Choose Quality Bait Rigs
Let’s start with buying quality bait rigs. If you ever find your self on the bait banks outside the pass you will see some boats catching plenty of bait and others struggling.
The Hayabusa Sabiki Rigs are made with real fish skin. Many have fake fish skin. This makes a difference. Yes, we carry the lesser expensive bait rigs but they do not work as well.
Hayabusa does make regular bait rigs. The green package. These are perfect most of the time. The 2 or 3 days before and after the full moon you need the brown package ones. These are fluorocarbon bait rigs. They are about $1 more per rig.
Hayabusa rigs are perfect for cigar minnows, herring, and threadfin herring.
Cigar Minnows
Herring
Threadfin
For Slightly Larger Baits
Hardtails
Ruby Lips
Squirrel Fish
Catching Bait
When trying to catch bait go with a larger weight. I use 1 1/2 to 3 ounce bell leads. If the lead is too light you can’t jig properly. Also the bait will tangle the rig.
When trying to catch bait we call it jigging but in reality it is bouncing. Most of the time I keep the lead on the bottom and just barely bounce or jiggle the rig and don’t truly jig. Once you get one on slowly bounce for a few seconds and you're likely to get 3, 4 or even 5 at a time.
When reeling up reel slow and steady. Do not race the to the boat as they will tear off.
When you bring them on board you need to grab the lead as it comes over the rail to avoid tangles. Hold them like they are hanging on a clothes line.
Dehooking Bait
When you bring them on board you need to grab the lead as it comes over the rail to avoid tangles. Hold them like they are hanging on a clothes line.
If possible, have a couple people catching bait and one person to dehook them. If this is not possible then you can hold the rod and lead in one hand and dehook them with the other hand.
Always use a dehooker. The more you handle the bait the less frisky they are and the scales come off making them less appealing to the fish. They also die easier if you handle them too much.
