making bait with sabikis

I read this in one of the other forums.....

...instead of using a lead weight at the end of a sabiki set-up - use a heavy kastmaster instead (just take off the treble hook) - just an added "attraction" for the baitfish   ....

I've been doing a bit of research on the sabiki rigs myself and I'd guess it depends on the bottom structure your fishing around/over. If there is the chance a big ling could be around you just might want to keep that hook on or instead add a diamond jig. I've read about guys making bait over a rock pile and hooking into a large ling on a sabiki rig. I've also read about adding a lightstick or light making device to help attract bait as well. Personally I've never used one but I think I will soon - Does anyone have any tips for sabiki rigs in Northern California?  

Jeff

Not that I know this works anymore cause its been so freaking long since I have been on water.  

I make homemade sabiki rigs by making flies. The ones for anchovies are small size 12 (10 at largest )hooks with a glow bead as the head and then a tiny piece of salmon skin that I dry and dye different colors. Usually red and white work the best.

I have never caught a live dino!

For the mackrel that show up in monterey bay, ( my favorite bait for big fish fishing) I use size 6 hooks with a silver spinner head and some flashabu tail, sorta like a meps spinner, then troll them around with a croc as the weight. Get two or three of those 12-14" mackrel on the end of your line and you'll swear you've caught something a lot bigger.

-Brian

Careful freediverca.  Putting a lure on the end of a sabiki string leaves you with too many hooks on the line if you hook into something bigger.

I use sabiki's quite a bit, most often with a small squid bit on the hooks.  I've caught some  interesting bycatch on the straight sabiki's.  Getting attacked by a school of blues proves interesting.  The "best" catch I've had was 3 blues and a 29.999" ling at the same time last year.  Kind of suprising as I was jigging 15' down in 45' of water.  When all else fails, I resort to trolling.  Last weekend I had a bit of problem catching bait.  I ended up trolling the rig around and caught a couple jacksmelt (my favorite bait).

-Allen

I like to bring a little chum with me when I go bait hunting with sabiki rigs. I save ab guts, old bait, and just about any other fish or squid and blend them in the blender when the wife isn't looking. My kids ratted on me last time so I had to buy her a new blender. I have my very own bait blender but just burned it up on some bait because the fish skins were too much for the motor to handle. Oh well! I like to pour the bait smoothe into small empty yogurt containers and then freeze them. The key to using them is to not allow too much chum to drift out or the bait will hone in to eating the micro bits of your bait smoothe. I wouldn't use a mesh bag to release the scent. I either use the plastic yogurt container itself and attach some mono and poke some holes in it. Also, you can buy the plastic bait containers that they use in crab traps. They look like a small flower pot and have a screw on lid. The bait smoothe in frozon form fits right into those containers. Dangle it overboard on the upstream side of your boat and use the sabiki rig on the other side and give it a couple of jigs once and a while. Personally i do very well with this combo. I like the idea about the kastmaster too.

I like the idea of the frozen bait slush and wonder if put in one of those minnow traps and just tossed overboard while drifting. You'ld get a chum slick + bait, seems feasible.

Hmmm... the minnow trap while drifting might work, plus it'll probably help slow the drift too.  Elric, let me know if it works.

For the mackrel that show up in monterey bay, ( my favorite bait for big fish fishing) I use size 6 hooks with a silver spinner head and some flashabu tail, sorta like a meps spinner, then troll them around with a croc as the weight. Get two or three of those 12-14" mackrel on the end of your line and you'll swear you've caught something a lot bigger.

When I was living is the SC area I loved catching those guys.  I keep intending to use a very light-weight setup with 2 lb test and go "little tuna" fishing.

http://www.captharry.com/rods-baitpro.html

Now here is an interesting idea for dealing with the sabiki rig, a sabiki rod. The main length of the rod is actually a cylinder that the sabiki rig can be reeled into to protect you and it from each other. Looks like it would take just about any reel as well. Anybody ever use one of these? It looks like a nice easy way to deal with using a sabiki rig on the kayak.

I'm going to have to make up a batch of chum smoothies also - I like it instead of chasing all over for the bait you make them come to you. We used to do something similar when spearfishing. We'd shoot a couple fish and put them on the stringer on the anchor line and swim away hunting for awhile - periodically you come back and more often than not there is a big ling laying there with one of your fish in his mouth.

Jeff

Just got back from Gus' and bought one of those cylindrical minnow traps for $7, Stephanie said that one of the best bait you can use is either cat food or dog food. Just punch a couple holes in the can and set it in the trap. She said you can also add a lil glowstick to attract the bait as well.
The trap is pretty compact and you can take it apart and sit one half inside the other, like a pair of buckets. The holes are pretty small about 1.5" in diameter, so large smelts won't be able to get in. Otherwise, there's no reason why it shouldn't work, will give it a go tomorrow.

Anybody ever use one of these?

http://www.captharry.com/rods-baitpro.html

I got one - Chris / CPYAK was actually the one who suggested it to me. It works really well - I have to say that I get less tangles and more importantly, less hooks puncturing my skin and cloths ever since I started making bait with this rod. I give it a "   "



This comes with a reel already =

http://www.rivermarinesupply.com/xcart/catalog/product_11267_Baitpro_Sabiki_Combo_with_Spinning_Reel.html

I don't fish the ocean yet, but I hear a lot of talk about a sabiki? I gather it's a multi-hooked rig for catching baitfish.  Can someone post a shot of one?  I think I know what they may look like, I've seen people using multi-hooked rigged lines out on Santa Cruz wharf.

http://store.tackletogo.com/sabikirigs.html

i was out salmon fishing with a buddy and his kids last season and we were lettting the kids catch bait with sabiki's while we mooched.  They loved it.  The craziest thing that happened was one of the kids actually caught a little 12 inch salmon on the sabiki.  We threw it back but I couldn't believe my eyes when he reeled it in.

that must have been one hell of a fight