Phil Layer
09-12-2005, 01:36 PM
There are few things stickier or sharper than the point of one of the hooks on a Sabiki jig. Those puppies are designed to stick and stay stuck when they find their target. That is exactly what I want them to do when they are in a school of herring – stick and stay stuck. That is exactly what I DON’T want them to do the rest of the time.
I have a Barbie rod on my boat that I use only for jigging herring. When I want to jig up some bait before heading out to sea, I get this rod out and find a Sabiki and tie it up and drop down. Usually, there are a minimum of ten expletives involved in unwinding the Sabiki and tying it on the rod. There is always blood involved too – mine!
After getting my herring, I then get to deal with the used Sabiki. I used to carefully put the rod with Sabiki back into the rod holder of my boat and pray it stayed ready for the next jigging session. It never did. The next time I retrieved the rod, I found at least half of the hooks buried in the carpet in my gunnel. Those hooks break easily and I would inevitably find myself dropping down with half the hooks gone. Oh yeah, there was more of my blood involved in this process as well.
Refusing to give into this dilemma, I would take the Sabiki off the rod and store it in a yogurt container. This kept them out of the carpet but involved more blood. And, when I retrieved the Sabiki for my next bait jigging adventure, I would find rust all over the little hooks.
Finally, I would be putt-putting in the bay and see a huge school of herring underneath me. Grab the rod and drop a Sabiki into them, my pea brain would think. Not on your life! It would take me a minimum of ten minutes to get rigged.
Objective: Find a system that allows quick, painless attacks on bait fish. The system must be easy and fast to operate. Finally, this system needs to allow quick return to storage after use. And, that means keeping the hooks out of the carpet.
Solution!
I already mentioned I have a pea brain. I didn’t think this one up myself. I read it in Saltwater Sportsman magazine some time ago. Last weekend, I actually constructed a bait jigging rod and will share the process and a pic of the finished product with you here:
Materials needed:
1. One old reel. (A burnt out drag is no problem as herring are not likely to spool you, even with a bad drag.)
2. A five foot section of plastic water pipe – 1.5” in diameter
3. One ¼” drill bit and a drill
4. Cable ties
5. Hose clamp
Here’s how to construct this rod:
1. Drill a ¼” hole approximately 12” from one end of the pipe. Once through the plastic, angle the hole towards the long end of the pipe. Scrape off any parts of the hole that could cut line.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/hole.jpg
2. Clamp the front of the reel to the pipe using the hose clamp.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/reel_clamp.jpg
3. Using the cable tie, clamp the back of the reel to the pipe.
4. Send the line from the reel down the pipe using a small split shot on the end of the line. Once the line is out the other end, remove the split shot.
5. At the other end of the pipe, tie the sabiki to the line. Install a sinker to the end of the sabiki.
6. Reel the line and Sabiki up the rod. Loop the last hook over the end of the pipe.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/hook_in_end.jpg
There you go! This rod can sit in your gunnel unable to wreak any havoc! When you see baitfish, you can deploy in seconds. And, when you have your bait and are ready to head out, reel the Sabiki back into its “protective case” where it can air out and dry with minimal rusting.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/finished_rod.jpg
I still keep the Barbie rod on board in case the kids want to jig up herring. Several herring on that Barbie rod will bend it in half for real excitement. The tip on the Sabiki rod I constructed is a little south of “Fast Action.”
(My apologies for the lousy photos. I think you can figure out how to make one without the pictures.)
I have a Barbie rod on my boat that I use only for jigging herring. When I want to jig up some bait before heading out to sea, I get this rod out and find a Sabiki and tie it up and drop down. Usually, there are a minimum of ten expletives involved in unwinding the Sabiki and tying it on the rod. There is always blood involved too – mine!
After getting my herring, I then get to deal with the used Sabiki. I used to carefully put the rod with Sabiki back into the rod holder of my boat and pray it stayed ready for the next jigging session. It never did. The next time I retrieved the rod, I found at least half of the hooks buried in the carpet in my gunnel. Those hooks break easily and I would inevitably find myself dropping down with half the hooks gone. Oh yeah, there was more of my blood involved in this process as well.
Refusing to give into this dilemma, I would take the Sabiki off the rod and store it in a yogurt container. This kept them out of the carpet but involved more blood. And, when I retrieved the Sabiki for my next bait jigging adventure, I would find rust all over the little hooks.
Finally, I would be putt-putting in the bay and see a huge school of herring underneath me. Grab the rod and drop a Sabiki into them, my pea brain would think. Not on your life! It would take me a minimum of ten minutes to get rigged.
Objective: Find a system that allows quick, painless attacks on bait fish. The system must be easy and fast to operate. Finally, this system needs to allow quick return to storage after use. And, that means keeping the hooks out of the carpet.
Solution!
I already mentioned I have a pea brain. I didn’t think this one up myself. I read it in Saltwater Sportsman magazine some time ago. Last weekend, I actually constructed a bait jigging rod and will share the process and a pic of the finished product with you here:
Materials needed:
1. One old reel. (A burnt out drag is no problem as herring are not likely to spool you, even with a bad drag.)
2. A five foot section of plastic water pipe – 1.5” in diameter
3. One ¼” drill bit and a drill
4. Cable ties
5. Hose clamp
Here’s how to construct this rod:
1. Drill a ¼” hole approximately 12” from one end of the pipe. Once through the plastic, angle the hole towards the long end of the pipe. Scrape off any parts of the hole that could cut line.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/hole.jpg
2. Clamp the front of the reel to the pipe using the hose clamp.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/reel_clamp.jpg
3. Using the cable tie, clamp the back of the reel to the pipe.
4. Send the line from the reel down the pipe using a small split shot on the end of the line. Once the line is out the other end, remove the split shot.
5. At the other end of the pipe, tie the sabiki to the line. Install a sinker to the end of the sabiki.
6. Reel the line and Sabiki up the rod. Loop the last hook over the end of the pipe.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/hook_in_end.jpg
There you go! This rod can sit in your gunnel unable to wreak any havoc! When you see baitfish, you can deploy in seconds. And, when you have your bait and are ready to head out, reel the Sabiki back into its “protective case” where it can air out and dry with minimal rusting.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/finished_rod.jpg
I still keep the Barbie rod on board in case the kids want to jig up herring. Several herring on that Barbie rod will bend it in half for real excitement. The tip on the Sabiki rod I constructed is a little south of “Fast Action.”
(My apologies for the lousy photos. I think you can figure out how to make one without the pictures.)