Making bait - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Fomen · 09-04-2015, 11:51 AM

So there's a gentleman on here who recently posted a thread about having trouble making bait. He's making custom sabiki rigs to help. They look great, but I don't think the problem is the sabiki. The sabiki rig it tried and true. The trouble is finding schools of bait fish to toss your sabiki rig into. Well, it's a lot easier to make bait if you bring the bait fish to you instead of randomly (and sometimes aimlessly) looking for the school, or ambiguously tossing around you in hopes that your sabiki will find a school or a few random members.

I've known Tommy Gomes for about a decade now. If you don't know who Tommy is, if you use Uni Butter fish attractant, he's the guy who invented it and manufactures it. He also makes another product called "Uni Goop". Tommy is affiliated with catalina Offshore Products. They are one of the main suppliers of restaurant grade sushi products to businesses and the general product. When Tommy and his crew were harvesting the uni out of the sea urchins, he noticed that the uni only comprises about 2% of what is inside of the urchin. So he started putting the remaining 98% into gallon sized mesh sacks, freezing it, and selling it to local fisherman as a chum/attractant. If you've never seen it work, here's the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ySFp9f4zCc

I used to own a 18' Sea Pro center console. There were several occasions that I used Uni Goop, and believe you me, you will have a school of hundreds of bait fish around your boat in 60 to 90 seconds. Drop your sabiki into the school, and you can catch 25-30 of them before they catch on and stop biting the sabiki.

The trouble with the current size of the Uni Goop is it's in a 1 gallon tub. It's too big and heavy for use on a kayak. So after reading a bunch of threads about guys having trouble making bait, I gave Tommy a call. I proposed a kayak sized version of Uni Goop. It would be in a 1 pint container, so it could easily be transported in a kayak. All you would have to do is anchor yourself onto a stringer of kelp, tie a small rope to the sack of Uni Goop, hang it over the side of the kayak, and shake it a little. The current will take care of the rest. You will have a school of bait fish circling your boat in a matter of about minute. Then toss in your sabiki to make some quick bait. The less time you spend trying to make bait, the faster you can start doing what you initially intended to do- RIP LIPS!

I'm meeting with Tommy next week to discuss the proposal. I just wanted to throw out this thread to get some feedback. Would you guys be willing to use the product if Tommy started making it in pint sized versions. The more guys that say yes, they better chances he will jump on board. Once he gets going on it, we can help him get it into many of the local kayak shops and bait and tackle shops. Not sure about the price, but it certainly won't break the bank.

Let me know what you guys think.

YakDout · 09-04-2015, 02:12 PM

As long as the price point isnt high like you are saying, Im sure I would try it out. Although I make most of my bait far away from the kelp due to sabikis getting snagged and tangled.

Fomen · 09-04-2015, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YakDout

As long as the price point isnt high like you are saying, Im sure I would try it out. Although I make most of my bait far away from the kelp due to sabikis getting snagged and tangled.

That only happens when you're randomly casting between the kelp lanes in hopes of a bait fish seeing your sabiki rig. When I used the uni goop in the past, the bait fish are right at your boat. You are literally dropping your rig straight down, about 6-10 feet, and all the hooks are getting hit at once. It's VERY simple and effective. You lash up at the outer edge of the kelp. Once the Goop hits the water, and you are stationary, the current will take it into the kelp. Within 60-90 seconds you will start to see the little silver "shimmers" of bait fish. Keep shaking the bag until you see a nice cloud of them around you. At that point, let the sabiki slaughter begin.

Mwhitcraft · 09-04-2015, 05:18 PM

Count me in

Mahigeer · 09-04-2015, 02:54 PM

Tommy is a great guy. He was very active in fighting MLPA, and every year (about 7 that I have been there) he has donated his time and money to the Shelter Island Kid's Derby. He provides delicious fish tacos to attendees.

He is also on YouTube doing fish fillet with Bubba knife. I bought one because of his recommendation.

Tommy Gomez of Catalina Offshore products, on the left, provides what is needed and pays his crew to come and prepare delicious tacos for everyone.

As to Uni-Goop, I have used it before and it is a great attractant. I live in Los Angeles, so shipping would be costly. Thus, I had to go on Fridays to SD, a day before the derby to get some. Then I had to make room for a lot of it in the freezer.

I would buy it if it was locally available and of course depending on the price.

P.S. When you see Tommy, tell him, Hashem from pierfishing website says HI.

Thanks.

Pinhead · 09-04-2015, 05:27 PM

I'm all over that goop deal.

igotpron · 09-04-2015, 05:55 PM

I'd be in to try it out. How does it store?

DanaPT · 09-04-2015, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by igotpron

I'd be in to try it out. How does it store?

