Hi. Great video. Thanks. I love herring fishing. I am about the only person that I know who does it. Its fun and herring are delicious fried. Fun doesnt get any better than this. 🙂
Hi Go Gan thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this herring action! Yes indeed - herring fishing is a total blast and often has way more action (less "down time") than fishing for other species. Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
It's a thing of beauty. The smelt were running when I was up in Juneau in December but I only got 3 herring in the mix and they were smaller than the smelt. The upshot is that they're small enough you can fry them up in light oil just til they firm up and you wouldn't know there are any bones in there.
Hi canid song many thanks for tuning in and that's crazy to hear about the tiny herring mixed in with the smelt! Haha great point - frying up those little ones makes the bones basically melt away! All the best and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Hi Piscatorian thanks for watching! Yes indeed this was a pretty intense bait ball - there is a fish processing facility right near this area that discharges tiny bits of fish remains into the water, which attracts millions of herring!!! All the best and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Nice boat! I have a 2012 Hewescraft OceanPro I think yours is nearly identical, I even have a 1242XSV Garmin display ( I put some 2 inch lifts on it) We pay 8 bucks for a dozen herring so I bought some Sabiki rigs and hope to get out off the Washington or Oregon Coast and get a bucket full. What a bait ball! A thing of beauty!
Hi Beentheredonethat Originals many thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed this herring footage! How cool - your boat sounds like a sweet setup! You nailed it - if you can get into a nice school of herring the bucket will fill up quick and be a WAY better approach than paying top dollar for pack after pack of herring. If you are keeping them for salmon trolling, you'll want to be a little more delicate with them to avoid scales coming off. But for halibut bait, fill the bucket and you are all set! Good luck out there and I'd love to hear how it goes! Calm seas and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Hi boydscj7 thanks for tuning in and I'm glad you enjoyed this herring action! Do you find that the A-Scope makes much of a difference vs. the traditional sonar display? Tight lines! Captain Zac
@@CaptainZac A-Scope is a setting on your traditional sonar. It basically shows you in real-time what your transducer is picking up. There are some good videos to show you how to turn it on your Chartplotter.
Great how to video ! Just a point on weight if you are getting tangles you might go up in weight to 1and1/2oz or 2oz . It makes it harder for fish to hold weight up .
Hi Gene thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this herring video! I appreciate the tip. In the past I've experimented with larger weight and sometimes more weight causes the rig to move so quickly through the water column that I catch less fish on the fall. Sometimes when the fish holds the weight up it leads to more fish getting hooked. I suppose it depends on how concentrated the bait is and what depth. A heavier weight would do a great job keep the rig from tangling - those sabiki rigs are so hard to untangle once they are fouled!!! Thanks again for stopping by and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
So Capt'n Zack - what's the plan when you've got tons of bait under you but they ain't biting? Also, do you ever get into schools of Anchovies and/or Sardines? From what I read, they're here in the PNW but the only place I've seen them caught in significant numbers is in So. Cal.
