sabiki rigs

[uncle al]

Does anyone tie sabiki rigs. I'm going to fish for smelt for the first time this winter, and have been told that these rigs work well. Thanks in advance for any information.

[pirkfan]

I've made some, although strictly speaking, they're probably not sabiki rigs, since those use a fish skin "wing". I use #8 mustad 34007 SS hooks (makes them last in salt water), Using white thread, tie in a tail of white chicken hackle fibers, little puff of fluorescent orange chenille, body of silver tinsil, another puff of orange chenille, and a thin white hackle. Tie up 6 of them. Make up a leader about 6 feet long of 10# fluorocarbon, and tie in 6 dropper loops along it's length. Cut one side of each loop free close to the knot, slide on a fluorescent glo green bead on the resulting leader, and tie each of the flies to the free end. Tie a swivel at the top and a sinker loop at the bottom of the main line. There are special Sabiki rods which allow you to reel the whole thing up inside the rod where all those hooks are out of harms way. It's amazing how a couple of smelt can turn one of these rigs into a gordian knot if you don't get them out of the water right away.

[uncle al]

pirkfan

Thanks for the reply. From research on these rigs I'm learning that #18 hooks are the hook of choice, or small teardrops.Where do you get glow flouresant beads. I've found some but they are 7mm which seem to big.

[gone2long]

pirkfan

Thanks for the reply. From research on these rigs I'm learning that #18 hooks are the hook of choice, or small teardrops.Where do you get glow flouresant beads. I've found some but they are 7mm which seem to big.

I gotta tell ya if your into it more for the hobby make your own but if you just want them for an outing or two buy them by all means I only pay a couple dollars for mine pre rigged and with many choices. They can be very difficult to store/handle once removed from their package:lolhuh:Its like letting the genie out of the box:lol: Oh and by the way make sure there are no restrictions in your state, here where i'm at in PA we have to cut 3 of the 6 hooks off when going for herring during the striper run.

[pirkfan]

#18 hooks are pretty small for the size bait I catch (surf smelt, herring, anchovies), the reason I went with the #8 mustad 34007 is for rust resistance, I use them in salt water, and a commercial sabiki rig is practically throw away when used like that, the hooks quickly rust unless immediately rinsed in fresh water. That's the only reason I made my own. In regards the beads, I believe I got them from netcraft (they sell a 4 x 6 mm bead which would be about the right size)

pirkfan

Thanks for the reply. From research on these rigs I'm learning that #18 hooks are the hook of choice, or small teardrops.Where do you get glow flouresant beads. I've found some but they are 7mm which seem to big.

[GCD]

I like the Daiichi Bleeding Bait Hook Sabiki rigs, you can get 3 rigs for $6 at Cabelas. I prefer the glow head to the red head. I use the #4 and #6 hook rigs, they're very strong for their size!... I landed a 15# Flathead Catfish on one!

As mentioned above, check you local regulations for the numer of hooks you can legally use! In Tennessee I can only use 3 hooks at a time so I cut the rigs in half, in ontario Canada I can only use 4 hooks... so I cut the top and bottom hook off. Here in Alabama I can use all 6 hooks legally!

I mainly use these rigs for Crappie... but don't tell anybody... it's my secret!