Shore Fishing for Yakkas – Easy Tips and Bait for Yellowtail Scad

Yakkas, or yellowtail scad, are one of the most useful fish an Australian shore angler can catch. They are plentiful, respond well to simple bait and burley, make excellent live bait for larger predators and are also surprisingly good eating.

You do not need heavy tackle or a complicated rig. A light rod, fine line, a small sharp hook and a steady burley trail will catch yakkas from wharves, jetties, harbour walls, rock ledges and other accessible shore locations around Australia.

This guide explains where to find yakkas, the best bait and hook sizes, several reliable rigs, how to keep them alive for bait and how to prepare them for the table.

Quick Yakka Fishing Setup

• Rod: Light 6–7ft spinning rod
• Reel: 1000–2500 size spinning reel
• Line: Approximately 4–8lb line with a light leader
• Hook: Small, sharp hook around sizes #8–#12
• Bait: Bread, prawn, squid or small pieces of fish
• Weight: None when possible, or only enough split shot to reach the fish
• Best locations: Jetties, wharves, harbour walls, piers and protected rock ledges
• Best times: Early morning, late afternoon and periods when baitfish are visibly active

Need suitable hooks? ReproBaits Estuary Hooks in sizes #6–#12 are useful for yakkas, garfish and other small baitfish. Select the smaller sizes when the fish are cautious or struggling to take the bait cleanly.

What Are Yakkas?

The Australian yellowtail scad has the scientific name Trachurus novaezelandiae. It is also called yellowtail, yellowtail horse mackerel, scad and yakka. It belongs to the same broader horse-mackerel group associated with Japanese ajing, which is why some Australian anglers also use the term aji when discussing light-tackle scad fishing.

Yakkas have a silver body, yellow tail, strongly forked tail and a dark spot near the rear edge of the gill cover. Although anglers commonly encounter smaller fish, the species can grow considerably larger. Their relatively small mouth is the main reason fine line, small hooks and small baits outperform heavy tackle.

Where to Catch Yakkas from Shore

Yellowtail scad occur widely through Australia's southern marine waters, including much of the Queensland, New South Wales, Victorian, Tasmanian, South Australian and Western Australian coastline. They form schools and often hold around structure where food and current concentrate.

Productive shore locations include:

• Wharves and public fishing piers
• Harbour walls and marina edges where fishing is permitted
• Jetties with pylons, lights or nearby deeper water
• Protected rock ledges beside reef or wash
• Bridge pylons and channel edges
• Boat ramps and sheltered bays holding baitfish

Sydney Harbour is one of the best-known yakka fisheries, but similar opportunities exist around Moreton Bay, Port Phillip Bay, Tasmania and many other protected coastal waters. Look for flashes of silver, nervous bait on the surface, birds working nearby or predators pushing bait against structure.

Yakkas may feed near the surface one day and several metres down the next. If you can see the school but cannot get a bite, change your depth before changing everything else.

Best Bait for Yakkas

Yakkas are aggressive feeders, but small baits generally produce the cleanest hook-ups.

Bread

Bread is cheap, readily available and particularly effective when it matches a bread-based burley trail. Pinch a small piece around the hook shank while leaving the point exposed. Avoid using a large dough ball that a yakka can peck apart without taking the hook.

Prawn, Squid and Fish

Small pieces of prawn, squid or fish stay on the hook better than soft bread. Cut the bait narrowly enough for a yakka's small mouth and expose the hook point. Tough squid strips are useful when small fish repeatedly strip softer bait.

Small Lures and Sabiki Rigs

Small sabiki rigs, tiny soft plastics and light metal jigs can catch yakkas when they are actively feeding on small baitfish. Keep the presentation small. A heavy 20–30g shore jig is generally unnecessary for ordinary yakka fishing unless depth or current specifically requires it.

How to Burley for Yakkas

A controlled burley trail is often the fastest way to locate a school and keep it close enough to fish from shore.

Soak bread in seawater until it breaks into fine particles. Adding a small amount of canned tuna, tuna oil or minced fish increases the scent. Release only a little at a time.

The aim is to create scent and suspended particles without feeding the school. Large chunks fill the fish, attract birds and can pull the school away from your hook bait. Small, regular additions are more effective than dumping the entire mixture at once.

Best Rigs and Techniques for Catching Yakkas

Unweighted Small-Hook Rig

This is the simplest and often the most effective yakka rig.

1. Tie a small hook directly to a light leader.
2. Add a small piece of bait and leave the hook point exposed.
3. Cast into or just beyond the burley trail.
4. Allow the bait to sink naturally on a semi-slack line.
5. Watch the line for a twitch, sudden movement or unexpected slack.
6. Lift the rod smoothly when the line tightens.

If wind or current prevents the bait from sinking, add one very small split shot. Use the least weight that will keep the bait in the feeding zone.

