8/31/2023 0 Comments Best sabaki rig© 2023 Coastal Angler Magazine Franchising, Inc.The sabiki rig is the most popular of all assemblies for quickly catching quality baitfish by hook and line. There may be times when the smaller size hooks and line are needed, but I think you’ll be pleased with the performance of the heavier rigs. If the local bait shop can’t or won’t supply you with the larger sizes, find them online and use them. Small hybrids and stripers can easily be mistaken for perch without careful inspection. But remain mindful of the creel and size regulations for other gamefish you might catch. The local white perch populations can certainly stand more pressure. Set aside any negative connotations you might have for sabiki rigs and give them a try. These perch are also useful as small cut baits to tip the jigging spoons, or as filets or larger cut baits for cats or stripers. My anglers and friends have boated some of the biggest bass, stripers, and catfish that I’ve seen on Lake Norman using white perch as baits. Stage them from down near the bottom up to the middle of the water column. Fish them on a weighted Carolina rig with 2/0 – 3/0 circle hooks. I’ve seen numerous instances when catfish up to 45 lbs., large stripers, plus big largemouth and spotted bass have been caught on the jigs.Īs a final tip, if large schools of white perch are present, and you’re jigging up small to medium size fish, but you’re not using them as live bait, you’re missing one of the perch’s primary benefits. Don’t get complacent when jigging over a school of perch. Underestimating the ability of these rigs in conjunction with jigging spoons (3/4-1 oz.) to catch top predators is a mistake. My anglers have boated many big bass, stripers, hybrids, catfish, and crappie on the larger flies. These flies attract more and larger top predators. Some of these sizes contain a streamer type “fly” in lieu of the standard fish skin hook. I find that the larger size rigs – sizes 8, 10, and 12 are as effective on all sizes of perch. By design, the lighter rigs require more frequent repair or replacement – good for the manufacturer but not for our pocket books. Though less visible than heavier lines, light lines and hooks may not be adequate for landing larger bass, catfish or stripers, especially by inexperienced anglers. These certainly catch fish, but the main line and dropper leaders are made of light line ( 6-12# test), which is prone to tangling and breakage. Many local shops stock the smallest size hooks/rigs that they can get. Through increased use in recent summers, I’ve reached a few conclusions concerning sabiki rigs that have benefited my anglers, and will hopefully help our readers too. A scented bait spray or gel applied to the jig and the sabiki hooks can help too. ![]() A small minnow or piece of cut bait on the jigging spoon hook makes the rig even more attractive to fish. Trolling weights or snake weights are preferable for trolling but a weighted spoon or jig is more effective when yo-yo jigging, and will attract larger predators. ![]() They can also be trolled, or just hung over the side of the boat when the hull’s rocking from wind or wave action.Ī weight is needed on the bottom of the rig. The rigs are designed to mimic small bait fish or shrimp and are very effective when jigged vertically. They can also be effective when catching large herring that are too deep to reach with a cast net. Sabiki rigs began working their way inland as central and western NC reservoir anglers adapted them to perch fishing. Because of this bait catching reputation, many fishermen disdain their use in our lakes, at least initially. ![]() Most anglers first encounter sabiki rigs, aka fish skin rigs, when catching bait on saltwater excursions. If you’re looking to put a lot of fish in the boat quickly, or to entertain young anglers during their summer school vacation, don’t overlook sabiki rigs as an effective tool in your tackle box. As white perch populations in our local reservoirs have grown, a relatively new but productive technique has become established. They’ve historically been targeted using live baits on down rods, by trolling deep running artificial lures or umbrella rigs, or by vertical jigging with weighted spoons or lead jigs of various types. Large schools of bass, white perch, cats, hybrids, and stripers form close to deep water along main river and major creek channels in local reservoirs. Summer’s here and water temperatures are climbing through the 80⁰F range, even hitting 90⁰.
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