Pilchards

Tweed Bait Pilchards are individually quick frozen to preserve the fish quality and maintain freshness when thawed.

Fresh Pilchards being individually quick frozen at our Iluka depot.

Tweed Bait pilchard range includes :

• Small pack – Perfect for estuary and beach fishing for beginners looking to enjoy a day fishing on the water.
• Value pack – Our most popular packet size is great for a family day out or chasing some Tailor, Snapper, or Flathead.
• 2 KG IQF packet and WA Block – Ideal for a trip offshore reef fishing or chasing Mackerel
• 4 Kg  & 15 Kg IQF Carton- for the keen angler with enough space to store for future trips.

If you would like to stock our product click here.

Captain Peter Kerr unloading fresh Pilchards into bins of ice.

In 2018 Tweed Bait purchased a 15.4-meter aluminum vessel “Southerly” to catch and process Blue Pilchards in Yamba NSW.

Have you ever wondered how Tweed Bait Pilchards are caught and processed?

Earlier this year Paul Burt from Step Outside jumped on board the Southerly and visited our processing plant in Iluka to show you firsthand how the process is done.

Location:

Tweed Bait Pilchards are collected fresh locally from Iluka and Yamba. Pilchards are also sourced from Western Australia and South Australia.

Techniques:

Gang hooks from the beach – hook size 4/0-6/0 are best for offshore paternoster rig or floating pilchards for snapper and other reef species

Single hooks or gang hooks are most effective.

Bait rigging:

When rigging a pilchard on gang hooks you want to line up the pilchard with your gang hooks making sure the top hook lines up with the eye of the pilchard then proceed to start from the tail and push your hook through the body making sure the hook is exposed.

This technique is best used from the beach when chasing tailor or float lining for snapper.

Billy with a nice tailor caught on pilchards (Fingal NSW)

For paternoster rigs, a single hook with half pilchard is a very effective technique. A second or third hook can be added to this rig if desired.

Floating unweighted pilchards on wire trace rigs targeting spotted and Spanish mackerel in shallow and inshore reefs is a popular and very effective technique.

Bait skirts can be added to these also.

Blake with a little Spanish caught on pilchards (Gold Coast QLD)

Tweed Bait Fishing shirts are available here

You can also check out Paul Burt’s tips on some of the best ways to bait up Pilchards below

For more great tips and delicious recipes click here