The Outdoor Line Forum

Hi guys,

This last spring and summer, I saw a few clouds of bait fish around the jetty and around the green can off Shillshole / Ballard. Just curious if you guys have ever tried to figure out if that was herring or not, of what type of fish that is and if it would be good for bait (salmon).

I was going to drop a crab pot and wanted to catch something productive during the soak.

Hey PC!
Herring jigging is really fun and fairly easy once you locate a school.

Pick up a couple packs of Sabiki Bait rigs...


,,,add a weight to the bottom of the rig and make 6-12" vertical jigging motions in the school.


If you wish to freeze your own bait, line a cookie sheet with wax paper and lay out your fresh herring nice and straight in dozens or half dozens. After a couple hours in the freezer, you're good to either Zip-Lock or vacuum pack !

The water was like chocolate milk up in 8-2 around kayak point park and figured maybe nothing would be able to see that little sabiki jig. But I was amazed when I dropped it down into a bait cloud and hooked up on little perch. Its a fantastic tool in the belt! I have spreader jig that i can put some squid on 2-3 ot hooks, and now this little sabiki jig also. I feel like I can identify what type of bait is under the boat by switching between one or the other now. Very cool, did not see any herring but the crab was fantastic!

If these little perch can see that little sabiki jig, I can only imagine what the other fish can see, really amazing.