Yellowtail scad are worth treating as a target in their own right. Catching a few on light tackle teaches depth control, small-bait presentation and the difference between a school that is absent and one that is simply below your hooks. Around Trial Bay, near South West Rocks, the practical starting point is the inshore bait collection marker buoy and the water around it.
This is a boat-based light-tackle plan, not an invitation to make an offshore run. Begin with one small baited hook because it is easy to control and reveals what the fish are taking. Try a short bait jig only after locating a feeding layer. All tackle dimensions, fishing times and presentation ranges below are practical starting suggestions, not local catch-rate measurements or guaranteed prescriptions.
Identify a yakka before keeping it
Yellowtail scad, Trachurus novaezelandiae, is commonly called yakka. Look for a silver body with a greenish or brownish back, a yellow forked tail, a dark spot at the rear edge of the gill cover and enlarged scales, or scutes, along the lateral line. The narrow tail base and curved pectoral fin are additional useful features.
A yellow tail alone is not enough. Yellowtail kingfish is a different fish with different rules; do not shorten every identification to “yellowtail.” Slimy mackerel also occur around the Trial Bay bait buoy. Other scads can complicate identification, so compare the whole fish with a reliable species reference and release an uncertain catch rather than assigning it to whichever bag limit seems convenient.
The species schools across southern Australian marine waters, from southern Queensland around the southern coast to north-western Western Australia. That broad range does not establish that every wharf or bay holds fish on a given day. Trial Bay is useful here because the local bait ground is specifically documented, not merely inferred from a continental distribution map.
Separate the inshore buoy from the offshore FAD
NSW DPIRD lists the Trial Bay bait collection marker at approximately 30°52.760′S, 153°03.110′E in about 10 metres of water. Confirm the current entry and the buoy's presence before relying on it. The separate South West Rocks offshore fish aggregating device appears elsewhere in the same table; it is not the destination described in this guide.
Boats must not tie to the bait buoy. DPIRD asks anglers to anchor rather than strain its mooring. Keep your own anchor and fishing lines clear of the device, other boats and their swing circles. Where safe positioning is not possible, choose another day instead of squeezing into a crowded patch.
NSW National Parks lists a concrete ramp at Laggers Point and a 4WD ramp off Cardwell Street, Arakoon. The concrete ramp has a 9pm–7am closure during NSW and Queensland school holidays and major events. Check current park alerts, ramp conditions and restrictions before departure. The existence of a ramp does not establish that a particular boat can launch safely in the day's swell.
The attraction is a defined search area, not a promise that fish remain directly beneath the marker. Watch the sounder if available and inspect the water beside, up-current and down-current of the visible structure. Start outside the mooring footprint. The fish may occupy a layer suspended well above the bottom.
Understand the food and the holding water
Research summarised in the NSW stock assessment describes juveniles entering shallow inshore marine areas and lower estuaries, often over soft substrate and near permanent structures. Zooplankton is documented food for these juveniles. Adults also occupy coastal waters associated with rocky reefs. Do not turn that into a claim that a particular seabed type has been surveyed beneath the buoy.
The practical implication is to work through the water column with small offerings. A heavy bottom bait can miss fish feeding higher up. A small bait strip or dressed hook is an angling presentation to test, not a claim that squid strips reproduce the fish's entire natural diet.
The stock assessment discusses spring spawning with uncertainty; it does not provide an hourly Trial Bay bite forecast. For a late-spring or summer outing, prioritise a safe weather window and observable fish. Try early daylight if it suits access and conditions, then use depth and feeding response to guide the session. Neither dawn nor a particular tide stage guarantees a school.
A manageable current helps keep a bait moving, but excessive flow can pull a light rig out of the feeding layer. If the line sweeps far away from the boat, first shorten the amount deployed or adjust the weight. If maintaining control requires an awkwardly heavy rig, reassess the position rather than continuing to fish blindly.
Assemble a single-hook search rig
A 6–7-foot light spinning rod, a 2000–2500-size reel and 6–10-pound main line are a sensible starting outfit. Use a supple tip that shows small bites while retaining enough control to keep a fish away from another angler's line. A light monofilament outfit is perfectly adequate; braid is an option, not a prerequisite.
For a compact paternoster, tie a swivel to the main line and attach approximately 80 centimetres of 8–10-pound monofilament below it. Form a short dropper about 25–30 centimetres above the bottom end and attach one small hook on a roughly 10-centimetre branch. Put the sinker at the bottom. The hook then fishes above the weight rather than being pinned under it.
Begin with a size 10–12 bait hook and a sinker of about 5–15 grams, increasing weight only enough to maintain control. Hook numbering differs between patterns and manufacturers, so compare the actual gap with the small bait and the fish's mouth. Test every connection before lowering the rig.
Cut a narrow strip of squid or fish flesh, roughly 5–10 millimetres long as an initial trial, and hook it once or twice so the point and gap remain exposed. A bulky wad invites nibbling without a clean hook-up. If the bait twists as you lower it, trim the loose end or remount it.
