Anyone use a sabiki rod for gathering bait?

I use to see these a lot with members on/at NCKA meet ups. Does anyone here use them if so what techniques/tactics do you use when using the sabiki?

Thanks!

I have used sabikis in the past. I do not like the dedicate rods for sabikis with the line running through the rod because they are too heavy for light biters. The basic technique is drop the sabiki with a weight on the bottom of the rig into the bait school and jig if you don't get them on immediately. When you feel them on the hook, reel in keeping tension on them. You will lose some.

They work in the PNW just like they work in CA. I mostly use them in February to catch spawning herring in the bays. Slow 1-foot lifts and controlled falls of the sabiki are all you need to do. When a herring is hooked, leave your sabiki down there and the other hooks will often be grabbed by more herring (the struggling herring gets them excited). I prefer size 8 hooks for my sabiki. Sometimes I'll cast the sabiki and work it back to me with methodical lifts and falls, but most of the time, I drop it straight down below the kayak (especially when my depthfinder is lit up with bait).

Biggest mistakes I see people make with sabiki rigs are 1) jigging them way too fast, and 2) putting bait on them. You don't need to move the rig much to make it look attractive to herring and anchovies. And there's no need for bait or scent.

Also, the hooks on sabiki rigs will rust quickly following seawater exposure. You want the hooks sticky sharp to be most effective. I always rinse my sabiki with fresh water immediately following use to extend its longevity.

They work in the PNW just like they work in CA. I mostly use them in February to catch spawning herring in the bays. Slow 1-foot lifts and controlled falls of the sabiki are all you need to do. When a herring is hooked, leave your sabiki down there and the other hooks will often be grabbed by more herring (the struggling herring gets them excited). I prefer size 8 hooks for my sabiki. Sometimes I'll cast the sabiki and work it back to me with methodical lifts and falls, but most of the time, I drop it straight down below the kayak (especially when my depthfinder is lit up with bait).

Biggest mistakes I see people make with sabiki rigs are 1) jigging them way too fast, and 2) putting bait on them. You don't need to move the rig much to make it look attractive to herring and anchovies. And there's no need for bait or scent.

Also, the hooks on sabiki rigs will rust quickly following seawater exposure. You want the hooks sticky sharp to be most effective. I always rinse my sabiki with fresh water immediately following use to extend its longevity.

Use them all the time for getting mooching bait (herring) in the Sound. Mark them on your meter then do what Clayman describes. Finding them is the hard part, and extremely difficult to do without a fish finder. You want only want to be mooching in the winter months for most areas, doing it past June and the dogfish will LIGHT YOU UP.

I know from my own experience down south on piers with and off kayaks, I cut off every other hook on a pre-rigged sabiki, as it cuts down on them getting tangled. Any one tie their own rigs?