Making Bait

[Mr. NiceGuy]

I have heard conflicting answers about this.


1. Does it matter what kind of sabiki we buy?

Color, size, glowing beads, etc. Yesterday a guy at Dana Landing said yes, and told me to try the sabiki that look like squids as a better choice recently.

What's your favorite hook size?


2. Chum or no chum?

I saved my dead sardines from the bait barge in SD Bay from the day before and threw them in the blender. The chum dispersed nicely when I threw scoops into the water. Not sure it makes any difference.

I've also heard of using bread or cat food. For trout, a punched can of corn or creamed corn seems to help. Is this an idea for the ocean?

What's the most effective way of keeping chum in the right place? I have a chum basket about 6-8" cubed. I also have Owner sabiki hooks with a small weighted chum basket on the end ... maybe 1"x1.5". It's not a lot of volume, and there's no top, so whatever I put in it seems to dissipate right away. Seems kind of pointless to me.

Any chum I've tried seems to dissipate quickly with the current or as my kayak drifts along with the wind.


3. Tip the sabiki hooks with strips of squid?

One day I thought this was a distinct winner. I was catching bait instantly with each drop. Other days, it didn't seem to make a difference. Lately I've been marinating my squid in butt juice.


What's the real story with these different variables?

One variable I'm sure about: when it's slow, two lines in the water is better than one. When the bait bite is fast, then more than one line is a nuisance.