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MitchMan
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Posts: 1856
Registered: 3-9-2009
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How do you get bait?
I will be taking my boat down to Baja soon. 15 ft Calibogie (self-bailing runabout, fiber glass). I usually fish from Pangas in Mulege, Loreto and
La Paz. The pangueros get bait for us clientes by catching it, sometimes netting it themselves (usually sardinias), or paying for it from nearby
commercial fishermen in pangas (usually sardinias). Soon I will be on my own in getting bait.
For you guys and gals with your own boat and fishing offshore, how do you get bait? I like fishing with live bait. I am not accustomed to fishing
with lures, will I have to change my ways?
[Edited on 5-20-2010 by MitchMan]
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4baja
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Posts: 1339
Registered: 9-4-2003
Location: morro bay ca
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every mourning we go looking to the point and elsewere looking for birds, dolphines, seals and useing the meter and find bait. we use different size
sabikis(nets are illegal) to get the bait and allways get a tankfull. you can allso buy from the locals in the bigger ports. bring a good supply of
sabiki rigs and heavy torpedo sinkers. i allso use a simple hook to release the bait of the hooks into the tanks, you can allso use a knife. good
luck.
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Skipjack Joe
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Location: Bahia Asuncion
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Firstly, if you don't have one, you'll need to buy or construct your own bait tank.
Then if you are after sardinas you'll need to learn to throw a thrownet. If you are after mackerel you need to use lucky joe's or something similar.
Then you'll have to ask around where the pangueros are getting ('making') bait and show up at daybreak.
Each part of the process is a subject in it's own right. You should give more information about your intentions and you will get greater detail from
people.
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MitchMan
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Posts: 1856
Registered: 3-9-2009
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I like to fish for Dorado, Tuna, Yellow Tail, and of late, Cabrilla and Pargo. I will settle for a trigger fish if I inadvertently hook one up. I
like to eat what I catch and want to fish for only those fish that I can eat. Not interested at all in game fish such as Marlin, Rooster Fish, Wahoo,
or Sail Fish.
Caught a big Mulato Pargo and three Cabrilla last year for the first time ... unbelievably delicious! I want to include these last two fish in my
menu to catch.
Looking forward to a great season this year with my little boat. I like to fish with live bait, hence the question in this thread. Thanks for the
heads up, Skipjack.
[Edited on 5-20-2010 by MitchMan]
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Pompano
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Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Catch your own bait ..using a sabiki rig.
Attach this rig to your rod...get in your boat before dawn at the marina, dock, ramp, wherever fishermen leave from for the day's fishing....
..ask where they catch their bait...and then follow them..
...drop this sabiki rig the bottom..crank up 2-3 turns..then jig up your bait and place into livewell.
If fishing Mulege or San Marcos areas...you can make bait easily at Pta Prieta and the Haystack respectively. Everyone will tell you where these
places are..and will be glad to show you the way.
Tight lines!
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Osprey
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Location: Baja Ca. Sur
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Bigger markets sell bait sized squid for about 50 pesos a kilo. Lots of people here put them up in small baggies -- lots of ways to use them: chunck
bait, slow troll, add to skirted lures, mooch, etc. Never know what's out there so people I know take what they need to drag halfbeaks, Lucky Joes,
squid jiggs, bait money for the bait boats -- surround them. No sardines down south now and the sea is aswarm with juvenile flying fish -- good luck
making bait of those. Just have to try to mimic.
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backninedan
Senior Nomad
Posts: 865
Registered: 3-8-2003
Location: Loreto
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Do not learn to throw a net!!! It will just get you a citation, like 4baja said, "its illegal."
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Pescador
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In the Santa Rosalia area, bait is the most important part of the day and any successful fisherman has learned to become very adept at making bait.
There are three major types of bait that we focus on and they all have different habits and hangouts.
First and foremost is the Big Eyed Scad (Ojo Gordo or Caballito) and this one lives in 25-65 feet of water normally. Feeds just before first light
and up until the sun comes up normally. My favorite sabiki for this fish is the small rubber squid baits that are made by Owner. They will also
attack the multi colored fish skin baits and other models as well, but the squid skirts are normally the big producer. This is a very lively bait and
does well when fished with a sliding sinker or dropper loop. It can be an acceptable surface bait for flylining but has a tendency to run a little
deeper than some other baits. It is very strong in the tank and will live through warmer water when other baits tend to die easier.
