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You never lose the bait rig like that? Or no because there is always tension usinf heavier weights? |
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I use braid only on my Bait stick to have a better feel of the hit.
It has been my experience that once a mackerel is caught, you have two options. One to reel quickly and land one or two fish, or leave it and catch more. However, hooking more mackerel increases the chances of tangles. I use about 3-4 OZ. sinker on my rig. It allows me to cast far from the piers. Casting far is not needed from a kayak. I have heard of using a heavier sinker like one pound can reduce the tangling, but I have never tried it. The fouling of the Sabiki rig can happen with any rod anyhow. I ordered my first 8' rod on line. When I received it, I felt that I would be laughed out of the piers. Thus, I sent it back and bought a 7' at the FHS. Later I did buy a 8' at FHS and that rod allowed me to cast farther from the pier. I will use the 7' from my kayak. The low profile casting reel allows a less sever angle from the reel to the hole in the rod where the line enters. Thus, for a better cast. |
Disclaimer: I have worked the Fred Hall shows for Ahi/Promar for a couple years now
I started using the dedicated sabiki stck before my affiliation. I like being able to grab it and deploy a bait catcher within seconds if I see or meter bait. Especially important when bait is scarce. Yes, they are less sensitive and less flex. I use an old shimano Catala with 30# mono. Also, I like to use a heavy jig on the bottom because you never know what will be attracted to a couple baitfish in distress To each their own. I have done the swivel-on-a-hook approach and it works. But you still need to roll up and stow the rig, then unroll, detangle and attach. Not usually a problem, but with cold hands that are not as nimble as they were 30 years ago I find that in the time it takes me to deploy in any other manner, I can already have a couple baits caught and in the tank with the dedicated stick. Only one way you will determine if it is for you, and that is to try one out. I live in Fullerton, work in Huntington Beach, and you are welcome to borrow mine for one of your next outings if you want |
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You never lose the bait rig like that? Or no because there is always tension usinf heavier weights? |
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It's rare that I carry more than 3 rods on my fishing trips. If you play your cards right and pick a rod and reel that will do the job 99.999% of the time there really is no reason to have an arsenal of 20-30 setups.Don't get caught up in the hype with the 2-speed reels and the 8-rods that are great for casting, chances are that you'll rarely need or use either one, instead get something that fits you, your style of fishing and your kayak.
My 'go-to' rods are both 7' Teramar rods and until recently both rods were outfitted with Shimano Cardiff 400 reels, this is a bait casting reel but I was using them when I would fish for YT, Halibut and WSB. Now, one rod is outfitted with an Avet SX and the other with an SXJ. As far as sabiki rods go, save yourself some money and use one of the smaller rods that you have sitting around or buy something inexpensive and use one of the reels that is sitting in your garage(conventional or spinning). My Sabiki rod is a 5 or 6 foot ugly stick rod with one of my older Cardiff reels attached to it. Place a rolling swivel hook snap between your sabiki and your main line and you'll be able to change from a sabiki line to a squid catcher in no time. |
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I guess my two bits to the whole thread would be to find reels that have a reputation for being durable. And clean them properly after every trip. Being on the kayak so close to the water, and increased chances of reels taking a dip real fast every now and then/water splashing on them...everything just gets beat up more by the salt. Used rods are a great cheap option, and as its already been said, you can find smoking deals if you just creep the forums and have the cash ready and jump on an opportunity. My budget has been pretty limited so I have gone the route of used reels. I would highly recommend buying your reels new. The used reels I have bought have been more of a headache than anything. It's just nicer to have confidence in your reels when they are brand new and you know they will work properly. Again, as already stated you don't have to get crazy. There are some great durable reels out there for fair prices that cover all our kayak needs. |
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Fish the Ugly and TLD for a year, and if your still going out, maybe bump up gear. |
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haha sorry my intention was to hate on sibiki rods, not your dialed in quiver 2-stix! Your gear is tight. |
Well said Josh. You for the Usually regret buying g good gear Mike.
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You asked about light vs heavy irons.
So Cal style heavy iron fishing is also called yoyo iron. They're usually made of brass and wieght 4-10 oz. You drop the iron down on meter marks. Usually you let the jig hit the bottom then wind it up as fast as you can. Pretty simple. You can cast them and fish them other ways too. Since little or no casting is needed a heavy action 6-7' rod is the way to go. Surface iron is much different. The irons are made of aluminum and wiegh 2-5 oz. These irons are used when fish are feeding on or near the surface. When fish or working birds are seen you cast the light irons in to the area. Often long casts are need so the rods are usually 8-10' long. From a yak you can use shorter rods and even spinning reels to make the long casts. Mike |
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Ok, now that I've learned a bit more about salt setups, I wonder if I just need to offload some of my random gear and just start over. Here is what I have now....
RODS: Okuma Helios w/ micro guides 7'MH - Super light rod that I've been using to throw 110 sized jerkbaits in the bays. I like he rod but its pretty limited in its application. Although I did catch my first Halibut in MDR with this stick!<O:p</O:p <O:p</O:p Okuma EVX-A 7'5" H - Not really sure it has a home in my lineup anymore but it's a decent smaller swimbait rig.<O:p</O:p <O:p</O:p Daiwa DX Swimbait 8' XH - Thinking maybe an inshore bass stick? Okuma Makaira 8' ML<O:p</O:p Daiwa Proetus 8' MHF<O:p</O:p These two rods are REALLLLY close together in capability. When testing the bend in the rods and doing a little "lawn fishing", they feel really close in power and weight tolerance. The Daiwa maybe has another 2oz of capability over the Okuma, with the Okuma having more sensitivity. They feel too close to keep both. <O:p</O:pREELS:<O:p</O:p Quantum Smoke Inshore - Super light weight and pairs well with the Helios. Makes that MH setup feel a lot lighter than it really is. Again, its pretty limited in its application though. <O:p</O:p Okuma Komodo 364 w/power handle (older w/ red accents) - Decent reel but nothing landed with it yet. I'd be willing to seek out another as they seem to have a decent reputation for inshore and some offshore applications. Daiwa Saltist LW20 w/level wind - Seems like a great reel. Solid in hand with little play in the mechanics. Feels too heavy for the Proteus and the Makaira. I think I either need to trade this out, or find a dedicated jig stick for it. So....thoughts, suggestions, criticism? Much appreciated as always! - Kenny |
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