Welcome to Socal Bait Making Home page... for now we carry one major manufacture of bait making products with a selective line of their styles and sizes. We here at SoCal buy in bulk and are able to provide you the consumer a great price break on most bands and styles. More bands and their products we be available shortly. Please be sure to match your bait making sabiki hook size to that of the bait fish size you wish to catch. Thank You~ Note: For the moment we here at Socal are not carrying cast nets... cast nets are not legal for use in Californian waters, nor are they legal for use by non Mexican Nationals in Baja/Mexican waters.

Bait Making, General description; To catch bait for one's self and use or store for later use. Bait making my be accomplished by using multiple small flashy hooks, nets and traps.

History; Bait making has been going on ever since early man began using hooks to catch fish. Portuguese dory fishermen at the turn of the century used similar modern sabiki rigs to catch mackerel, which was salted and dried. Then used later once on the fishing ground to catch Atlantic Cod.

Here's some samples of bait making. How to Catch bait with Sabiki style bait catchers. First off you need to find an area known to be frequented by bait fish. (mackerel, sardines, and such) Good place are entrances to marinas, estuaries and bays. Use lights and chum to entice bait fish into feeding. Pick out a bait rig with hook size and line strength that matches the size of the bait you are trying to catch. Add a weight to the sabiki leader (6 oz. or better) heaver weights help keep the line from tangling when multiple bait fish get hooked up at once.

Depending whether or not you have a depth sounder, slowly start descending the sabiki rig down, stopping randomly and bouncing the rig by lifting the rod up and down (jigging) till you find the location of the bait. Once bait has been hooked, reel the rig back up to the surface at a steady passe... when the rig is out of the water carefully sling the weight to your free hand, so as to not hook the person removing the bait fish on open hooks. Now use a de-baiter to remove the bait fish without touching or damaging it to the live well. 

How to store your live bait for later use: You've just finished an now you wish to keep your bait for another days use. To keep your bait for later use, you first need to put fresh caught bait fish in the boat live well. Make sure you have the proper size tank and fresh outside water flow. Important note on water flow in bait wells;

Great fun for kids of all ages, bait making can teach the basic fishing skills for novice fishermen. Proper bait rig educate shown by this young angler.

How to use a de-bait tool: De-bait tool are simply that... a tool that helps one in the removal of Sabiki caught bait fish, by means of not touching and damaging the fish. Generally a butter knife was the mainstay for this procedure. Till some one came up with the stiff metal bar stock and a bent hook tip concept. This device, can be made or acquired at a tackle shop. How it works is the bent hook grabs the hook shank on the rig... holding the line tight and inverting the barb, then lightly shaking the tool. The bait fish should drop off the hook from it's own weight as shown.

Be sure you are not making too much current in the tank, (defuser panel will help lessen this) too much current will cause the bait to fight against the flow and will become tired and likely die because of it. Bait storage is most commonly done in mesh net receivers , Bait Motel by Promar is a great example. Be sure to have the bait receiver in a location that has both protection from open waters and strong currents. Don't over load (crowd) the receiver , for it will cause damage to bait. Portable bait receivers are a great way to save bait at you fishing area for later use.

Early morning bait removal from a Promar Bait Motel.

Using Squid Jigs; This section will cover catching the squid for bait or table. However, these are the larger Humboldt Squid (1-60 pounds) Section on catching smaller Californian squid for bait will follow shortly.

Catching squid is pretty much the same as that of bait fish. One nearly needs to find a location and use the aid of lights to attract the squid up from the depths. Down in Baja California Mexico, local commercial squid fishermen use only hand lines for these large squid. One can use rod and reel to the same effect. Simply drop the squid jig down and once the location (depth) is acquired... strong tugging will follow. Now pull the hooked squid to the surface and viola, fresh calamari.

Note: these larger humboldt squid can spray you with an impressive amount of water/ink pressure, be sure to not get this in you eyes. Squid ink is very acidity and will burn and can temporary impair ability to see. As shown in the photo of commercial Mexican squiders.

More to follow soon~