Second is the Green Backed Mackeral. These baits run from about 4 inches clear up to 2 pounders that we use for billfish. They will run in the
same area as the Big Eye, but can be found in schools in deeper water as well. This is the best surface bait available and will really entice fish
who are feeding on the surface when hooked in the back just in front of the first fin and are loved by yellowtail, cabrilla, sailfish, and marlin.
Because of their feeding habits they throw up a lot of slime in the bait tank and you need to skim some of this off when you first put them in the
tank. They also work as a good bait when hooked through the nose and used with sliders and dropper loops, but they do not last for a long period of
time and need to be replaced fairly frequently. They are not as active as Big Eye so they will work well when the fish are feeding a little less
agressively. I find these fish to migrate with available feed and can usually find them all year long. I have also found them to be thick on the
Pacific side and have used them successfully over there as well.
The last major bait is the Spanish Mackeral which is a deep water dweller and does a good job in the right situations. We normally find these baits
in about 300 feet of water. They are the slowest swimmers and the least active of all the baits, but they do work and somedays are exactly what the
yellowtail want. I don't personally find them very attractive for Cabrilla but I am sure there will be a few who always catch Cabrilla with them and
will post accordingly. They are just not my preference. Because they come up from cold depths, they do have some challenges with warmer water and
some days we have to add ice to the tank to keep them healthy when we are fishing in 80+ degree water.
The sardinitas referred to are a herring shad that are normally caught with throw nets and are seasonal as well in most areas. They are one of the
best Cabrilla baits available because of their shine, size, and swimming pattern. Depending on the area, the interpretation of throw nets seems to be
a moving target. In our area, they think a throw net is fine for bait but not tolerated for other fish. I have heard different interpretations all
up and down the baja. But if you have a throw net you can usually find a willing native to throw a couple of times to get you enough bait for the day
for a few pesos.
Skipjack is totally correct about needing a bait tank. I use a commercial tank of 25 gallons and a 800 GPH Bait Sentry Pump. I have freinds who
make tanks for their car top boats out of a cooler, a bilge pump in a bracket, and some tubing. You can go to www.baittanklarry.com for some great information on bait tanks.
Finally, one word of caution. In the Sea of Cortez, there are a type of sardina which is the perfect size for bait but they have very loose scales
and die very easily. They are thick in certain areas and we always get a newbie in the area who goes out, drops down a sabiki in the area where all
the boats are making bait and puts a few of these in the tank. Big, Huge Mistake, They sluff off all their scales, plug up the tank, and kill not
only themselves but all the other bait in the tank. We always try to tell them but oftentimes they assume they know more than the local fisherman and
we always giggle a little when we hear later on the radio that they are having trouble with their tanks and pumps.
The other thing alluded to here is the handling of the bait. You do not want to touch the bait with your hand or towel. That takes the slime
coating off of the bait and makes it weaker. You need a bait shaker like the Mini E-Z release dehooker from X Tools, or you can make a dehooker
youself out of stainless wire and stuck in a wooden dowel on one end and about six inches from the dowel, you bend a fairly tight J. When you pull
down on the line and up on the hook, the baitfish will fall right off in to your tank and you do not have to touch them at all until you go to hook
them up.
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vandenberg
Elite Nomad
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Osprey
Bigger markets sell bait sized squid for about 50 pesos a kilo. Lots of people here put them up in small baggies -- lots of ways to use them: chunck
bait, slow troll, add to skirted lures, mooch, etc. Never know what's out there so people I know take what they need to drag halfbeaks, Lucky Joes,
squid jiggs, bait money for the bait boats -- surround them. No sardines down south now and the sea is aswarm with juvenile flying fish -- good luck
making bait of those. Just have to try to mimic. |
We always get those flying fish with butterfly nets.
Takes practice though, and you need a fast boat.
[Edited on 5-20-2010 by vandenberg]
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Timo1
Senior Nomad
Posts: 741
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When I was a kid the natives would take a skiff out in the middle of the night and light a very bright lantern.
They would speed around and the flying fish , attracted by the light , would simply jump into the boat
bait made !!!
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MitchMan
I like fishing with live bait. I am not accustomed to fishing with lures, will I have to change my ways?