Hi @gjbingham thanks for stopping by. Generally if baitfish are schooled up in a "ball" they will strike a sabiki rig but sometimes even if they aren't striking you will still snag them. The primary bait fish up here is herring but the other one that shows up is a hooligan (smelt). Tight lines! Captain Zac
Hi Game Of 64 thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this herring footage! I typically stick to salting them in a bucket after I catch them since I use herring as cut bait to create maximum scent dispersion (halibut really key in on scent). That said, I'm sure if you did go through the effort to keep them alive, it would probably be a great bait for halibut or anything else in the sea! Thanks again and tight lines! Captain Zac
Hi there Patrice many thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this herring bonanza! In Petersburg where we were fishing this day there is a fish processing facility that discharges tiny bits of fish remains into the water, which attracts millions of herring!!! A bucket-full of herring like this provides a great source of halibut bait for about a week of fishing every day. Halibut love fresh herring! I hope all is well on your end! The weather is getting chilly here in my offseason home in PA (in the 20's and 30's in the morning) - I bet it is much warmer where you are farther south! All the best my friend! Captain Zac
I tend to just jig the sabiki up and down the water column until I get into the herring. Yes I've caught bait off of a dock with a sabiki rig - of course the bait has to be there to catch it. Yes some folks catch shad on slightly larger sabiki rigs. Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Hi The Reef Robber (cool screen name!) thanks for tuning in and glad you enjoyed this herring action! Good luck tomorrow - tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Hi David many thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this herring video! Good question - although I don't eat them, I have heard of some folks filleting and eating the large ones or pickling them. I imagine if you seasoned and smoked the fillets it probably wouldn't be all that bad (they are after all very oily which makes for good smoked fish). Of course - if you can use a herring to catch a halibut that's a definite upgrade in table fare! Thanks again for tuning in and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Hi Jonna thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this herring footage! I typically use a 1oz sinker at the bottom of a sabiki rig. Thanks again and tight lines! Captain Zac
With a bait ball like that I could fill that bucket with just a couple throws of my cast net! Since my daily limit in BC is 20kg, I could limit out in less time than the length of this video! 😁 Also, a lot of the larger herring will be on my table instead of all going for bait. 😋
Hi notpc48 thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this herring action! Haha yes indeed - a cast net throw (where permitted) would fill up a wheelbarrow full of them! Great idea - small herring for bait and the larger ones as table fare to go with the halibut you catch! All the best and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
I am all set and ready for the big herring spawning coming up soon in the Georgia Strait of BC. Where I am (Nanaimo), I expect it to be in about 2-3 weeks from now.
BTW: Try taking the larger herring and after cleaning them (head on), rub them down with salt and put them on the grill for 2-3 minutes on each side or when slightly charred. Squeeze some fresh lemon over them and enjoy! 😋🐟
Hi Charles thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this herring action! Sorry to hear that the herring didn't cooperate for you last time but hopefully with a new sabiki rig you'll be in luck next time you give it a try! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Hi Penn704z thanks for watching! You are right that finding them can be the trickiest part. In this case near Petersburg, there is a fish processing facility right near this area that discharges tiny bits of fish remains into the water, which attracts millions of herring! When there aren't fish processors around, I've had luck finding them near marinas and in coves. To locate herring in a cove I like to cruise the main-water points created on both sides of the cove and watch the sonar for bait. If that doesn't work then I work my way towards the back of the cove. Often in coves (e.g., Lena Cove) near Juneau, the herring will be in 15-40 feet even if the water is much deeper. Also, I've had a lot of luck catching herring in passes (such as North Pass where the water flows between Lincoln Island and Shelter Island). While the bait is deeper here (150-300ft), sometimes it can be so thick that over 100ft of depth will be solid herring! The humpbacks know this as well and are often spotted in this area! Feeding whales generally are a good indicator of where the herring are! All the best and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
If you have a fish finder it helps to stay on them but you can watch for gulls. Lots of gulls gathering and skimming the surface is a great indicator of baitfish. When they're staging up to spawn in coastal water it's even better because you'll see the surface boil from how tightly they're packed in.
I'm seeing a lot of signs of bird and seal feeding on the harbor cam. You know if the herring are inshore now? Trying to get a couple friends away from their computers and down to the water.
