There was a time in my long range career where I fished only dead bait, chunks to be specific. I got pretty good at that, caught myself some large tunafish, but changed my focus to fishing sardines. Given the choice, I will fish sardines most the time if it's good bait, and they are boiling up on the chummed ones fairly decent.
Let's look at the gear. I personally prefer a 30 sized reel, myself opting for the Accurate ATD30. To have plenty of line to stop a big fish, I use Jerry Brown Line One spectra, going for 650 yards of hollow 100#, 75 yards of hollow 130#, 20 feet of hollow 200#, and 10-15 feet of Seaguar Premier 130# fluorocarbon. My reel is constantly maintained to have the best freespool possible.
The rod, either a Super Seeker 6463XXXH, or a Super Seeker 2x4. Any good fast taper tuna rod will do in the 6 to 7 foot range, roller guides or ringed guides, doesn't matter although I am very fond of the American Titan guides myself.
Tie or crimp on a hook, size 4/0 to 6/0, depending on bait size, current, how well they are biting. If it's a tough bite, use a smaller hook. If they are biting nails, larger hook. If they are all good ones, nothing but 250s blowing out around the boat, avoid the temptation to drop in line size or hook size, and stay the course. Lately I've been using these new Mustad circles, R39943BLN. I really like these new hooks.
Now, if this is the first bait I've fished of the day on this outfit, I grab my trusty 4 ounce torpedo sinker out of my pocket (I always carry one in my pocket, it has a lot of uses). I put the hook through the eye of the sinker, and send it down away from all the other bait fishermen. I am simply trying to get my line "lubed" up, as sometimes (most times) the spectra gets kind of sticky, grabs onto itself which makes the sardine have to work harder (not good). I drop it down about 200-300 feet depending on where the "zone" is. Now I wind it back up, paying close attention to my winding thumb, getting the line on nice and level. This plays into my next bait, so always start with a nice level spool job on your reel. It does make a difference.
So, we are ready. Some anglers might already be hooked up. Who cares? With me, fishing is so much about confidence, and if I know everything is just right, I am going to get my share of chances. I like to look around before I get my bait. Is there a bunch of anglers in the starboard corner? If so, then maybe throwing in on the port corner would be where to go. If they are bunching up in the middle, cast in on either corner, but do not start in the middle if they are bunched up there. You are asking for problems.
Ok, I know where I'm headed now, let's get a bait. Here's where I disagree with Bruce. On the boats I fish on, the crew member who is chumming loads up the "collars", or inserts that go into the combing or opening of the bait tank. This lighter shade aluminum makes the sardines do their chameleon act and lighten up their shade of color markings on their backs. Most of them turn a light line green. And so the chum baits and hook baits are the same color, at least that's how it is on the Intrepid. Your mileage may vary, but that's what I saw as a passenger and as a crew member chumming.
Perhaps we look into the area where we grab our hook baits from, and we see no valid choices. We can then ask the person on the tank for fresh bait please. Be courteous, be patient, do not be rude. We might be on this boat for 14 more days, no need to piss off your chummer. So, fresh bait, aw, yes, there's my bait. I wet my hand, and gently scoop it up. Remember, it is a frail little animal. Hold it firmly so it doesn't wiggle and lose it's scales, but not so tight you hurt it. The more you fish the better you will get the hang of this part. Don't chase it around, just try to gently get it, turned the proper way for ease in hook insertion. I like to cover the dines eyes with my thumb and index finger. Having it's eyes covered tends to make it calm down.
Now when I grab my bait, I like to have my rod and reel held up by my right arm, kind of cradled there, the hook in my right hand, sardine in left, and now get the hook in the sardine. Now, LET IT GO! Do not feel you have to hold that sardine in your hand until you get to the rail. If you do, it probably doesn't have any scales left on it. Don't let it swing around and bump into things either, but do not hold it once it's on the hook. No bueno!
This is not the time to talk stocks with your buddy, or swap fish stories about the last fish: get that frail little animal into the water, quickly! Personally, I prefer a nice underhand lob. I don't cast this way as well as some crew members and captains, but I do get it out further than most overhead casters, and my bait is not near as damaged as theirs from their cast, and worse yet, their landings.
As soon as that bait hits the water, I am prepared to back peddle the spool if necessary (which most times it is). Once I back peddle, and that bait starts to swim out away from the boat, i let it take line. Swim swim swim, run Forest, run! But pay attention, if you have a great swimmer, sometimes you will get bit just that close to the boat, and it is very subtle, just a slight increase in speed. If so, put the reel in gear, and turn the turner, wind wind wind!
Most times, you don't get that close bite, so just try to get your bait out away from the boat. If your line angles left of your neighbor fisherman, find out if it's over or under, and slide past them. Stay straight, tangles are ugly things that can remove expensive fluorocarbon and spectra, as well as taking away valuable fishing time. If right, go right.
Once I'm in the zone (there is no perfect "zone", it's only away from the boat in the vicinity of where the boils are being seen), I just try and semi hold my bait here, don't want to get too far out there. I try to listen to others, crew, captain or other anglers, saying "BOIL"! If my bait is somewhat close to that boil, I quickly back peddle the spool, try to get my dines to swim a little. You see, they do their best to blend in out there, try not to be noticed. By back peddling the spool and making them come out of hiding, you might be able to get a bite.
I soak my bait as long as I can feel it is performing for me, little tiny tap tap tap of it's tail. Once that stops, get a fresh bait. Stay focused, keep fresh lively baits on, stay out of tangles, don't get frustrated if today is not your day. Revel in your fellow angler's successes, genuinely, and eventually you will have your day. I have had many trips where I didn't get a bite for 3 or 4 days, only to come out of the slump with a 5 fish day.
Now, a little more about choosing sardines. Every tank of bait is different, every day is different, and there is no clear cut answer on what size sardine is going to get bit best. I try to have a head on a swivel type mentality, watching my fellow anglers while I am fishing. Did that guy get bit on a small, medium or large sardine? Did he nose hook, belly hook, nape of the neck hook? These are the types of things running through my mind while fishing.
I remember once catching schoolie yellowfin mixed with skipjack on the Shogun. I was plagued with straight skippies. The chummer, Mason or Jason, I can't tell which twin is which, was amused from the tank. As I approached the tank again, he said wait, threw a bait down hard on the deck, and told me to use that one. I thought he was kidding, but I was tired of catching skipjack, so I pinned it on. I cast this comatose sardine out, and the skippies wouldn't touch it but a yellowfin swam up and ate it.
It has been my experience that the larger bohunk sardines are lazier than their smaller cousins, but just like Steve Loomis told me long ago, "David, you are a sucker for those large sardines like a sucker for a high fastball"! I remember that advice when I'm having a tough time getting a bite, and mix it up using some small and mediums.
Now many of us have seem video of meatballs of bait with gamefish attacking those meatballs. Most times, a weak, sick or injured bait leaves the tight ball of bait, and whoosh, the gamefish rush right in and slurp it up. Yet when we fish, try fishing with a weak or injured sardine, and most times you will not catch as much as the properly offered lively sardine.
Things that make me wonder why!
David Choate
