Live Bait Rig? - California Fishing

VanillaThunder · 08-13-2004, 10:17 PM

Does anybody know how to make a live bait rig like using smelt to catch Halibut.

tunakid · 08-13-2004, 10:43 PM

Do u mean a rig to catch the live bait or a rig to fish with live bait?

-Austin

cst · 08-13-2004, 10:45 PM

http://store.tackletogo.com/haymixflas.html

those are my favorite sabikis, ive caught a lot of chovies on them and people say they catch smelt but i dont have any luck when it comes to jigging up smelt. or buy an umbrella net and get some bread.

tunakid · 08-13-2004, 11:50 PM

if ur trying to catch live bait, a sabiki rig is the best way to go, IMO. The smelt u get in general will be bigger than the one u get with an umbrella net. With an umbrella net u will get a lot of small smelt in the 2-3" range which r no good for bait if ur fishing for buts. With the a sabiki rig u will get a lot more good baits in the 5-7" range. If u get a sabiki rig, make sure u get one of the smallest ones. A lot of ppl make the mistake and get too big of one, which will result in getting no bait, unless u r lucky and u snag one. When using the sabiki rig but either a piece of bread, squid, shrimp or power bait on each hook. This will allow u to make bait much faster. When using the sabiki rig you want to to let it sit for about 1 second and then lift up gently about 2 or 3 feet. If u lift to hard or jerky yopu will rip through the smelts mouth resulting in no hook ups.

-Austin

cst · 08-14-2004, 09:41 AM

thanks for the info tunakid, im gonna make sure i try that out next time i go,

VanillaThunder · 08-14-2004, 09:55 AM

I got a Sabiki rig but I was wondering after you catch the bait what kind of rig do you use to fish with, do you just flyline or is there some other way to rig it.

cst · 08-14-2004, 10:27 AM

sliding sinker on the bottom, fly line, or fly line with a bubble on the top. you can also dropper loop but they are weak and you'll have a hard time with the bigger fish.

tunakid · 08-14-2004, 06:17 PM

If ur fishing from a pier a carolina set-up would be ur best bet IMO. If ur fishing from the beach its best use a split shot about 18" from ur hook. At both places u want to cast out and let it sit for about 30 seconds and start slowly dragging it in. In the surf i would use 8 or 6 lb line but if u can fish lighter (i no nick, trout_guy, uses 2 lb in the surf and has caught buts up to 32"). On the pier you can fish heavier line if u want to.

-Austin

Sharkbait · 08-15-2004, 11:40 AM

where do you plan on fishing? 90% of my legal halibut come on live smelt.

Anthony

FishSlayer · 08-15-2004, 11:50 PM

Try a light wire hook a couple of feet below a sliding egg sinker and a swivel or a Carolina Keeper, ajust your weight size based on the force of the tide and the size of your bait. Use the lightest weight you can get away with but still keeping your bait near the bottom. Also dont put to big a hook into to small of a bait, they wont be able to swim.

fishinkid · 08-28-2004, 08:58 PM

sliding sinker then swivle 15 pound test leader and your favorite hook or trap rig then some luck