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.

[EastLosYaker]

FYI, chumming in fresh water for trout is illegal here in CA. Don't want anybody to have any run ins with the game warden.

[Hunters Pa]

Originally Posted by 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?


I like the Ahi/Promar and with hooks that are small enoughe to go inside the sabiki stick

2. Chum or no chum?

Chum if I need to but I usually have no need. I will troll my sabiki as I am heading to wherever I am targetting that day. Can usually find them pretty easily, or a radio helps too

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.

above

[ful-rac]

Not all schools of bait bite all the time. It almost seems the more you need it the more it doesn't want to bite. Find the bait schools, either visually on the surface or go to known structure ie. kelp, reefs, drop offs. You can usually find schools or some baitfish hanging around. When you locate a school of baitfish on your fishfinder, drop your sabiki and follow it down on your fishfinder and stop it when it reaches the middle of the school. If it doesn't bite move on to the next school.


If all that fails just buy a sabiki 500.

[Hunters Pa]

Originally Posted by ful-rac

Not all schools of bait bite all the time. It almost seems the more you need it the more it doesn't want to bite. Find the bait schools, either visually on the surface or go to known structure ie. kelp, reefs, drop offs. You can usually find schools or some baitfish hanging around. When you locate a school of baitfish on your fishfinder, drop your sabiki and follow it down on your fishfinder and stop it when it reaches the middle of the school. If it doesn't bite move on to the next school.


If all that fails just buy a sabiki 500.

Is the sabiki 501 the left-handed model? Or is it the knockoff from teh swapmeet?

[taggermike]

Making bait has been frustrating for me all summer rspecially when massive bait schools all around. Ive had the best success with the very small sibikis w/o beads. The size 12 and 14 I use in the bay for smelt. I've been moving fast hitting bait schools until i find one that bites. Sitting on a school hadnt worked for me. Guys are having success with chum. I've seen some guys loading up with the little chum pots on their sibikis. I used cat food a few times this summer and it seamed to increase the green vs Spanish catch. 2 weeks ago I had a dog steal my bait and while winding in bare hook a greenie bit it. So maybe a string of 4/0 black circle hooks would be the call. Mike

[maquinapescado]

I always use these:

http://www.basspro.com/Offshore-Angl...product/89603/

I also cut them down to three hooks per rig when fishing my longboard to make it easier to handle. When you pull a Christmas tree of maks up you end up wearing a hook from time to time otherwise.

I feel I have less luck with the ones that have a plastic skirt.

If I were really concerned I would put little squid tags (smalls cut squares of squid) or keep frozen anchovies (favorite mak food) at home and take like two each trip.

In my marlin fishing days, we found that cheap canned dog food spooned into the water worked better than cat food, tuna, or cut bait. It has small particles that spread around and high oil content that produces a lot of odor.

I also didn't learn any of this by asking on a forum but by years and years of fishing. Maybe some time and trial and error will help.

[Goose1993]

I've recently been wondering about the red vs green. The general consensus is that it doesn't matter. I've only ever used green, but have a couple reds that I'll use before I buy more sabikis.

I've never baited my hooks and have always caught bait pretty well. The worst I've done is caught 5 baits in a little under an hour. I would say most days I average 7-10 spanish macks in a little over a half an hour then I'm off to chase yt.

And as for chumming, it absolutely works! I remember catching bait a few weeks ago and it was slow. I saw some guy reeling up 3-5 greenbacks at a time, every drop... Every few drops, he would mix up his chum. I started talking to him and sat near him and got all the bait I needed for the day in just a few minutes. I think he was eating them or saving to make frozen bait because I didn't see a bait tank, and even if he had one, it was way to small to hold that many.

[igotpron]

Originally Posted by Goose1993

I've recently been wondering about the red vs green. The general consensus is that it doesn't matter. I've only ever used green, but have a couple reds that I'll use before I buy more sabikis.

I've never baited my hooks and have always caught bait pretty well. The worst I've done is caught 5 baits in a little under an hour. I would say most days I average 7-10 spanish macks in a little over a half an hour then I'm off to chase yt.

And as for chumming, it absolutely works! I remember catching bait a few weeks ago and it was slow. I saw some guy reeling up 3-5 greenbacks at a time, every drop... Every few drops, he would mix up his chum. I started talking to him and sat near him and got all the bait I needed for the day in just a few minutes. I think he was eating them of saving to make frozen bait because I didn't see a bait tank, and even if he had one, it was way to small to hold that many.

I believe your referring to me. I do not eat bait!! And I have a Hobie bait tank that I loaded up with about twenty Greenbacks. Enough for the day and some to chum for the next outing. I fill the tank to the top and the lid closed and the macs keep just fine as long as you they don't get injured while unhooking..

