Macrobrachium australiense
Brief Background
Bait Shrimps, also known as prawns, have been commercially produced as live bait for fishing since the late 1970’s. Our business, Freshwater Australian Crayfish Traders, was the first farm to commercially produce live shrimps as bait and we still do so today.
The bait shrimps are produced in large (mostly 0.25 ha) freshwater ponds in south-east Queensland. They are harvested by draining the ponds, catching and transporting the shrimps to holding tanks whereby they are sorted and graded, to separate a suitable size (mostly 2.5-4.5cm) for the purpose of live fishing.
When the numbers of bait shrimps in our tanks become low, more are harvested from one of the scores of ponds situated on our farm.
The shrimps are a native species, indigenous to most streams in Eastern Australia. They are predacious and breed naturally in a wide variety of freshwater environments.
In the wild, they form a significant part of the diets of many species of fish, birds and aquatic reptiles.
Freshwater Shrimps as Bait
Freshwater shrimps are highly sought after as live bait for use in both the freshwater and marine fishing environments.
Most baits work by sight and smell and hence, their attractive range is limited. Live shrimps emit distress sounds when correctly placed on a hook. These sounds can be detected by fish which are out of sight and the fish can hone in on this vibration.
Some fishermen report that placing two or more live shrimp on the same hook results in the shrimps fighting and consequently, producing more distress sounds. The result of this is an increased attractiveness of the live bait.
Availability
As a result of the large-scale commercial production of these bait shrimps, there is no seasonality of supply. They are generally available throughout the year.
Availability is, however, subject to the normal rules of supply and demand and the shrimps can at times be sold out. This interruption in supply is effectively only a short term event. The bait shrimps will be available again as soon as another pond can be harvested, which is normally within two to four days.
When ordering, it is advisable to also check on availability.
Packaging and Delivery
The bait shrimps are packaged live into plastic bags with water and oxygen whereby they are delivered directly from our farm to your premises. They can be delivered directly to businesses, homes and shops, in most areas of south-east Queensland.
Our delivery vans service most areas between Caloundra and Tweed Heads and go as far west as Toowoomba.
There is a small delivery fee, which may vary depending on the delivery region. However, the bait shrimps can alternatively be collected directly from our farm near Aratula, if arrangements have been made first.
Cost
Prices may vary for a variety of reasons. A delivered price can be quoted on request (Phone: 07 5463 8226).
