I hope you got an A on that project at the science fair

 

Hah...this truly made me laugh!

Poster boards still work on old people. Especially the shy ones...they will stop to read it, without having to talk to anyone.

 

Pretty dang cool Mark. Thanks for sharing.

 

Yabba-dabba-doo !!

 

Thanks for the post Mark, shows a lot to a newb like myself. I have wondered and was curious how you guys that catch dabs for bait do it. That answers the how but where do you typically target them? Sand flats in deep water? Thx

Brad

 

For dabs I use a herring jig with small pieces of herring for bait. Any sandy spot. Nearly same set up Mark for the sea trout, greenling. I have fun coaxing the giant ling to hold on and make it to the net. Taking the treble away.

 

Is there a reason for the rear treble? I like two circles, less hangups. Treble hooks are for scaling castle walls, I usually don't have alot of use for them beyond that.

 

Always had great luck with double wide gap circles in 9/0. Not sure if I ever missed a fish with a sand dab. I like the idea of the big rear treble technique for rockfish.

 

Never lost one!? How do you rig them?

 

Let me know if you need a model for your poster presentation.

 

I vary the rig depending on several factors.

If you look closely, you'll see that the trap rig comes off the main leader just like I do the halibut tippet. It doesn't snag much this way. The dropper with the weight might snag, but not the bait.

I prefer the trailing treble on the bigger baits, like large sand dabs, small petrale, mackerel, and other rockfish. The treble gets more hookups with the big baits, vs a 2nd single.

In areas where I know it is very snaggy (like off Seal Rock) I may use two single hooks. Especially if it is a fast drift in the shallows. But if it is a slow drift and I have a big bait, I'll still prefer the treble. I have different size treble rigs to match the bait & the depth.

In most of the deep water areas I fish, the treble is not usually a problem.

I catch sand dabs anywhere from 120 - 300 ft. You just have to explore the areas from your port to see where they most consistently show up. They are usually very easy to catch. But sometimes they just go off the bite.

 

Pretty clever, Mark. I made up a couple of those 10 hook bead gear dab rigs and going to try them out Friday. I always just used a 3 hook rig so this will be an experiment. If I recall what you or someone else had mentioned before, going to put a small weight in the front and a heavier weight in the back to keep it horizontal and close to the bottom.

Thanks! And thank Yoda, too.

 

Thanks! And thank Yoda, too.

Welcome are you, Yoda says

 

Hey, Mark. That 10 hook dab catcher worked just fine. Dropped on a sand bottom and in a few minutes they were on it. Catching with dabs, not so much.

 

I love fishing for dabs! I eat em and use em for bait. Here is my custom sanddab rig. I’ve been tweaking it this season to dial it in. I like that it has swivels so the fish can rotate when coming up. Hard to beat the tried and tried sabiki rig tipped with squid though

 

I love fishing for dabs! I eat em and use em for bait. Here is my custom sanddab rig. I’ve been tweaking it this season to dial it in. I like that it has swivels so the fish can rotate when coming up. Hard to beat the tried and tried sabiki rig tipped with squid though



View attachment 1043694
View attachment 1043692

Interesting use of line snaps. So those are for catching sand dabs. What size hooks are those?

 

I've only caught a few lings in my life, but their ferocious appetite, massive guts and bellies never cease to amaze. Back in NC we called largemouth bass garbage gut, bucket mouth and the like. Lings are the garbage guts of the sea. Aint much they won't eat.

 

Reminds me of the trotlines I used to make for catfish.
Only legal to use in private waters.
FYI...Any more than a 3 hook rig is asking for a citation in Oregon.

 

Reminds me of the trotlines I used to make for catfish.
Only legal to use in private waters.
FYI...Any more than a 3 hook rig is asking for a citation in Oregon.

Only if you don't bother reading the regs, or don't read the poster board.

 

You need two weights on a sand dab rig. One at the top of the hooks and one at the bottom. Lets it lay in the bottom where the tasty dabs live.

 

Sand dabs are more then willing to swim 3’ off the bottom for food.