Okay guys.. I am still in the process of crossing over from freshwater so bear with me here... I didn't have any squid to tip my sabiki today, so I used little pieces of cut up white plastic grub, and soon as it hits the water, bam!.. first thought it was a bunch of ladyfish because they were like 10-12inches long and jumping acrobatically .. but no... ballyhoo... now.. I never knew they came so close to shore.. is this normal for them to come this close???? and is it the norm to catch them on sabikis?

Thanks,

Charles

You can catch ballyhoo with sabikis. They're usually up on the surface though.

Fishing from a pier I like using a bobber and a small single gold hook tipped with squid.

Hey Charles, any chance the ballyhoos you were catching on the sabiki look like this?



Could have been houndies instead of ballyhoo.

I had no clue they came in this close.. and No Cuban.. they had the long distended bottom jaw, plus they were super silvery, I seriously thought it was a lady fish by the way they were jumping.. pretty weird.. are they any good for bait when they are that size? I know offshore they are.. just not sure about shore fishing?

Charles

Ballyhoo are an inshore bait often caught on the piers. They are great mackeral and snapper baits as well as about anything else that swims will eat them.

X2

Right Place right Time for me, but yes try to keep it on top with a tigh line to have your hooks in line with each other. They will typically swim around and move around like most schools of bait so you will see them, then they can disappear so you have to keep up. Try some oatmeal on top as well, it will float and attract less trash fish which the hoo's will be attracted too. Jig, Tip it, whatever works just try it both ways and you will see.