a hundred mullet in one go!It took over an hour just to get them out of the net.This method means you will have plenty of bait to freeze and use over summer, saving youThis image shows how to cut mullet hundreds of dollars.Fresh mullet takenbaits for surfcasting then wrapped with from the surf and smoked, is one of thecotton. This bait was hit by a fish which best fish going as its high oil contentpulled it up the hook but didnt rip it off.Always scale kahawai beforeprovides amazing flavour and moisture.cutting into baits, the thick scalesWhen netting on a beach you need a can blunt hooks and even stop thecouple of helpers, two people to hold the hook penetrating a fishs mouth. net gathered between them and walk out together just above waist deep to spread and then walk backwards into the beach.Another person will follow along with the vehicle and help remove fish from the net. Always net on an incoming tide, it is dangerous netting when the tide is going out as it can be exceedingly difficult for two men to hold the net in the surges and not lose it.Mullet also like dirty (brown) water which is where the plankton is and will be feeding in the water with their heads bobbing out and you can also see them jumping or surfing down the breaking waves.Netting is a fun way to catch a feed of silver/grey mullet and stock the freezer for bait for a few months.Another benefit is you will also pick up some tasty flounder or sole this way for the table.28FISHING IN GODZONE NOV/DEC 2022'