Fishing Tips for The Rail
How to fish The Rail with a LeadHead Jig and plastic Grub
It's best to use a light action rod with 4lbs. test line, this will help with longer casting and sensitivity for feeling the bait
on the bottom and setting the hook. Here's a picture of how to put the grub on the leadhead jig, you see the tail
of the grub curls up same as the hook, this must be done this way to make the tail swims right. I tie the bait
on with a Improved Clinch knot, standard fisherman's knot.
How to work the Bait
There are many ways to work your bait, you can and will create your own ways to work your bait as you fish this spot more.
Here is one of my methods of fishing the bait, this will work almost all the time. Cast straight out as far as you can, let the
bait fall all the way to the bottom, giggle the rod as the bait falls to the bottom. When the bait is on the bottom reel your line slack up
with your rod at 9 o'clock, now lift up on your rod to 12 o'clock stop at the top for 1 to 2 seconds to let the bait fall back to the bottom.
Reel up the slack with your rod at 9 o'clock, repeat this until you need to cast out again. You usually get strikes while the bait
is falling.
This works good when there's not alot of crap on the bottom (moss, seaweed, trash, ect...), so when there is alot of crap on the bottom
you use the same method explained above except when you are at the 12 o'clock position don't pause for 1 to 2 seconds before reeling
the slack up. This won't let the bait fall all the way to the bottom and you won't get hung-up.
Mix things up and try different things like:
Speed
9 o'clock to 11 o'clock
Let the bait sit on the bottom for 2 to 5 seconds
Move to a different spot on The Rail
Try a different color grub
Be creative and you may find something of your own that work good. The method above is mine, I don't see anyone doing it like this.
Trust me this does work, I caught two monster halibut last year with this method. Most fisherman cast out put their rod at 8 o'clock and reel at different speeds.
How to fish The Rail with live bait
First you have to catch some live bait (JackSmelt) and the tools you need are, a bucket with a piece of rope tired to it, a live bait jig and torpedo weight, an old rod and a loaf of
white bread (any kind of bread, chips, cracker, ect....). Click Here to see a picture of the tools.
Tie the bait jig to the line on the rod and the weight on the bottom, throw your bucket over the side to fill it with water (don't forget to hold the rope).
Now put your jigging rod in the water so it's ready, take a piece of bread and ball up little pieces, start tossing into the water up current from where you will
be jigging the bait. Keep tossing little pieces of bread until you have a bunch of bait right below you, now drop your bait jig to the bottom right in the middle
of the bait, jig up and down till you hook one. After hooking one of these live baits pull it up out of the water and put it into your bucket, here is the perfect size bait and here's one thats way to big, you can use the big ones for cut bait.
I will jig up about ten live baits and maybe more later.
Now you need to rig a rod for live bait, the way I rig or at least most of the time, 4 to 8 lb. test line, an egg sinker then barrel swivel, 3 to 4 foot leader and
then hook. You cast out, set your rod against the rail, reel up until there is just a little slack in the line. Now wait until you see the tip of your rod bending
over, the line has tightened or the line has loosened. If the rod tip bending over, grab your rod pull back hard and fast to set the hook. If the line has
tightened or loosened, pick your rod up and slowly reel up the slack until your rod is at the 8 o'clock position then pull back hard and fast to set the hook.
How to fish The Rail with cut bait
What is cut bait, well to me it any thing dead. Some of the cut bait I use are squid, frozen salted anchovies,
strips of mackerel, the jack smelt I jig up, anything fresh and bloody. The fishing rig is the same as the live bait except for the line I use 8 to 12 lb. test line,
with cut bait you have more of a chance to catch bigger fish. This rig will have your bait at the bottom, if you want your bait off the bottom then try this
rig. Tie a weight to the end of your line, then 1 to 3 feet up the line tie a dropper loop knot
, now tie your leader to the dropper loop and the hook on the end of the leader. This will keep the bait off the bottom. You cast out, set your rod against
the rail, reel up until there is just a little slack in the line. Now wait until you see the tip of your rod bending over, the line has tightened or the line has
loosened. If the rod tip bending over, grab your rod pull back hard and fast to set the hook. If the line has tightened or loosened, pick your rod up and
slowly reel up the slack until your rod is at the 8 o'clock position then pull back hard and fast to set the hook.
Well Good Luck Fishing!!!!
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This page was created by Rick Sepulveda
Made on 04/27/2006