Hi canid song many thanks for watching! Haha getting people away from their screens and on the water can be tough! I'm up in Juneau right now so can't comment exactly on the Petersburg herring run but I assume that if you are seeing birds swooping around and seals in the area that the herring must be nearby! The good thing is that you'll know pretty quickly whether they are in or not - the schools are usually so thick that you'll either catch a ton or you'll realize pretty quick that they aren't in the area. Best of luck - I hope you crush'em!!! Calm seas and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Have you every mistake catch salmon while doing that for herring I happened to me a few years ago here in Washington I took my time and landed about a 6pound coho it’s was great fight keep up the good work I live your videos some day I will come up to Alaska and look you up and pay for your service
Hi Carlos thanks for watching and CONGRATS on the nice coho while herring fishing! Great job landing such an awesome fish on the light gear! Your heart must have skipped a beat when that light bait rod doubled over with a salmon on it - what a blast! I've actually never mistake-caught a salmon while herring fishing but have caught flounder, sculpin and once caught a baby ling cod! I appreciate you watching my videos - much more 2020 footage to come! All the best and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Hi Peeling Line thanks for watching! Yes indeed it is a bonus when you can have a blast catching the bait before heading to the fishing grounds! I recommend size 4 sabikis - depending on the brand that would be a 10-12lb test main line and a 6-8lb test branch line. Do you ever use sabikis to catch bait in your neck of the woods? Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Hi Erick thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this herring catching footage! This video was taken in Petersburg, Alaska - just a little bit south of Juneau. Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Hi Mike! Yes indeed - Geoff was in rare form slaying double after triple after quadruple herring hookups! A master of his craft indeed! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Thanks Kevin! I'm glad you enjoyed this herring how-to! It is awesome when you can quickly fill a bucket of herring and then go halibut fishing! All the best and tight lines! Captain Zac
Thanks for stopping by! This was actually in Erie, PA, over the holidays. The Erie tributaries are an awesome steelhead fishery! Tight lines! Captain Zac
Hey @barbarcreighton6726 nothing wrong with smoked herring - we were on a fishing excursion so we chose to harvest these herring and use them as halibut bait. Thanks and tight lines! Captain Zac
Hi. Great video. Thanks.
I love herring fishing. I am about the only person that I know who does it. Its fun and herring are delicious fried.
Fun doesnt get any better than this. 🙂
Hi Go Gan thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this herring action! Yes indeed - herring fishing is a total blast and often has way more action (less "down time") than fishing for other species. Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
It's a thing of beauty. The smelt were running when I was up in Juneau in December but I only got 3 herring in the mix and they were smaller than the smelt.
The upshot is that they're small enough you can fry them up in light oil just til they firm up and you wouldn't know there are any bones in there.
Hi canid song many thanks for tuning in and that's crazy to hear about the tiny herring mixed in with the smelt! Haha great point - frying up those little ones makes the bones basically melt away! All the best and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Holy bait balls! That was a bunch of herring looks like you wont need bait anytime soon. Thanks for sharing, tight lines!
Hi Piscatorian thanks for watching! Yes indeed this was a pretty intense bait ball - there is a fish processing facility right near this area that discharges tiny bits of fish remains into the water, which attracts millions of herring!!! All the best and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Nice boat! I have a 2012 Hewescraft OceanPro I think yours is nearly identical, I even have a 1242XSV Garmin display ( I put some 2 inch lifts on it) We pay 8 bucks for a dozen herring so I bought some Sabiki rigs and hope to get out off the Washington or Oregon Coast and get a bucket full. What a bait ball! A thing of beauty!
Hi Beentheredonethat Originals many thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed this herring footage! How cool - your boat sounds like a sweet setup! You nailed it - if you can get into a nice school of herring the bucket will fill up quick and be a WAY better approach than paying top dollar for pack after pack of herring. If you are keeping them for salmon trolling, you'll want to be a little more delicate with them to avoid scales coming off. But for halibut bait, fill the bucket and you are all set! Good luck out there and I'd love to hear how it goes! Calm seas and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Great video thanks for sharing! Turn on your A-Scope you'll really enjoy the fish finder
Hi boydscj7 thanks for tuning in and I'm glad you enjoyed this herring action! Do you find that the A-Scope makes much of a difference vs. the traditional sonar display? Tight lines! Captain Zac
@@CaptainZac A-Scope is a setting on your traditional sonar. It basically shows you in real-time what your transducer is picking up. There are some good videos to show you how to turn it on your Chartplotter.
I'll check it out - thanks for the tip!
Great how to video ! Just a point on weight if you are getting tangles you might go up in weight to 1and1/2oz or 2oz . It makes it harder for fish to hold weight up .
