A Guide to Sabiki Rigs

What are Sabiki Rigs? A Sabiki rig is a long length of monofilament containing several branches with a tiny hook on the ends of each branch. At the bottom of the line is a loop for attaching your sinker. They are primarily used to catch baitfish for sportfishermen. With the popularity of Sabiki rigs, many fishermen have been stowing away their cast nets because these rigs are so cheap, easy, and productive.

Where can I find Sabikis? Every tackle store I have ever been to and even general retail store fishing aisles sell sabiki rigs. Prices are going to range from .99 cents to over $4 for a single sabiki rig. Bass Pro Shops sell a good .99 cent sabiki rig that I have used many times. For larger sized sabikis, OTI makes a great sabiki for around $3-$4 with 25-lb breaking strength branches. If it's your first time buying sabikis, don't just walk up and grab a handful because sabikis are sold in different sizes. Make sure you get ones that are the appropriate size for the baitfish you're after. Also, sinkers are usually not included in sabiki packages.

Can I make my own Sabiki Rigs? Sure! Take about a 6'-8' section of mono line and tie a double overhand or surgeon's loop knot on one end. This will be your sinker attachment loop. Now go up the line a few inches and tie dropper loops, repeat up the line until you have 5 or 6 loops made. On the ends of each of these branches, slide on a small hook. Some people add tiny beads and flashy skirt pieces to each branch hook. You can beef up or tone down sabiki rig sizes for the types of baitfish you are wanting to catch. For example, when catch Cigar Minnows you'll want to use lighter mono & tiny hooks for their tiny mouths. If you're going to be dropping sabikis down to the bottom to jig up bottom baits for Grouper on the other hand, you will want a heavier mono and slightly bigger hoooks. Same goes for the sinker sizes. Feel free to search the Internet for other ways to make your own too.

How do you use a Sabiki rig to catch fish? When you locate bait, either on your fishfinder or busting the surface nearby, drop the sabiki down to them. Sometimes a slight "jig" of the rod will do the trick; other times just dropping it down through the school is all it takes. When you feel the rig loaded up, reel the baitfish in and put them in your livewell. For catching baitfish such as white snapper and squirrelfish, tip the hooks with small pieces of cut bait like squid. Drop the sabiki all the way to the bottom and wait for the tug. Reel it up and you've got fresh local bait for Grouper and Red Snapper for instance.

The bigger Sabiki rigs can be a great way to catch Triggerfish as well. On the Gulf though, you will need to use circle hooks instead of j-hooks to comply with the regulations. Tip the circle hooks with bait and send them to the rocky structures below.

What are the down sides to Sabiki Rigs? They can be a pain to store when you're not using them. Sabiki rods are a solution to that though. These rods store the sabiki inside the rod itself. When you hook yourself or your clothing by accident on a loose dangling sabiki branch you'll see what I mean. Sabiki rigs get tangled very easily too. Blue runners are notorious for a twisted havoc on sabikis. When that happens, you can spend 10 minutes trying to untangle it or since the rigs are so cheap just cut it off and re-tie another on.Sometimes adding a slightly heavier sinker with prevent those rascals from swimming around and tangling the line. Furthermore, because the hooks are so small and the fish are jumping around it's pretty common to get the hooks in your fingers. Be careful, and think about investing in a bait dehooker.