If Tommy is smart it's used once and purchased again.

Mahigeer · 09-04-2015, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by igotpron

I'd be in to try it out. How does it store?

You can keep it for a long time in a freezer. Just take what you are going to use and leave the rest frozen.

monstahfish · 09-04-2015, 09:59 PM

sounds interesting to me. I would try it.

anchovie · 09-05-2015, 02:37 AM

I would too.

HobieScot · 09-05-2015, 10:25 AM

I'd like to see a smaller version. Maybe half a pint or even a single use size so we are not having to store it all day on the kayak and allow it to completely melt each time we use it. Then have to refreeze it.

As a diver I've popped open my fair share of sea urchins for my own amusement to bring in the fish and I know how well they attract fish.

So I'm interested

I just don't like the idea of the product melting each time and having it be refrozen

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makobob · 09-05-2015, 10:49 AM

So BUY a Gallon and package it in the size YOU want, really easy fix. Then just take what you need for any trip.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HobieScot

I'd like to see a smaller version. Maybe half a pint or even a single use size so we are not having to store it all day on the kayak and allow it to completely melt each time we use it. Then have to refreeze it.

As a diver I've popped open my fair share of sea urchins for my own amusement to bring in the fish and I know how well they attract fish.

So I'm interested

I just don't like the idea of the product melting each time and having it be refrozen

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

HobieScot · 09-05-2015, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by makobob

So BUY a Gallon and package it in the size YOU want, really easy fix. Then just take what you need for any trip.

I would but I just don't have room for a 1 gallon tub of goop in my freezer

Nor do I particularly want to hear the lil lady say "when are you going to get rid of that thing? it's taking up too much room" every time she opens the freezer lol

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makobob · 09-05-2015, 11:23 AM

So have a goop/uni party. Get some guys together and share a gallon by making up smaller packages then everyone wins. Problem solved.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HobieScot

I would but I just don't have room for a 1 gallon tub of goop in my freezer

Nor do I particularly want to hear the lil lady say "when are you going to get rid of that thing? it's taking up too much room" every time she opens the freezer lol

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

skrilla · 09-05-2015, 11:29 AM

Uni-Butter already comes in 2oz canisters both squeezable and twist caps. They usually have the 3 for 20 deal at the shows. Perfect size to stash in the yak and lasts along time. A quick smear is all it takes. When it starts to get solid let it sit in a bowl of hot water or nuke it in the microwave for a few seconds. Then leave before the wife has a chance to smell what you left.

Fomen · 09-05-2015, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skrilla

Uni-Butter already comes in 2oz canisters both squeezable and twist caps. They usually have the 3 for 20 deal at the shows. Perfect size to stash in the yak and lasts along time. A quick smear is all it takes. When it starts to get solid let it sit in a bowl of hot water or nuke it in the microwave for a few seconds. Then leave before the wife has a chance to smell what you left.

You are talking about Uni Butter, which is a fish attractant you smear onto artificial lures. This is Uni Goop. This is a chum product. Tommy Gomes makes both products.

buddha · 09-05-2015, 10:50 AM

Yes I think single use size would be preferable for me.

HobieScot · 09-05-2015, 01:40 PM

As a former assistant scuba instructor we used to use sea urchins as mentioned above by a couple of us and we also used to use frozen peas. We'd take the students down and have them kneel in a circle then tear open the bag of peas in the center of the circle and watch as it was swarmed by dozens and dozens of fish