Float Rig

A float rig helps you control depth and detect bites. Set a small float above a light sinker and small hook, then adjust the depth until the bait sits where the school is feeding.

Start shallow when yakkas are feeding near the surface. If the float remains untouched, increase the depth in small increments. A sensitive float is preferable because yakkas can peck lightly before taking the bait.

Sabiki Rig

A sabiki rig can catch several yakkas at once. Attach an appropriate sinker to the bottom, lower or cast the rig near the school, then work it with small lifts rather than violent jerks.

Multiple hooked yakkas can tangle a sabiki quickly. Bring them in smoothly, keep the rig controlled and handle the exposed hooks carefully.

Ajing-Style Light Lure Fishing

Ajing is a Japanese light-tackle style developed around horse mackerel. The same finesse approach can be used on Australian yakkas with very light jigheads, tiny soft plastics and fine line.

Cast beside lit structure, pylons, reef edges or visible bait. Let the lure sink, then use short twitches, pauses and a slow retrieve. This technique is particularly enjoyable when larger yakkas are actively hunting rather than grazing in a burley trail.

Common Reasons Yakkas Will Not Bite

• The hook is too large: Drop to a smaller hook that fits easily in the fish's mouth.
• The bait is too bulky: Use a thin strip or small pinch of bait.
• The line is too heavy: Use a lighter leader when the water is clear or the fish are cautious.
• The bait is at the wrong depth: Change depth until you locate the school.
• Too much burley: Create a trail without feeding the fish.
• The rig is sinking unnaturally: Reduce the sinker weight or try an unweighted bait.

Using Yakkas as Live Bait

Yakkas are excellent live bait for kingfish, mulloway, snapper and other predators. The best live bait is lively, undamaged and matched to the size of the predator and tackle being used.

Keep captured yakkas in a large container with an aerator or a properly circulated live-bait tank. Avoid overcrowding and handle them with wet hands. Warm, poorly oxygenated water will weaken them quickly.

Common hook placements include lightly through the nose for towing or fishing in current, or beneath the skin behind the dorsal area for freer swimming. Avoid placing the hook through the spine or too deeply into the fish.

When fishing a yakka on a running rig, sinker slides can help separate the weight from the leader and allow the bait to move more naturally. For heavier shore casts, a casting trigger or complete distance-casting kit can protect your finger and give you a more controlled release.

Check the fishing rules that apply in your state before using live fish as bait. Rules, permitted species, possession limits and allowable bait use can vary between jurisdictions and waterways.

Can You Eat Yakkas?

Yes. Yakkas are commonly treated only as bait, but fresh fish have firm, mildly flavoured flesh. Bleed and chill them promptly for the best eating quality.

They can be:

• Crumbed and shallow-fried
• Pan-fried with garlic, butter and lemon
• Used in fish cakes with herbs and breadcrumbs
• Prepared in tacos
• Cooked with a Japanese-style panko crumb

Smaller fish can be fiddly to fillet, so keep only what you will use and process them while they are fresh.

Recommended Yakka Tackle

For catching yakkas themselves, keep the setup small and simple:

• Small Estuary Hooks #6–#12 for yakka, garfish and other small baitfish
• A light float, split shot and fine leader
• Small pieces of bread, prawn, squid or fish

If you plan to use your yakkas as live bait, consider:

• Sinker Slides for Running Rigs
• Sliding Bait Rigs for surf and rock fishing
• Casting Trigger or 11-Piece Long-Distance Casting Kit

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best bait for yakkas?

Bread, prawn, squid and small pieces of fish all work. Use a small bait that fits easily into the yakka's mouth and leave the hook point exposed.

What hook size should I use for yakkas?

Small hooks around sizes #8–#12 are a useful starting range. Go smaller when the fish are cautious or stealing bait without being hooked.

What is the best time to catch yakkas?

Early morning and late afternoon are reliable, but structure, current, bait activity and a controlled burley trail can produce yakkas throughout the day.

Can yakkas be used as live bait?

Yes. They are highly effective live bait for kingfish, mulloway, snapper and other predators. Keep them well oxygenated and check the bait-use rules applying to your location.

Are yakkas the same as aji?

Australian yakkas are yellowtail scad, Trachurus novaezelandiae. The Japanese term aji is associated with related horse mackerel and the finesse fishing style known as ajing. Australian anglers sometimes use the terms together, but they do not always refer to precisely the same species.

Are yakkas good to eat?

Yes. Fresh yakkas are good crumbed, pan-fried, made into fish cakes or used in tacos. Bleed and chill them promptly for the best result.

Final Yakka Fishing Tips

The simplest yakka setup is usually the best: fine line, a small sharp hook, a tiny bait and a light burley trail. Start without a sinker, change depth when necessary and keep the bait small enough for the fish to swallow cleanly.

Once you locate a school, yakkas provide plenty of light-tackle fun, first-rate live bait and a worthwhile feed. They are one of the most practical species an Australian shore angler can learn to catch.