Hi Gene thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this herring video! I appreciate the tip. In the past I've experimented with larger weight and sometimes more weight causes the rig to move so quickly through the water column that I catch less fish on the fall. Sometimes when the fish holds the weight up it leads to more fish getting hooked. I suppose it depends on how concentrated the bait is and what depth. A heavier weight would do a great job keep the rig from tangling - those sabiki rigs are so hard to untangle once they are fouled!!! Thanks again for stopping by and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
So Capt'n Zack - what's the plan when you've got tons of bait under you but they ain't biting? Also, do you ever get into schools of Anchovies and/or Sardines? From what I read, they're here in the PNW but the only place I've seen them caught in significant numbers is in So. Cal.
Hi @gjbingham thanks for stopping by. Generally if baitfish are schooled up in a "ball" they will strike a sabiki rig but sometimes even if they aren't striking you will still snag them. The primary bait fish up here is herring but the other one that shows up is a hooligan (smelt). Tight lines! Captain Zac
Do you ever use the live well to keep them alive and fresh? Thank you for all of your amazing videos!
Hi Game Of 64 thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this herring footage! I typically stick to salting them in a bucket after I catch them since I use herring as cut bait to create maximum scent dispersion (halibut really key in on scent). That said, I'm sure if you did go through the effort to keep them alive, it would probably be a great bait for halibut or anything else in the sea! Thanks again and tight lines! Captain Zac
That was a real nice sweet spot full of them
Hi there Patrice many thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this herring bonanza! In Petersburg where we were fishing this day there is a fish processing facility that discharges tiny bits of fish remains into the water, which attracts millions of herring!!! A bucket-full of herring like this provides a great source of halibut bait for about a week of fishing every day. Halibut love fresh herring!
I hope all is well on your end! The weather is getting chilly here in my offseason home in PA (in the 20's and 30's in the morning) - I bet it is much warmer where you are farther south!
All the best my friend! Captain Zac
Do u just reel the sabiki rig in or do you jig as u go? I’m fishing from a doc. Also, will Shad bite the sabiki?
I tend to just jig the sabiki up and down the water column until I get into the herring. Yes I've caught bait off of a dock with a sabiki rig - of course the bait has to be there to catch it. Yes some folks catch shad on slightly larger sabiki rigs. Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Going tomorrow in Newport Oregon.
Hi The Reef Robber (cool screen name!) thanks for tuning in and glad you enjoyed this herring action! Good luck tomorrow - tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
@@CaptainZac thanks.
Amazing! Are herring any good for eating on their own, smoked perhaps? Don't know; just curious.
Hi David many thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this herring video! Good question - although I don't eat them, I have heard of some folks filleting and eating the large ones or pickling them. I imagine if you seasoned and smoked the fillets it probably wouldn't be all that bad (they are after all very oily which makes for good smoked fish). Of course - if you can use a herring to catch a halibut that's a definite upgrade in table fare! Thanks again for tuning in and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
they sell them canned in most every grocery store
how heavy is your sinker for herring?
Hi Jonna thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this herring footage! I typically use a 1oz sinker at the bottom of a sabiki rig. Thanks again and tight lines! Captain Zac
With a bait ball like that I could fill that bucket with just a couple throws of my cast net! Since my daily limit in BC is 20kg, I could limit out in less time than the length of this video! 😁
Also, a lot of the larger herring will be on my table instead of all going for bait. 😋
Hi notpc48 thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this herring action! Haha yes indeed - a cast net throw (where permitted) would fill up a wheelbarrow full of them! Great idea - small herring for bait and the larger ones as table fare to go with the halibut you catch! All the best and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
I am all set and ready for the big herring spawning coming up soon in the Georgia Strait of BC. Where I am (Nanaimo), I expect it to be in about 2-3 weeks from now.
@@notpc48 Wow that's awesome! I've heard the herring spawn over in that area is one of the best around. Good luck!
BTW: Try taking the larger herring and after cleaning them (head on), rub them down with salt and put them on the grill for 2-3 minutes on each side or when slightly charred. Squeeze some fresh lemon over them and enjoy! 😋🐟
What kind of herring are they??
Pacific Herring - www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=herring.printerfriendly Tight lines! Captain Zac
tried a few years ago and could not find bait willing to bite.