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MitchMan...I would add to my arsenal. 
At least buy a couple Mirrolures to carry along, just in case. No need for any terminal tackle with these..just tie direct with a simple blood
cinch or Palomar knot... and troll. Search Mirrolures here and find a lot of info. They work very well on all the species you mentioned...very well,
indeed.
Also in the bait department, squid and shrimp heads work exceptionally well as a convenient hook bait that you can carry in your cooler. You will
soon learn from asking who has it for sale or giveaway. So relax..take it easy..this is not advanced technology by any means. Anybody can and does
catch fish here. Now...for a real adventure, try a rock cod rig with 3-5 squid-baited hooks over that rockpile 200 feet below.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Flying fish...! We would gather up the ones laying on the deck that hit hit the rigging and mast in the night and fry them up for breakfast. Taste
like you know what..but it'll keep you alive.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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ElFaro
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Registered: 9-16-2007
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Mitchman...
I obtain and take down bait several ways depanding on what type of fishing and where I am fishing.
For dead bait I bring down fresh frozen squid bought at a fish market. I also buy a small bottle of "Uni Goop" and maybe shrimp to bring down. This
way I at least have something to start with if I'm not able to get live bait right away.
For shore, surf, or estuary fishing with live bait I always carry a "ghost shrimp slurp gun" to get "langostinos" at low tide mudflats.
Like the others have said I use "pescador or hayabusa rigs" to snag small mackeral or bay smelts and put in a towable live bait tank or live well.
I also carry and use a "throw net" or "la malla". Some mexicans taught me how to throw a "malla". We use it to catch live "chubbies" on the Pacific
side and for sardina on the Gulf side.
My understanding of Mex. fishing law is your not allowed to catch game fish with a net of any kind...but a throw net for some small bait fish?...they
really don't care. I've never had any Mexicans check or warn me of using a throw net. That said I respectfully stay out of the way of the Pangeros
while they are making bait for their paying customers. I always wait until they are gone B4 I cast for bait. Before I head down to fish I practice
casting my malla in my pool.
Warning...be careful casting in some areas where there is alot of coral on the bottom. Down by Muertos Bay my net got caught on coral and was torn up
with big holes by the time I retrieved it into the boat.
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durrelllrobert
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7393
Registered: 11-22-2007
Location: Punta Banda BC
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Mood: thriving in Baja
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damn easy to catch JAIL BAIT all over Baja
Bob Durrell
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MitchMan
Super Nomad
Posts: 1856
Registered: 3-9-2009
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Fantastic responses!
Man, I can hardly wait to get on the water! First I am going to the Longfin in Orange, CA to get the lures, equipment, and other stuff you all have
recommended. Going to put all the suggestions I can into practice very soon.
This is unbelievably great stuff from the best sources ever. You all rock!
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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8084
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
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http://www.livebaitlarry.com/
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dtbushpilot
Ultra Nomad
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I've often caught jack smelt on the pacific side and wondered if they would make good live bait casting them from the beach (where I caught them).
Anybody use them? What might I expect to catch with them?
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8084
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Location: Bahia Asuncion
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Halibut in baja.
Striped bass around the SF Bay area. The stripers will rush in on them in the surf over here and send them scattering.
[Edited on 5-21-2010 by Skipjack Joe]
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BajaDanD
Senior Nomad
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Wahoo is known for good eating and not so much as a game fish like a Marlin. Although they are by far one of the most fun fish to catch. They are one
of the best to eat.
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dtbushpilot
Ultra Nomad
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Location: Buena Vista BCS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
Halibut in baja.
Striped bass around the SF Bay area. The stripers will rush in on them in the surf over here and send them scattering.
[Edited on 5-21-2010 by Skipjack Joe] |
What would be a good way to rig a live jack smelt for casting from the beach? How big of a bait could I realistically hope to catch something on? I
have caught 8 to 10 inch jack smelt on bait while fishing for anything else. I nose hooked one and threw him out just for chit$ and grins and didn't
catch anything after an hour. This was at Bahia Asuncion (bay side). I was catching nice eating size halibut on scampis and such but didn't know if I
could expect a big enough halibut to come along to go after an 8 inch bait.
Any local Pacific side experience would be appreciated.....dt
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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