BajaNomad

Making bait

Pompano - 1-11-2008 at 11:16 AM

This morning an old friend, Clemente Diaz, showed a newbie how to catch bait from shore.

He is using the old method of hand-casting a treble hook and fast-retrieving to snag these baitfish from shore.

Clemente asked me if I still remembered the 50kilo snapper he once caught with me at Frijole Rock using carnada like these. I told him he was a true fisherman, because I remember it as being about 50 pounds.....;)



Cypress - 1-11-2008 at 12:53 PM

Pompano, Used to snag those mullet down south. They make good bait and are tasty. Saw some super-sized versions down along the beach between Patron's and the light house.:biggrin:

Pompano - 1-11-2008 at 01:09 PM

Cypress...you have found a great bait spot out there by El Faro. If you went north along the shoreline to the point you might catch bigeye and maybe some green macks from shore, also. Plus some small barracuda..a good cut-bait..or great smoked for the table. Buene suerta, amigo. - p.s. the book you loaned me, 'Kingfish' (about the reign of Huey P. Long) is a good read so far.

Cypress - 1-11-2008 at 01:23 PM

Pompano, Thanks for the info. Yea! Huey P. Long was a one in a million sort of dude. :biggrin::D

Martyman - 1-11-2008 at 04:35 PM

Do you normally hook your baitfish up through the nose? The last time I dropped a live bait down it came up missing with an even smaller bay bass on the single hook!! A 50 lb snapper would be a lot of fun!

Oso - 1-11-2008 at 04:46 PM

That looks like it would solve the problem of illegal use of castnets by gringos!

You guys read "All the King's Men" by Robert Penn Warren? One of my favorite "quotes" is from the passage when [Huey} tells his aide de camp to dig up dirt on a respected judge. When the aide protests that the judge is clean and "there is nothing", [Huey] replies:

"Man is conceived in sin and born in corruption. He passeth from the stink of the didie to the stench of the shroud. There is always something."

Pompano - 1-11-2008 at 04:52 PM

Yes, Martyman...I and a lot of fishermen do just that with bigeyes and macks...nose hooked..with a sliding egg sinker above the hook eye..no leader, etc....drop it to your preferred depth...free spool with just the clicker on...and let it swim...wait for the pickup and run...count a few secs..set hook. Circle hooks are pretty good.

I know what you mean on some missing or substituted baits...Davy Jones is a prankster. Wierd stuff happens down there.:wow:

circle hook

bajadave1 - 1-13-2008 at 08:39 AM

don't set it . just put it in gear and let the game fish pull it tight.

:yes:

Pompano - 1-13-2008 at 09:06 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajadave1
don't set it . just put it in gear and let the game fish pull it tight.

:yes:


for sure...as the design provides, there is no need for the angler to set the hook with a circle hook...but with other popular bait hooks, you need to wait a bit, then try to pull his lips off. ;)

Santiago - 1-13-2008 at 09:27 AM

I like to get a little fly fishing in while my buddy wakes up - can I catch bait from shore with a fly rod? If so, what kind of fly should I use?

Al G - 1-13-2008 at 09:34 AM

Pompano...do scibka (sp?) rigs work there? Got a ton of them and never caught any bait yet:(:biggrin:

BMG - 1-13-2008 at 09:38 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Al G
never caught any bait yet:(:biggrin:


Seems like that's all I EVER catch:O:(

Al G - 1-13-2008 at 09:42 AM

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

Pescador - 1-15-2008 at 07:33 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Pompano
Quote:
Originally posted by bajadave1
don't set it . just put it in gear and let the game fish pull it tight.

:yes:


for sure...as the design provides, there is no need for the angler to set the hook with a circle hook...but with other popular bait hooks, you need to wait a bit, then try to pull his lips off. ;)


Any who have had the chance to see San Marcos Mike set the hook gives this statement new meaning. Mike lets the fish pull the rod tip to the edge of the water and then he lets out a Karate type yell and proceeds to see if he can't lift that fish at least 10 feet higher during the hook set.

Pescador - 1-15-2008 at 07:38 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Al G
Pompano...do scibka (sp?) rigs work there? Got a ton of them and never caught any bait yet:(:biggrin:


Algae, there are lots of different types of Sabiki rigs but that is the most effective way of making live bait that I have ever found. When we are fishing yellowtail in the winter, the most important part of the day is filling the bait tank with live bait and it is all done with Sabikis. Not only do I make a lot of them but I have 5 or 6 different types of commercial ones and it helps to know what type is working at any given time.

Alan - 1-15-2008 at 08:14 AM

A cast net has always been my most effective way to make bait but of course I have heard they are illegal for non-mexicans to use (Is this enforced?)

Outside of that Sabikis are great! I've found that you can almost select the size bait you want just by matching it to the size flies on the Sabiki that you use. When chasing marlin I use the 3 fly rig with the large flies and most of my baits are the nice 1-2 lb. macks but if I'm after YT or similar fish, using the 5 or 6 mini flies rig I get 6-10" baits.