For those expecting a Japanese recipe after reading the title of this weeks article, I am sorry to disappoint you. I have always said, take notes and learn from the best. This years seminars have been awesome thanks to some truly professional Captains providing great tips on their areas of expertise. This week's article comes from some information I picked up from Captain O.C. Polk at the CharlestonFishing.com Bottom Fishing Seminar back in February.
Captain O.C and Captain Mark Brown were talking about different methods of catching live bait and O.C. started talking about Sabiki rigs. I tuned in real close as I just started using Sabiki rigs some three or four years ago myself and I will be the first to admit it has been a love hate relationship. I love the fact the rigs work and have been a great source for bait when it is sometimes hard to find, but I hate the fact they cost $5 a pop, you can usually only catch 3 or 4 baits on one before the hooks are trashed and I hate the fact they become easy tangled and are a pain to store once you have taken them out the package.
During the seminar Captain O.C. was kind enough to share with us how he ties his own Sabiki rigs, saving money and producing a superior rig over the pre-manufactured types. O.C.'s says, "I have caught 20 plus pound fish including Grouper and Kingfish with this home made Sabiki Rig. The bait attacks the rig, then these larger predator fish attack the bait on the way up to the boat, try catching one of these predatory fish with a pre-manufactured product and it is sure to either pop or have the hooks break."
Photo here http://old.charlestonfishing.com/article/4-4-02/4-4-02.gif
O.C. begins with 15 to 20 pound test mono and ties a small loop at the top of the rig to attach the rig to the main line, he then ties 6 to 7 dropper loops (tying instructions below) 4 to 6 inches apart. He finishes out the rig with a loop at the base to hold the lead. O.C then attaches #10 gold, forged, Mustad hooks (hook #92672) to the dropper loops.