Making Bait... - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

nmbrinkman · 05-09-2007, 05:34 PM

Does anyone else find it hard to catch bait after greylight hours? I work Saturday mornings and have been trying to utilize the later sunsets courtesy of George Bush. Any time I can get on the water I do but I get frustrated when I am trying to get mid day bait. The pier always seems to be deserted during daylight which inevitably leaves me searching for bait around the kelp or trying to find a rouge school of bait passing by. I'd kinda like to hear some opinions on this matter. Thanks in advance...

steamroll · 05-09-2007, 05:44 PM

Are you having trouble finding bait or getting the bait to bite the sabiki?

tylerdurden · 05-09-2007, 05:50 PM

You can almost always get spanish in the kelp area. Once the sun rises you usually meter bait, or just listen and look for it. I also haven't been out for over a week

, so I don't know what the current situation is. A lot of the bait that is puddling on the surface is dines, chovies, and smelt which are much more reluctant to hit the sabiki.

FISHIONADO · 05-09-2007, 06:15 PM

I've been having success in the kelp, I haven't gone to the pier in a couple of weeks. If the current is not too strong a can of catfood dumped in the water helps as chum, if there is a lot of current the catfood is a waste. Also you can see bait balls on the FF in open water and drop a sabiki with a torpedo weight right into it, almost always works, even if they are 30' or 40' down or deeper. And I always carry a package of 5" gulp squid just in case, I might have to break out one of those every 8-10 trips. I've caught a couple calicos and a lingcod on a single gulp squid then put it back in the resealable package and used it again several weeks later for more success.

nmbrinkman · 05-09-2007, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FISHIONADO

I've been having success in the kelp, I haven't gone to the pier in a couple of weeks. If the current is not too strong a can of catfood dumped in the water helps as chum, if there is a lot of current the catfood is a waste. Also you can see bait balls on the FF in open water and drop a sabiki with a torpedo weight right into it, almost always works, even if they are 30' or 40' down or deeper. And I always carry a package of 5" gulp squid just in case, I might have to break out one of those every 8-10 trips. I've caught a couple calicos and a lingcod on a single gulp squid then put it back in the resealable package and used it again several weeks later for more success.

I've been meaning to try out catfood.. As far as the basic bait catching tactics go, I'm set. Just wasn't sure if the PM crews found it more difficult on days when the AM crews found it easy.

yellowtail55 · 05-13-2007, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nmbrinkman

I've been meaning to try out catfood.. As far as the basic bait catching tactics go, I'm set. Just wasn't sure if the PM crews found it more difficult on days when the AM crews found it easy.

I had difficult making bait yesterday evening...I know what you mean. I finally stumpled on a mac school around 7:45 in around 65 ft, but I'm not sure how you could catch bait consistently.

esdees · 05-09-2007, 06:17 PM

I usually drag a sabiki everywhere I go and cast to any bait I see on the surface. Even though bait (mostly smelt) was all over the surface yesterday, the maks were hard to get going. Bait is nice to have, but don't spend the entire day looking for it.

nmbrinkman · 05-09-2007, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by esdees

I usually drag a sabiki everywhere I go and cast to any bait I see on the surface. Even though bait (mostly smelt) was all over the surface yesterday, the maks were hard to get going. Bait is nice to have, but don't spend the entire day looking for it.

I know what you mean about spending all day about finding bait. I spend way too much time worrying about bait. I sometimes find myself with a adequate amount of bait but keep pluggin at it in order to LOAD up rather than head out and fish...

tylerdurden · 05-09-2007, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by esdees

... but don't spend the entire day looking for it(bait).

I hate having to choose between looking for bait, or running for the fishing grounds.

The rapalas have caught some fish this year for others as well as me. I am 2/3 of the way to the slam on my lucky CD-14

. Now I just need to troll in some shallow water with it.

madscientist · 05-09-2007, 08:10 PM

Bait is usually a little more tricky in the PM. It gets better the closer to sunset you are. In the PM I like to troll a plug and sabiki out deeper, hoping I run into greenies, before swinging over to the kelp.

nmbrinkman · 05-09-2007, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steamroll

Are you having trouble finding bait or getting the bait to bite the sabiki?

More along the lines of finding it. I know that I can usually get the top smelt to bite and I know that spanish are usually along the kelp edges. I was speaking more along the lines of greenies during daytime. Last summer I used primarily spanish and I my goal this year is to see if greenies will aid in uping my catch totals. I also know that some days bait is everywhere and sometimes it's scarce. I was kinda curious about other's experience with the pier post greylight..

05-09-2007, 05:34 PM	#1
nmbrinkman Work Sucks! Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Diego Posts: 559	Making Bait... Does anyone else find it hard to catch bait after greylight hours? I work Saturday mornings and have been trying to utilize the later sunsets courtesy of George Bush. Any time I can get on the water I do but I get frustrated when I am trying to get mid day bait. The pier always seems to be deserted during daylight which inevitably leaves me searching for bait around the kelp or trying to find a rouge school of bait passing by. I'd kinda like to hear some opinions on this matter. Thanks in advance...

05-09-2007, 05:44 PM	#2
steamroll Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 385	Are you having trouble finding bait or getting the bait to bite the sabiki? __________________

05-09-2007, 05:50 PM	#3
tylerdurden Bad Clone Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 874	You can almost always get spanish in the kelp area. Once the sun rises you usually meter bait, or just listen and look for it. I also haven't been out for over a week , so I don't know what the current situation is. A lot of the bait that is puddling on the surface is dines, chovies, and smelt which are much more reluctant to hit the sabiki. __________________ MLPA, if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem Let the Fish and Game Commission know what you think about the proposed maps. Be ready for December 9th and 10th.

05-09-2007, 08:10 PM	#10
madscientist Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,906	Bait is usually a little more tricky in the PM. It gets better the closer to sunset you are. In the PM I like to troll a plug and sabiki out deeper, hoping I run into greenies, before swinging over to the kelp. __________________

05-09-2007, 06:15 PM	#4
FISHIONADO Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 698	I've been having success in the kelp, I haven't gone to the pier in a couple of weeks. If the current is not too strong a can of catfood dumped in the water helps as chum, if there is a lot of current the catfood is a waste. Also you can see bait balls on the FF in open water and drop a sabiki with a torpedo weight right into it, almost always works, even if they are 30' or 40' down or deeper. And I always carry a package of 5" gulp squid just in case, I might have to break out one of those every 8-10 trips. I've caught a couple calicos and a lingcod on a single gulp squid then put it back in the resealable package and used it again several weeks later for more success.

05-09-2007, 06:17 PM	#7
esdees The Good Clone Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Clairemont Posts: 520	I usually drag a sabiki everywhere I go and cast to any bait I see on the surface. Even though bait (mostly smelt) was all over the surface yesterday, the maks were hard to get going. Bait is nice to have, but don't spend the entire day looking for it.