Find the feeding layer before changing the rig
Lower the single-hook rig on a controlled line rather than throwing it out in a tangle. Begin above any fish shown on the sounder and work down in short stages. Without electronics, count the descent consistently and compare successive drops. A count is a way to repeat a presentation, not an accurate conversion to metres.
Hold the rod still for several seconds, then make a small lift and let the bait settle again. Think in centimetres of movement rather than sweeping the rod through a large arc. A stationary bait with slight boat movement is a useful comparison to an actively worked one.
A bite may feel like rapid taps or appear as a small change in tip pressure. When a persistent pull develops on the ordinary bait hook, take up slack and lift smoothly. Do not strike hard enough to launch the rig from the water. If fish repeatedly remove the bait, reduce the bait size and check that the point remains sharp and uncovered.
Once a fish is hooked, bring it up steadily. Remember the successful countdown or sounder depth and repeat it promptly. If the next drops fail, search a little above and below that layer before assuming the school has left.
Add a short bait jig only when it helps
A short rig of two or three small dressed hooks can test whether fish will take a lure without bait. Select fine hooks of a similar physical size to the single-hook rig, on short branches along a trace about 60–90 centimetres long. Use the manufacturer's upper connection for the main line and its lower connection for a sinker. Inspect the trace for damaged knots or tangled branches before every drop.
As an initial trial, use a 10–20-gram sinker if that keeps the jig controlled within the rod's casting and handling limits. Lower it vertically and use short lifts, pauses and slow rises through the identified layer. Large jerks can foul-hook fish and tangle the branches. Stop fishing any rig that is repeatedly snagging fish rather than attracting mouth takes.
Pearl, translucent and small reflective dressings are reasonable first choices to test in clear water. Try a brighter dressing if the fish cannot readily find the rig in reduced visibility, but do not treat colour as a proven local rule. Compare size, movement and depth before buying a succession of different patterns.
A single-hook rig remains preferable with inexperienced anglers, crowded decks or awkward unhooking conditions. Multiple hooks do not automatically improve a session. Retrieve promptly once hooked fish make the rig difficult to control, and keep unused hooks away from hands and clothing.
A float is a useful third option
When fish are visibly feeding high in the water, fit a small fixed float above a swivel and a 50–80-centimetre leader with the same small bait hook. Put only enough shot above the swivel to cock the float and allow a gentle cast. Set the initial fishing depth around a metre, then adjust to the fish's observed layer.
Cast a short distance up-current into clear water beside the boat, away from the buoy and other lines. Let the bait travel while retrieving slack. A sinking or steadily travelling float calls for a smooth lift with this ordinary hook. Wind-driven surface drift can pull the bait too quickly; shorten the cast or return to the vertical rig when that happens.
| Observation | Rig to try | Presentation | Useful adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fish located below the surface | Single-hook paternoster | Lower in stages and pause at the marked depth | Change depth before changing bait |
| Small taps but no hooked fish | Smaller bait on the same hook | Hold steady, then lift on a sustained pull | Clear the hook gap and trim the bait |
| A feeding school accepts repeated drops | Short dressed bait jig | Small vertical lifts and pauses | Retrieve before multiple fish tangle the rig |
| Fish visible high beside the boat | Small float and bait | Short controlled drift | Shorten the cast if wind drags the float |
| Rig reaches bottom without interest | Single hook worked higher | Search upward in measured stages | Reposition if the full column remains empty |
A worked outing
For a hypothetical two-person session, check park access, fishing rules and the marine forecast before launching. At the bait ground, find a safe position clear of the marker and other boats. One angler starts with the single-hook rig; the other watches the sounder or surface and keeps the deck ready for unhooking.
Suppose taps begin after the third short stage of descent. Repeat that depth with a smaller bait and a still pause. If fish then hook cleanly, keep the same rig long enough to establish the pattern. Only then compare a short dressed jig. If its action fails while bait continues to work, return to bait rather than assuming artificial lures must be better.
After a quiet spell, make one orderly pass above and below the successful layer. If there is still no response, inspect nearby water from a safe position. Repeated snags call for less depth and more clearance from the mooring, not stronger line pulled harder against it. End the session when conditions no longer permit a controlled presentation.
Rules and handling in brief
NSW DPIRD's ordinary line-fishing limit is three hooks or gangs per line; a separate hand-jigging provision permits one line with up to six single hooks with lures attached. The short rigs described here do not require six hooks. Check the current baitfish table, including the Jack Mackerel and Yellowtail Scad grouping, relevant closures and recreational fishing-fee requirements or exemptions. Baitfish are subject to limits even when intended for another fishing session.
Keep only fish you can lawfully use and care for. Unhook unwanted fish quickly with wet hands, and avoid leaving a loaded multi-hook rig swinging around the boat. If retaining live bait, use suitable aerated or flowing water and avoid crowding. Wear appropriate flotation equipment and remember that “relatively protected” Trial Bay still requires a sound weather and boating decision.