making mac's
 

hey guys, im new to the live bait era on a yak. I have found it very easy to make macs at the local piers, but if im launching away from a pier should i just drop a sabiki and hope to get lucky? any time saving tips?

Theres some great info to search on this site:
http://www.kayakfishingsupplies.com/...plate=livebait


http://www.kayakfishingsupplies.com/...ence-live-bait

http://www.kayakfishingsupplies.com/...ing-fishfinder

Let alone the countless threads you can search for on here in the search box.

This should get you started

If you dont have a fishfinder like me, drop your sabiki about 10-15 feet down and troll around. Dont troll too close to the kelp or you will get kelp and the wrong brown bait all day. Look for ripples or small fish feeding on the surface, it is likely they are the right kind. Good luck.

and always keep some sort of chum in dire situations (cat food, old pastrami sandwich, squid bits, etc..)

Pro Tip:

I once took a crap out there and the macs swarmed on it like manna from heaven.

Runny or solid?

:eek:

I love it. It's the blind leading the blind.

I'm going blind from reading this.



A FF makes a big difference, esp for knowing the depth of the bait. But most places have reliable spots for making bait, but you may need to figure out what depth the bait is at. Many times at night or early morning, the bait is more at the bottom, but as that sun comes up, (IMHO) the predators start working them towards the surface.

Way too much info Dave!

If you do not have a fish finder, you will be handicapped a bit. Bait usually is found near some kind of structure, kelp, piers, etc. In LJ, it can sometimes be everywhere or nowhere. Usually I find bait near the surface, but sometimes the fish are holding deep. It is different almost every time I go out. This is where the fish finder helps a lot.

Trolling works but unless you go really slowly, the lures run fairly shallow so if the bait is deep, you will miss it. In places where you are fairly sure bait is holding a little chum will usually help gather a crowd. I have used small pieces of dead bait or chunks off of a frozen fish head. Cat food also works, or you could use Dave's method.

If you are inexperienced, just ask someone who looks like they know what they are doing. This is a very helpful community.

Bob

.......I think we have a new name for Croaker Dave........:biggrinjester:

Some people earn their call name...:D :cool:......

I think the dunnage rule for boating is 2 miles....

I don't have a FF. When I go to the kelp for bait, if I don't hook up on something within 1-2 minutes I move to another spot, or I just look in the water and see them swimming by and then drop the sabicki. Have been very successful each time, ok, most times - enough not to feel handicapped without a FF. Have done the same in open water without seeing anything and pull up the larger macs.