[Goose1993]

Originally Posted by igotpron

I believe your referring to me. I do not eat bait!! And I have a Hobie bait tank that I loaded up with about twenty Greenbacks. Enough for the day and some to chum for the next outing. I fill the tank to the top and the lid closed and the macs keep just fine as long as you they don't get injured while unhooking..

I believe it was you. Hahaha ahh gotcha. Well you're the master at catching bait that's for sure. I've never seen anything like that. Since then, I started working on my own chum tube with the PVC like you said.

[iethinker]

First, I dislike the sabiki on a kayak because of the tangles and multiple hooks that fly around when fish are on it. That being said I am seeing it has a place in my line-up because sometimes it works when my first choice does not. Various models of sabiki have worked and I generally prefer something with the flashy metallic threads. Also, I use a 3-oz weight which helps mitigate the tangles. I am finally going to invest in a dedicated sabiki rig as well so that I can keep them longer.

The option I currently prefer most for targeting GBMs (assuming that's what you want) is a 1/4-oz to 1/2-oz kastmaster (KM) on a light spinning rig (6-lb mono...yes!). You can quickly work a larger area of water this way as well. I sometimes use a slightly larger rig with a 3/4-oz KM for deeper waters (La Jolla). You will get some amazing fights on other fish as well (Bonita, Bass, Baracuda). Sometimes I use a 12-inch 10-to-12-lb mono or 15-lb flouro leader just in case of toothy critters. Small KMs cost less than sabikis too if you consume sabikis quickly.

Last week I was dragging a fully squid tipped sabiki and simultaneously throwing the KM. The KM beat the sabiki by 8/2 for the target species. The sabiki however landed some weird different fish. At 10-GBMs in the tank I stop. Well....other-times lately I have stopped at 3x due to the difficulties.

Also, the Spanish Macs seem to never hit the KM. It's good to avoid the by-catch of Spanish when you really want GBMs. If only Spanish are around then sabiki it is.

From my opinion, squid tipped sabiki does help the bite and chumming has only worked selectively and is thus not required. Red beads or green beads, etc....no matter. Hook sizes of 8 to 12 have worked.

All of that said..I have not tried the sabiki-500!

[2-Stix]

Hook size matters. I run a 14. If that doesn't work I go to a 6 or 8. I have sat side by side and watched other kill it...I switched sizes and killed it. I have chummed with cat food and cut frozen bait. It helps. As said above...not all schools bite. Oh...I also troll my sabiki out, or a cast master or a small lucky craft. I run a 2oz glow sinker on the bottom of my sbaiki.

[jorluivil]

When I'm MB, I usually use a s500 and often I will tip with some FDS. One thing to look on your FF are TSB, tighter or darker color usually means you've found some GBM's, if the pack isn't tight it's probably SM's.

If you're fishing LJ, it's best to try the SCPSP first, if that doesn't produce any GBM's I will go to the KPL, if it's still doesn't produce make sure you get out the CTFD and don't forget to bring your CO.

[PescadorPete]

Oh darn! I've been eating the bait all along! I though that was the target. I didn't know I needed to use them to catch trophys. Maybe that's what I've been doing wrong.

[Mahigeer]

Originally Posted by jorluivil

When I'm MB, I usually use a s500 and often I will tip with some FDS. One thing to look on your FF are TSB, tighter or darker color usually means you've found some GBM's, if the pack isn't tight it's probably SM's.

If you're fishing LJ, it's best to try the SCPSP first, if that doesn't produce any GBM's I will go to the KPL, if it's still doesn't produce make sure you get out the CTFD and don't forget to bring your CO.

I have no idea what the above paragraph is saying.

I purchased an Ahi bait rig (Sabiki) rod to use on piers, because it is very convenient to leave the hooks inside and put it in my car.
I think it is a must have for kayak and boat fishing. I have no affiliation to anybody at Ahi.
As to baiting Sabiki during the day, I think it is a mistake. Not on catching bait, but by paying for expensive rig with feathers and beads and such. If you want to use bait, then just tie several hooks. Much cheaper. The feathers are what entice the fish since it looks like small fish or shrimp.
At night I may use bait, since the scent is needed and sight is limited.

I have used the shrimp looking bait rigs, but my go-to rig is green colored rigs.
When fishing for bait around Cedros Island, my fishing buddy was catching far more bait than me with an old favorite. The red and yellow yarn called “lucky lura”.
I found some cheap in the sale basket at a tackle shop. I will be trying it at Gonzaga Bay

[DanaPT]

bait is only a problem when you can't make it. I have a problem.

now I'm kicking myself for all the "too big to troll" GBMs that I've let go over the past weeks.

I'm out of lobster bait. no macks = no lobster.

Bait making has been tough for me the past few trips. also, I've been to San Clemente Pier 2x for nada.

stupid fish.








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