Always a crowd pleasure on their last certifying dive

The peas would mostly bring in perch, bass, sheepshead and especially garibaldi

They didn't really bring in any bait fish we would want

But it always made for a great show

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

09-04-2015, 11:51 AM	#1
Fomen Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 40	Making bait So there's a gentleman on here who recently posted a thread about having trouble making bait. He's making custom sabiki rigs to help. They look great, but I don't think the problem is the sabiki. The sabiki rig it tried and true. The trouble is finding schools of bait fish to toss your sabiki rig into. Well, it's a lot easier to make bait if you bring the bait fish to you instead of randomly (and sometimes aimlessly) looking for the school, or ambiguously tossing around you in hopes that your sabiki will find a school or a few random members. I've known Tommy Gomes for about a decade now. If you don't know who Tommy is, if you use Uni Butter fish attractant, he's the guy who invented it and manufactures it. He also makes another product called "Uni Goop". Tommy is affiliated with catalina Offshore Products. They are one of the main suppliers of restaurant grade sushi products to businesses and the general product. When Tommy and his crew were harvesting the uni out of the sea urchins, he noticed that the uni only comprises about 2% of what is inside of the urchin. So he started putting the remaining 98% into gallon sized mesh sacks, freezing it, and selling it to local fisherman as a chum/attractant. If you've never seen it work, here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ySFp9f4zCc I used to own a 18' Sea Pro center console. There were several occasions that I used Uni Goop, and believe you me, you will have a school of hundreds of bait fish around your boat in 60 to 90 seconds. Drop your sabiki into the school, and you can catch 25-30 of them before they catch on and stop biting the sabiki. The trouble with the current size of the Uni Goop is it's in a 1 gallon tub. It's too big and heavy for use on a kayak. So after reading a bunch of threads about guys having trouble making bait, I gave Tommy a call. I proposed a kayak sized version of Uni Goop. It would be in a 1 pint container, so it could easily be transported in a kayak. All you would have to do is anchor yourself onto a stringer of kelp, tie a small rope to the sack of Uni Goop, hang it over the side of the kayak, and shake it a little. The current will take care of the rest. You will have a school of bait fish circling your boat in a matter of about minute. Then toss in your sabiki to make some quick bait. The less time you spend trying to make bait, the faster you can start doing what you initially intended to do- RIP LIPS! I'm meeting with Tommy next week to discuss the proposal. I just wanted to throw out this thread to get some feedback. Would you guys be willing to use the product if Tommy started making it in pint sized versions. The more guys that say yes, they better chances he will jump on board. Once he gets going on it, we can help him get it into many of the local kayak shops and bait and tackle shops. Not sure about the price, but it certainly won't break the bank. Let me know what you guys think. Last edited by Fomen; 09-04-2015 at 04:47 PM.

09-05-2015, 11:29 AM	#16
skrilla Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: San Diego Posts: 664	Uni-Butter already comes in 2oz canisters both squeezable and twist caps. They usually have the 3 for 20 deal at the shows. Perfect size to stash in the yak and lasts along time. A quick smear is all it takes. When it starts to get solid let it sit in a bowl of hot water or nuke it in the microwave for a few seconds. Then leave before the wife has a chance to smell what you left. __________________ Urban Camo Trident 13

09-04-2015, 02:12 PM	#2
YakDout Brandon Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: San Diego Posts: 2,345	As long as the price point isnt high like you are saying, Im sure I would try it out. Although I make most of my bait far away from the kelp due to sabikis getting snagged and tangled.

09-04-2015, 05:18 PM	#4
Mwhitcraft Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Orange, CA or Aiea, HI Posts: 32	Count me in

09-04-2015, 02:54 PM	#5
Mahigeer Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,891	Tommy is a great guy. He was very active in fighting MLPA, and every year (about 7 that I have been there) he has donated his time and money to the Shelter Island Kid's Derby. He provides delicious fish tacos to attendees. He is also on YouTube doing fish fillet with Bubba knife. I bought one because of his recommendation. Tommy Gomez of Catalina Offshore products, on the left, provides what is needed and pays his crew to come and prepare delicious tacos for everyone. As to Uni-Goop, I have used it before and it is a great attractant. I live in Los Angeles, so shipping would be costly. Thus, I had to go on Fridays to SD, a day before the derby to get some. Then I had to make room for a lot of it in the freezer. I would buy it if it was locally available and of course depending on the price. P.S. When you see Tommy, tell him, Hashem from pierfishing website says HI. Thanks.

09-04-2015, 05:27 PM	#6
Pinhead We all Stink Sometimes! Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: San Diego Posts: 171	I'm all over that goop deal.

09-04-2015, 05:55 PM	#7
igotpron Xcoastie Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Westminster Posts: 285	I'd be in to try it out. How does it store?

09-04-2015, 09:59 PM	#10
monstahfish Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 419	sounds interesting to me. I would try it.

09-05-2015, 02:37 AM	#11
anchovie Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 49	I would too.

09-05-2015, 10:25 AM	#12
HobieScot Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Posts: 370	I'd like to see a smaller version. Maybe half a pint or even a single use size so we are not having to store it all day on the kayak and allow it to completely melt each time we use it. Then have to refreeze it. As a diver I've popped open my fair share of sea urchins for my own amusement to bring in the fish and I know how well they attract fish. So I'm interested I just don't like the idea of the product melting each time and having it be refrozen Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

09-05-2015, 10:50 AM	#18
buddha Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: chula vista Posts: 907	Yes I think single use size would be preferable for me.

09-05-2015, 01:40 PM	#19
HobieScot Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Posts: 370	As a former assistant scuba instructor we used to use sea urchins as mentioned above by a couple of us and we also used to use frozen peas. We'd take the students down and have them kneel in a circle then tear open the bag of peas in the center of the circle and watch as it was swarmed by dozens and dozens of fish Always a crowd pleasure on their last certifying dive The peas would mostly bring in perch, bass, sheepshead and especially garibaldi They didn't really bring in any bait fish we would want But it always made for a great show Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk