Tooradin is a quaint little town that provides peaceful, relaxing fishing for families, children and anglers looking to catch some fresh or live bait. Those who put extra time in here can also get lucky, with catches of bream and estuary perch seen from time to time by those with the skills and dedication to find them.
Bait Collection
One of the main reasons to fish Tooradin is for the collection of bait sized fish, there are plenty of mullet and small but legal sized salmon and trevally here. The best way to catch these smaller bait fish is by using small pieces (smaller than your fingernail) of chicken thigh, on size 10 long shank hooks rigged on a Paternoster rig. Chicken thigh is preferred over breast as it is tougher and oilier, not only does it stay on the hook for longer, it creates more attraction in the water too. This technique works best when combined with a sinking burley pot containing a combination of bread and tuna oil. You will catch fish this way during all stages of the tide, however, high tide is the preferred time, the best location for this is on the small jetty on the right just as you turn on to the road that leads to the boat ramp.
Use Light Tackle
Tooradin is a location containing primarily small species, there are larger fish to be caught there but they are few and far between, I suggest a 2-4kg rod with a nice light action and a 1000-2000 sized reel, this will allow you to feel all of the tiny bites and strike when the bite is a little better, it will also allow you to have a bit of fun if you do manage to hook a larger fish! Use 6-10lb fluorocarbon for your rigs and allow the fish to hit hard before setting the hook, if you strike every little tap you will be drowning in toadfish in no time!
Finding Rarer Fish
If you do decide to head to Tooradin in search of rarer species such a bream and estuary perch, be prepared to put in the hours, you will need to walk all along the banks of the inlet, fish behind the Pelican Cafe (Great fish and chips) and all along the banks with small lures and plastics, fishing a high tide on sunset using small vibes can work well, Rapala Countdowns are also a great choice here in the smaller sizes, you can fish them at any depth and use the countdown method to find the fish you’re after. Make sure you’re fishing close to structure and trying a few different lures until something works, Tooradin isn’t the easiest spot to catch an EP!
Summary
Tooradin is a fantastic location to catch fresh or live bait, and can be great fun for the kids and beginner anglers, however, if you’re after a feed, I suggest driving the further 10 minutes to Warneet Pier, where you can find much better table species, check out our Warneet Pier guide here!