How should i fish live bait in the bay?
 

So i havnt tried useing live bait in the bay yet cuz well i have no clue how to, this is what i know find a drift ,rig live bait on a dropper loop, drop to bottem give a few feet of line out and wait. Is this the right way of going about this again any info helps im real new to fishing bays.

Depends on what you are targeting. Check out this weeks issue of Western Outdoor News, they have a good article on "dropper loop" fishing.

Well what should i do if i wana target halibut?

well, sometimes when the temp is up a bit I will pedal slow to increase drift speed, give the weight a couple short jerks every so often, but pay attention to your rod, they will hit like a 6 inch trout...:linesnap:

Reverse dropper loop to trap rig in gear has alwasy worked well with 'dines, chovies Ive collar hooked or butt hooked. Just look for structure and fish the sand!! You can also use a bounce ball rig with hoochies with some great success...good luck!

I like the JD dropper

I like the reverse dropper loop for most halibut fishing in the bay. I pass on the trap rig and use a light wire circle hook. If I'm fishing shallower water, channel edges or south bay, I like a sliding sinker set up with either a swivel to fluoro leader or carolina keeper to keep the sinker up from the hook. They both work well but I find the slider more fun to fish and a bit stealthier than the dropper loop. Top fish was on a slider and the bottom was on a dropper. Mike

Nice But, that thing is a door man.

I use the sliding sinker set up while drifting and slow trolling. I also use a bounce ball rig for covering ground. Paddled from J street to Kellogs St. last Sunday caught 3 halibut, 1 short, 2 barely legal and a ton of sand bass and spotties. Nothing close to big enough to win the WCW Jackpot though :mad: .

Nice hali there taggermike, was that caught in the Bay?

I am using a three way swivel setup that fishes the same as a dropper loop. I also use a single trap hook, reel in gear and pay attention to my rod tips. Some large Halibut bite like snagging a short piece of loose kelp.

[QUOTE=JoeBeck;74859]I use the sliding sinker set up while drifting and slow trolling. I also use a bounce ball rig for covering ground. Paddled from J street to Kellogs St. last Sunday caught 3 halibut, 1 short, 2 barely legal and a ton of sand bass and spotties. Nothing close to big enough to win the WCW Jackpot though :mad: .

Were you using live bait? If so did you buy the bait somewhere or get some using a sabiki rig? I've wanted to use live bait, but not sure if its worth my time trying to find it rather than buy it. Thanks,

Josh

When the current is right we flyline sardines in Mission Bay with a live bait hook and no weight on light line. Have had great success for legal halibut.

you can buy live bait at the bait barge in mission bay.

Thanks for all of the info guys i think im gona try a slideing sinker and the reverse dropper loop im gona try it out this weeknd and il let you know how it goes. Oh and if i cant get dines or chovies can i us a small lizard? Iv caught a few spotties that way.

Hey Joe, I pulled that big hali, 37lbs, out of the Hedionda Lagoon in Carlsbad. I'd concider that a bay. I worked a the Hubbs hatchery up there and actually caught that beast on my lunch break. 10lb line, Curado 100, and a tiny circle hook. That place is generally slow but it puts out some real quality now and then. Mike

Sdfisherman88 I was using a bucktail at the end of my bounce ball rig with a glow in the dark scampi. I was drifting with dead bait, although there is no difference in the technique with live bait, just how you hook it. You can get live bait in SD bay with a sabiki, also they sell bait just west of Shelter Island when you are heading out of the mouth of the bay. They have kayak scoops for $10.00, at least that is what it was the last time I got it. Typically only buy bait when I am heading out to fish the point for halibut.