Cherry Beach report

[Baytuber]

Went to Norm's to get some live smelt but they couldn't catch any last night so I got a couple of bags of frozen Anchovy's. Fished Cherry Beach from 7-10am only caught one 21" Halibut between Cherry Beach and Grissom Island out past the bouys. Saw Wil out there by Grissom he caught a few short Halibuts using plastics. Little foggy and a little cold but at least I didn't get skunked! That little 21" Halibut put up a good little fight! I was surprised to see how small it was when it came up.

Kiyo
www.baytubers.com
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool] At least you got to bend your stick and stretch your string. And...it was the right species. Even a short halibut is better than a mega shovelnose. It won't be long until the bigger fish start to move shallower. I wish i was there to welcome them.

By the way, Kiyo, how do you fish your dead chovies? Do you just drag them along the bottom or do you give them any kind of sexy action? Ever tried rigging them on a spinner jig head (Roadrunner). That has been deadly on east coast flounders and halibut in the upper Sea of Cortez. Haven't had a chance to introduce it to California flatties yet.
[signature]

[OneWhoFishes]

Well that secret is out. I haveused the road runner jig heads to bring in jackpot winning sand bass and calicos on some of the local party boats.

In moriches inlet on long Island were I grew up we used to take up to two once jig heads and modify them with coat hanger wire and willow blades from old bass spinnersto fish deep for fluke, strippers and blue fish.
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool]Hey, Eric. I started using the old BeetleSpin "add-on" spinner blades in the early eighties...first for largemouths, walleyes and big crappies. Took them with me to the salt water in Louisiana and South Texas, for redfish and seatrout. I had such great success by adding extra flash and vibration to standard jigs and plastics that I began a whole bunch of experiments.

I have been making my own jigs for a long time, but it was about ten years ago that I got my first "pony head" jig molds. Of course the Roadrunner jigs are trademarked by Blakemore and can't be made commercially, but individuals can crank out all they want. I have made and used them in all sizes from about 1/32 oz. to over a half ounce. I have no idea how many fish of how many species I have taken by using Roadrunner type jig heads.

I also "modify" regular jig molds to accept a piece of wire, which I hook around the bend of the jig hook before pouring the lead. I then clip off the eye of the jig hook and use the wire to make either inline spinners or small versions of spinner baits. Here's a scanned pic of some of the more common colors and configurations I use.



In addition to using Roadrunner heads for both twister and shad bodied plastics, I tie some of them up into a line of dressed jigs I call "bait bugs". These are mostly made with some exotic colors of synthetic "craft cord" from the hobby shops, and sparkle braid and Krystal Flash from the fly tying materials sections of the mail order houses. Here's a pic of my Roadrunner "bait bugs":



When there is no live bait, I can hang a small tube on the hook of one of these bait bugs...with some attractant...or hook a fluttering strip of squid or chovy fillet. Even a strip cut from a "brownbait" like herring (queenfish) will draw in the predators, when it is signaled with the flash of a spinner blade.

I'll make you two offers. First, I have several pages of writeup on making and using Roadrunners and regular bait bugs...including some pages on pouring, painting and using glitter paints. Be happy to forward them to anyone who wants to toy with them. Second, I will also put together a small "fieldtest" kit for any dedicated, serious, thrifty, brave, clean, reverent float tube folks who want to give them a try...or at least have a pattern to go by.

I have knocked the snot out of hundreds of predatory fishies in the Sea of Cortez on Roadrunners and other homemade spinner jigs. I can't wait to introduce them to the more "sophisticated" Californian denizens.
[signature]

[Baytuber]

TubeDude,

I fish them the same way as the live smelts. I have one rod in the rod holder and I cast the other towards shore and bring it in slowly.

I haven't tried the spinner thing yet. I might have to give it a try.

Kiyo
www.baytubers.com
[signature]