Hanlding a sabiki rig on a kayak?

Howdy all,

I was wondering if anyone uses a sabiki rig while out on the ocean.  I have been researching them, as I like the idea of catching sardines, herring, etc in addition to all of the game fish out there.

I can foresee them being a nightmare if handled incorrectly (or even correctly).

Anyone have advice?

Cheers,
Madoc

Get a Sabiki rod.
http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0043768122113a.shtml

or better yet make one out of PVC and an old reel.
http://www.plasticnavy.com/make-a-sabiki-rod.htm

Get a Sabiki rod.
http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0043768122113a.shtml

or better yet make one out of PVC and an old reel.
http://www.plasticnavy.com/make-a-sabiki-rod.htm

$60!?!?!?!?

Make one,, or make one!
That tut is great but I made mine 6' long with two couplers. I also glued a spinning rod guide ring into the business end as a tip top/ line guide. I'll post a pic later.

They can be a pain in the butt but haven't been too upset w/ em yet. If the bait is plentiful I try and deal w/ one fish at a time. I'll raise the line just far enough out of the water so I can get one fish inboard and then got to the next. I'll let the fish flop around in my footwell and then put the rod away. Then scoop them up and put them in the bait tube/livewell and go back to the rod for more. It's a slow process but after I got a triple piercing from those tiny hooks I changed my ways.

Z

Used them to catch mackerel for yellowtail bait. Nothing like three or four half pound flopping mackerel on a sabiki rig to get the day going. Usually, we fished for bait before sunrise under a pier with lights which made it even more fun.
I used a small rod with a light bait casting reel which I also used to fish for bass or small barracuda if the bigger fish weren't biting. The sabiki rigs were a minor pain with tangles; nothing too major, but without the live bait they would catch, the chances for hooking up with a big fish went way down. Lively, live bait was often the difference between fishing and catching.
What's really fun is when you have a couple bait fish on a sabiki rig and all the action attracts a bigger fish who hits one of the hooks............

It depends on day and where you are fishing but the bait has been thick off the oregon coast.  Lots of big bait balls.  I have see them attacked from below  where the whole school come out of the water at once, and then the birds attack them from above.  I have caught a number of lings stuffed to the gills with big sardines in particular.  I am building a sabiki rod and would love to be able to catch some  bait/food (had some great grilled sardines in spain).  what is the general drill?  cast into the school, jig?

I am building a sabiki rod and would love to be able to catch some  bait/food (had some great grilled sardines in spain).  what is the general drill?  cast into the school, jig?

Good to hear I'm not the only one who likes to eat baitfish. Sardines, Herring, Anchovy are all real tasty. Normally I'll just search w/ the FF and stop pedaling when I get over a large school. I drop the rig straight down like I was jigging for rockfish. The hookups are almost immediate. I like to leave it down after the initial hookup to try and fill up all the hooks. The action from one fish usually gets more fish to bite.

Z

exactly like getting multiples on rockfish.. get one hooked up and they let them invite their buddies to dinner

Used them to catch mackerel for yellowtail bait. Nothing like three or four half pound flopping mackerel on a sabiki rig to get the day going. Usually, we fished for bait before sunrise under a pier with lights which made it even more fun.

Ahhhh..... La Jolla.... Memories!

Yeah, I would always just sit on a black cloud on the FF and jig slowly. Sometimes it helped to tip the hooks with some small pieces of gulp if they didn't seem interested at first. I always cut the sabiki rig in two, six hooks is a bit much to handle from a kayak IMO. I also used one of the sabiki rods mentioned earlier, except with the top half cut and inserted and gooped into the bottom half to adjust for only three hooks. One can easily be fabricated out of PVC though as mentioned earlier. I have found, however, that sometimes I just have more fun using a light bass setup for the rig, especially if it's a slow day. Mackerel make great tug-o-war teams!

exactly like getting multiples on rockfish.. get one hooked up and they let them invite their buddies to dinner

Exactly!!

I have found, however, that sometimes I just have more fun using a light bass setup for the rig, especially if it's a slow day. Mackerel make great tug-o-war teams!

Right there with you. Might as well have fun while you're at it. Mackerel make a good dinner too. Here's my fav recipe: http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,5116.0.html Works w/ pretty much any fish too.

Z

Ahhhh..... La Jolla.... Memories!

Yep, getting bait next to the Scripps Pier at 3AM before paddling out to the corner, part of the drill.

About an hour of sabiki jigging got you a Bait Tank Full of Mackerel

Last fall I caught a 7# coho on my herring jig, it got completely wrapped up and about 5 of those little #14 hooks were in it.  Does that qualify as "foul-hooked"??

Last fall I caught a 7# coho on my herring jig, it got completely wrapped up and about 5 of those little #14 hooks were in it.  Does that qualify as "foul-hooked"??

As long as there's one hook in the mouth I'd consider it caught legally. The others can be looked at as collateral damage.

Z

Last fall I caught a 7# coho on my herring jig, it got completely wrapped up and about 5 of those little #14 hooks were in it.  Does that qualify as "foul-hooked"??

Too many hooks on the line?

I use an 8' 10# spinning rod for my sabiki rod.  When storing it in the holder I make sure the line is tight enough to bend the rod thus holding the hook away from the rod.  The 1 ounce sinker is wrapped around the spinning reel handle.  I don't have too many problems rigging this way.

-Allen

Thanks for the input guys.  I may just use my ultralight , which is a cheapo shakespeare setup.

Are there mackerel here in Oregon?