The most commonly young fish used to form fishbait are Pilchards, Harder, Maas-banker and Steenjie. If using Mackerel or Elf, cut fillets off the bone and using elastic cotton, tie to the hook in long strips. If fishing for large predators use live bait and insert the hook through the back of the fish just below the dorsal fin.

Catch: Tuna, Red Steenbras, Rock Cod, Red Roman, Kob, Elf, Cape Salmon.

Find this highly prized bait, best used fresh, in tidal pools at low tide, use unskinned as bait, just the head or if small enough the whole octopus.

Catch: Cape Salmon, Kob, White and Black Musselcracker, Red Roman

Sand prawns collected by means of a prawn pump

Catch: Blacktail, Cape Salmon/Geelbek, Galjoen,Kob, White Musselcracker, Red Roman, Rock Cod, Spotted Grunter, White Steenbras, Sand Steenbras, Stumpnose, Zebra Fish

Popular when trying to land bottom feeders such as Galjoen and Hottentot. Redbait is found all along the rocky coastal regions but can be difficult to reach, your best bet is trying to get it at a low Spring Tide. Most rock fish prefer red bait fresh.

Catch: Blacktail, Galjoen, Strepie, White Steenbras, Black Musselcracker/Poenskop, Zebra Fish

Which are scarce due to exploitation live beneath the sand in greatest abundance near the low-water mark or beyond and will be found by shuffling your feet into the sand and “feeling for them”.

Catch: Cape Stumpnose, White Steenbras, Sand Steenbras, Spotted Grunter, Galjoen, Blacktail.

Bloodworms live under the sand on the beach, along river banks and around estuaries, bloodworms can be extracted with a prawn pump.

Catch: Blacktail, Sand Steenbras, Cape Stumpnose