Bait and berley

What is berley?

Berley must not be used to attract fish for any purpose other than as part of a fishing operation.

You must not use more than 10 litres of berley to assist in the taking of fish in Port Phillip Bay, Western Port, the Gippsland Lakes, any inlet or within 1 nautical mile of the Victorian coastline (including Victorian Islands).

Outside of these areas, there is no restrictions on the amount of berley that can be used.

Bait and berley restrictions

Mammal blood or offal

The use of berley that contains mammal blood or offal to attract any species of fish is prohibited in Victorian waters. Please note bait pellets that contain mammal blood or offal can be used.

Undersize fish

You must not use undersize fish as bait in Victorian waters.

Live bait from other waters

You must not use live bait from a separate waterway as bait or berley.

It is an offence to release live bait in a water other than where the bait was initially caught.

The release of live bait into other water bodies can result in the spread of undesirable fish species and/or disease.

Noxious fish

You must not use live noxious species (including European carp, koi carp, European green shore crab) as bait in Victorian waters.

Fish ova (eggs)

You must not use fish ova or any form of uncooked trout or salmon as bait or berley to take or attempt to take any species of fish in Victorian waters.

Frogs

Frogs’ eggs, tadpoles and frogs, dead or alive, are protected wildlife under the Wildlife Act 1975 and must not be used as bait in Victorian waters.

Protected fish

You must not use as bait any fish protected under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988, unless an authorisation has been made under that Act.