i fish bait on the beaches mostly clams,sea worms,pogy and mackeral and only plug the canal so i need to be schooled on baitfishing the canal,so i used a drift rig with a 2oz egg sinker and i could not keep the mackeral on the hook and i could not keep the weeds off of it, what range of sinker weights should i use?,is there any particular type of bait that works in the canal best? and what pieces of the baitfish the stay on the hook best?. funny thing is when i swiched over to jigging a 2oz hopkins i caught fish!!!

less is best ..best way to fish w/ bait is learn to free drift w/ no or as little of weight as poss.start w/ a 1/2oz rubber core sinker and workdown ..the thing is to drift the bait in a naterial way ..or fish the bottom at slack tide...also watch the other guys fishin bait ..best bait is fresh pogies or macs..bronze hooks 6/0or 7/0 +30# test big game,9ft rod..spin or conv.

less is best ..best way to fish w/ bait is learn to free drift w/ no or as little of weight as poss.start w/ a 1/2oz rubber core sinker and workdown ..the thing is to drift the bait in a naterial way ..or fish the bottom at slack tide...also watch the other guys fishin bait ..best bait is fresh pogies or macs..bronze hooks 6/0or 7/0 +30# test big game,9ft rod..spin or conv.

Ah the good old days, heads at the cherry tree and the jungle. Gary spying on us with binoculars from across the way.:wave: Remember when herring baskets were used for pogies. Thanks Dave brought back some great memories. I have not fished that way in years. Listen to Dave he knows what he is talking about. Very productive. P.

bait fishing (dead sticking) the canal

Get a heavy conventional rod and a heavy duty reel. I like a 8 foot cod rod and a jigmaster with 60 pound Ande. Use a 3' 100 pound test leader with a 9/0 mustad (keenly sharpened) kerbed "J" hooks or gamagatsu octopus hooks and a 125 pound test swivel.
Set the drag at about a 10-12 pound "pull". Get a piece of PVC pipe and find a real solid rock to sick the pipe into (if you don't find a real good set of rocks, say goodby to your rig when you get a strike). Use a fishfinder with 4 to 8 ounce sinkers (depending on how fast the tide is running). Stick a chunk of mack or pogie on and cast it out over the drop off ledge, into a rip or hole,engage the drag lever, and the clicker and stick the rod in the holder, with the reel and guides facing the water. You might get a strike before you are able to put the rod in the holder, so be aware. I usually get a half dozen sinkers hooks fishfinders and swivels. The cheap fishfinders will open up if you snag the bottom, so you only loose the sinker (sometimes) or pull off the little plastic holder. You can't do that with lighter line. Also,weeds can usually be pulled up if you get snaged, and you can pull in all the 20 pound test break offs that litter your favorite hole. Also, bring a wet rag and a stick, if you do get stuck on the bottom, wrap the line around the rag (wet) and the stick and pull, 60 pound test mono is pretty hard to break, but it will build up your muscles. Dont pull against the rod or reel, you'll bend the arbor on the spool. Also, 60 pound test will straighten a mustad hook. So when that 70 pounder strips your reel and the tip of the rod is almost in the water, and the drag is screaming and you cant get the rod out of the pvc tube cuz the rod is bent over so far, then you'll know you got a good one on. Big bait=big fish. Don't forget to chum. I like feeding the fish.

When the rod is in the holder, baited, make sure all the slack in the line is "taken up" and that the rod has a ever so slight bend in it showing that the rod and line is ready to "bite back' when a fish strikes.. Don't fish with a "bow" in your line, you don't want to let slack line prevent a solid hook up.

Also, never let your sinker or leader touch the bottom after you dislodge it when your bringing it in to check your bait. I change deadsticked bait every 10-15 minutes (sometimes longer, but not much) and always cut up and use the washed out pieces as chum.. Crank in your offerring as fast as you can so it never,ever drags bottom, crank like crazy.
Chum and deadstick. I like slack low and east running tides, day and night, in the summer.

After I loose my 6 rigs, I go home. On a average tide, fishing 2 rods, I usually can fish the whole tide with 6 sinkers and rigs. If I do loose them all, well, I call it quits and save my pennies for another day.

Thats one of the ways I catch bass in the canal. I can't always fish at the preferred times, but that east runng tide has been very very good to me.

I used to be able to stand for long periods of time, but my old back isn't up to it any longer.

I get about 80% hook up ratio per strike using this meat stick method. Make sure your hooks are sharp and the tip exposed through the bait. I've never gut hooked a fish using this method. Hooked a bunch in the eye and in the folds of the gill plate. They strike hard and will hook themselves with the drag lever engaged. .
I use improved clinch knots to tie my rigs.
Also, 100 pound test leaders (soft clear ande) will stand up to the rocks a few more chafings on rocks and barnacles and the big fish won't be leader shy.. Also, those giant blues won't bite through 100 pound test.

You can use your 12 foot spinners the same way but if you are using 20 pund test mono, and get snagged on a muscle or weed, you'll spend 20 minutes screwing around tryng to pull your stuck rig off the bottom, and if you do manage to hook a good one, 20 pound test will be challange to hold a good fish in the fast current. Its a real challanging place, but the fish have 3 places to go, The "land" side, the "cape" side and the beaches

You may say that this method is not sporting or is boring. It catches fish and between cutting bait, rebaiting, cranking and casting, you won't be bored. If you do get bored, it's time to change out the bait, recast or throw a little more chum in the water (or check out the roller blading ladies).

Cutting bait.
fresh mackerel, I get 2 or 3 chunks off a mack. Use the head and tail for chum.
pogies, fish the head and get 2 or 3 chunks. use the tail section for chum.

make sure you have a strong, sharp knife
macks and pogies are hard to cut when they are frozen rock solid.
Sea clam necks, with the outside skin removed (the black "skin") work good too. Use a big bait holder hook (the ones with barbs on the shaft) for clams. The barbs keep the clam neck from "balling up" in the throat of the hook. Get a couple pints and try fishing with them. Don't forget to cut up some into little pieces for chum.

would my heavy duty fiberglass jigging rod(spinning) do me well for chunking?.i ma also going to pick up some big egg sinkers up to 3oz

GO FOR IT.

Although I don't use as heavy a line or leader and use one rod
which I am always holding. Good instructions particularly when
reeling in as fast as you can without pumping which allows lead
to drop and can catch on reef ledge. Lightweight PVC sand spike is good to hold rod while baiting or lighting up but not to hold against
a strike-- best place for rod is in your hand. Have found 50 lb Ande
leader will hold a pretty big blue. With a big bass from Canal I now
need a ten lb blue for combined weight prize at my fishing club.:soon:

A 2' long piece of 2"-3" schedule 40 PVC will protect the handle of the rod from scratches when you jam it in the rocks.

I am not a big fan of putting bait on the bottom, although I have done it , especially at slack tide. I much prefer to drift chunks like Dave explained. It takes a while to get used to the technique but once mastered and done in the right places it is very productive. P.

I am not a big fan of putting bait on the bottom, although I have done it , especially at slack tide. I much prefer to drift chunks like Dave explained. It takes a while to get used to the technique but once mastered and done in the right places it is very productive. P.
hmmm... dead stcking bait and drfting bait is kinda like dead sticking soft plastics in the ditch