Have new Sabiki rig, been seeing some better bait balls down south here in Puget Sound
Hi Charles thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this herring action! Sorry to hear that the herring didn't cooperate for you last time but hopefully with a new sabiki rig you'll be in luck next time you give it a try! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Any recommendations for finding herring? I think that's sometimes the hardest part.
Hi Penn704z thanks for watching! You are right that finding them can be the trickiest part.
In this case near Petersburg, there is a fish processing facility right near this area that discharges tiny bits of fish remains into the water, which attracts millions of herring!
When there aren't fish processors around, I've had luck finding them near marinas and in coves. To locate herring in a cove I like to cruise the main-water points created on both sides of the cove and watch the sonar for bait. If that doesn't work then I work my way towards the back of the cove. Often in coves (e.g., Lena Cove) near Juneau, the herring will be in 15-40 feet even if the water is much deeper.
Also, I've had a lot of luck catching herring in passes (such as North Pass where the water flows between Lincoln Island and Shelter Island). While the bait is deeper here (150-300ft), sometimes it can be so thick that over 100ft of depth will be solid herring! The humpbacks know this as well and are often spotted in this area! Feeding whales generally are a good indicator of where the herring are!
All the best and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
If you have a fish finder it helps to stay on them but you can watch for gulls. Lots of gulls gathering and skimming the surface is a great indicator of baitfish. When they're staging up to spawn in coastal water it's even better because you'll see the surface boil from how tightly they're packed in.
I'm seeing a lot of signs of bird and seal feeding on the harbor cam. You know if the herring are inshore now? Trying to get a couple friends away from their computers and down to the water.
Hi canid song many thanks for watching! Haha getting people away from their screens and on the water can be tough! I'm up in Juneau right now so can't comment exactly on the Petersburg herring run but I assume that if you are seeing birds swooping around and seals in the area that the herring must be nearby! The good thing is that you'll know pretty quickly whether they are in or not - the schools are usually so thick that you'll either catch a ton or you'll realize pretty quick that they aren't in the area. Best of luck - I hope you crush'em!!! Calm seas and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Have you every mistake catch salmon while doing that for herring I happened to me a few years ago here in Washington I took my time and landed about a 6pound coho it’s was great fight keep up the good work I live your videos some day I will come up to Alaska and look you up and pay for your service
Hi Carlos thanks for watching and CONGRATS on the nice coho while herring fishing! Great job landing such an awesome fish on the light gear! Your heart must have skipped a beat when that light bait rod doubled over with a salmon on it - what a blast!
I've actually never mistake-caught a salmon while herring fishing but have caught flounder, sculpin and once caught a baby ling cod!
I appreciate you watching my videos - much more 2020 footage to come!
All the best and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
@@CaptainZac yes my heart skipped a few beats I thought I going to loose the salmon
Thanks again for your awesome videos
Looked like lots of fun collecting bait. Great video. What size sabiki were you using? 👍
Hi Peeling Line thanks for watching! Yes indeed it is a bonus when you can have a blast catching the bait before heading to the fishing grounds! I recommend size 4 sabikis - depending on the brand that would be a 10-12lb test main line and a 6-8lb test branch line. Do you ever use sabikis to catch bait in your neck of the woods? Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Where is that?
Hi Erick thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this herring catching footage! This video was taken in Petersburg, Alaska - just a little bit south of Juneau. Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
@@CaptainZac thank you!
That's world famous Herring Fisherman Geoff
Hi Mike! Yes indeed - Geoff was in rare form slaying double after triple after quadruple herring hookups! A master of his craft indeed! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
funny day ! Nice
Thanks Kevin! I'm glad you enjoyed this herring how-to! It is awesome when you can quickly fill a bucket of herring and then go halibut fishing! All the best and tight lines! Captain Zac
I take it your on the west coast
Thanks for stopping by! This was actually in Erie, PA, over the holidays. The Erie tributaries are an awesome steelhead fishery! Tight lines! Captain Zac
what's wrong with kippers ( smoked herring ) ?
Hey @barbarcreighton6726 nothing wrong with smoked herring - we were on a fishing excursion so we chose to harvest these herring and use them as halibut bait. Thanks and tight lines! Captain Zac