catchin smelt

Maybe your not holding your lip right

anchovies: smallest hook you can get, 14 or less.  same with line, I have used 5lb main and 3lb branch and it kicks ass on the chovies. tested it side by side on a sabiki with bigger hooks and the bigger hooks don't get touched.

don't go much above size 14 hooks for a sabiki and go for the smallest line you can get. most sabikis on the shelves are too big, you will notice they always sell out of the smallest ones first. 

same rig will catch all the other bait but smelt and especially mackerel will destroy it but not before you catch some.

those super light sabikis are hard to find, I see 12 main and 6lb branch with size 14 hooks a lot. only seen the 5lb main, 3lb branch at one place. I am thinking about searching on line for those. casting with that light of a sabiki must be done very gingerly with less weight, but overall they improve the making bait process a lot.

you don't have to tip the hooks, but tipping just one can help. once one from the school hits, the rest will too.

deadstick works.  or very gentle jigging or shaking. strong jigging not usually helpful.

trolling is deadly. especially stop and go and in circles. casting to a bait ball works too. long rod is helpful.

smelt are usually on top. shiners usually on the bottom. anchovies mid column. sardines I dont know, never caught one but I heard the bait moves fast and does not just mosey around in the same spot like anchovies or smelt. mackerel seem to be mid column for me.

for a weight, I have seen a little plastic jar with holes in it, lead inside and ground fish or squid inside. a chum pot. never needed that myself but I did once make one.

For a weight I use a 2oz torpedo with a big duolock on the bottom so I can clip the weight to the hook holder on the rod. once I caught a mackerel on the duolock...  and sometimes they suck in the weight, it goes right out the gills and you land them that way. mackerel are nutty.

This thread is now filed in my favorites,

thank you all for the blow by blow bait making tips

dale

In San Diego/ La Jolla I've used sabikis with a "diamond jig" to make bait.  I've also used a simple 2 or 3 loop surf rig with super small trout hooks to catch larger smelt.  That small mouth was an issue though.

Heard yesterday about adding a small gold kastmaster as a weight to a sabiki, sounds like a gooooood idea! 

Also, if you want smelt, try Santa Cruz...  Thats about all I seem to catch on a sabiki over there!  Some guys off the wharf cast out with bobbers and sabikis and just seem to haul them in!

jmairey Wow! very detailed and informative. Thanks a bunch man. I've used those small ight ones in the past, and did get a lot of hits, but got frustrated with the breakoffs on the smelt. Catch 22 I guess. Thanks everyone for your input and info. All very helpful.
Jonesz

heres a link to one online source for the best sabikis I have used: 

http://www.landbigfish.com/tacklestore/showcase.cfm?PID=2003

looks like a japanese size 3 hook is an american size 14 hook...

you want the size 3 hooks, 5lb main, 3lb branch.  4 or 6 hooks, your choice, 

you can find them for a bit less online if you look harder.

heres a link to one online source for the best sabikis I have used: 

http://www.landbigfish.com/tacklestore/showcase.cfm?PID=2003

looks like a japanese size 3 hook is an american size 14 hook...

you want the size 3 hooks, 5lb main, 3lb branch.  4 or 6 hooks, your choice, 

you can find them for a bit less online if you look harder.

Those are the ones I use...found them on ebay and bought a bunch.

lotsa good info here.about the only thing i have to add. When in the open salt, tipping has not been necessary, but often in the bay its harder without tipping. i usually use the very end of the squid tentacle, because it lasts for a long time. If they are super finicky, shrimp has to be my secret weapon.It doesn't stay on the hook well, but they dont seem to be able to resist it. Black mussel is my number 2.

lotsa good info here.about the only thing i have to add. When in the open salt, tipping has not been necessary, but often in the bay its harder without tipping. i usually use the very end of the squid tentacle, because it lasts for a long time. If they are super finicky, shrimp has to be my secret weapon.It doesn't stay on the hook well, but they dont seem to be able to resist it. Black mussel is my number 2.