Thread: making your own ribbon bait rig

well lets see them....custom homemade bait ribbon rigs....I have material so why not get an idea of what is a good design out there....Thanks in advance....

the sabiki worked good for me last trip, never needed to try the bait rig material....but I would say it would be almost right for it....and I have 2 sizes.

Ribbon rigs in several incarnations were around years ago and I still see them in Gulf Shores, but someone told me they violated FL gill-net ban. Too bad if true.

Why is it to bad? Gulf Shores is in Alabama, therefore doesn't fall under he Florida Gill Net ban.

I think MWT meant 'too bad for FL anglers' ;-)

Bill, did you use this material to catch LYs why you here last?
Reason I ask is one thing that makes using castnet webbing so effective as a catcher is the way it is sewn so when used at a particular 45 degree angle the weight on the knots makes them 'open up'.
And the angle makes it easier to slide behind the gills of the LY to ensnare them.

[quote author=Pier#r link=topic=690.msg6409#msg6409 date=1330901243]
I think MWT meant 'too bad for FL anglers' ;-)

Bill, did you use this material to catch LYs why you here last?
Reason I ask is one thing that makes using castnet webbing so effective as a catcher is the way it is sewn so when used at a particular 45 degree angle the weight on the knots makes them 'open up'.
And the angle makes it easier to slide behind the gills of the LY to ensnare them.
[/quote]

No.... never did use it....the sabiki was working fine for me, and never really needed too....this can be cut so the knots are 45degrees the measurements are very close(almost perfect) to what store bought ones I have....and did pick up some smaller mesh too...these are from Ball corporation and cover lids to steel cans they make....I think it holds them together stacked on skids....and there is trash cans full of it....just thought it might be good for the ribbon rigs, and will bring it again this trip too....maybe I can see how it does then....although I did pick up a sabiki rod ....I will be using so all them pesky hooks are contained in the rod....caught myself (shirt)a few times last year when it was in the pier cart(the rod and sabiki rig)

I mailed some to someone last year from the old forum....can't remember who....would be nice to know..... if it worked for them :-\
I might play around making more of a frame for this and try it out this year....especially with the 2 boys coming with me....no reason to turn them loose with a sabiki rig and all them hooks oke:

I was at the pier a year or so ago and saw a few people with these rigs. No one seemed to be having any luck with them. My question is, what is the correct way to use them?

And an unrelated question, "is crabbing allowed from the pier? Are there even crabs there worth catching?"

The bait ribbons work best when dropped into a school of LYs that match the mesh size...
Attachment 1317

Otherwise they go right thru or fall out when you try to reel them up.
Depth is a key issue as they do not tend to swim up or down or even very far horizontally to strike the ribbon.
If you want more than one bait at a time you usually have to make the ribbon rig longer and leave it in the school for some extra time to allow them to 'load up' ;-)

Attachment 1316

Crabbing is allowed on the pier with certain restrictions:
Alabama State Parks

One crab basket per person (no wire baskets)(cannot be left unattended and you cannot crab and fish at same time)

Hope this helps!

How to make Pilchard Rings

To All,

When I was growing up in South Florida, I used Pilchard Rings ( aka - "Ribbon Rigs" ) to catch baitfish ( Pilchards / Menhaden ) from the fishing piers . Recently, I discovered that they have been declared to be a "gill net", theoretically "illegal", and not available in stores anymore. I always used to make my own, as a kid.

So, for purely "historical value" . . .

"HOW TO MAKE PILCHARD RINGS"

MATERIALS :

6 ft. of #7 Dark-Colored, Solid Leader Wire

1 Barrel Swivel

1 Snap Swivel ( to allow weight changes )

Cardboard Toilet Paper or Paper Towel Tube ( 1" I.D. Sch. 40 PVC works great, too )

3 ft. of Bright Red Ribbon ( 3/8" - 1/2" wide )

Pyramid, Bank, or Dipsey/ Bass Sinker ( 3/4oz - 1 1/2oz +/- )

CONSTRUCTION :

(1) Start with a six-foot length of No. 7 dark leader wire.

(2) Bend it in half and slide on a barrel swivel.

(3) Tie a LOOSE, TWO-TURN, overhand knot in the wire near the bend to "capture" the swivel

(4) Form a loop, using a the toilet paper or paper towel tube ( or 1" I.D. Sch. 40 PVC pipe )as a "mandrel" ( you may need to vary the loop size depending on baitfish sizes in your area) and make a SINGLE-TURN Overhand Knot,

(5) ALTERNATE the direction of the Overhand Knots each time to help the rig hang straighter

(6) Repeat until you have a series of loops, leaving a couple of inches of wire free at the bottom

(7) Slip on the Snap Swivel and connect the loose ends of the wire, using a SHORT Haywire Twist

(8) Hold the rig at each end and pull on it to stretch the loops out into an oval shape

(9) Attach the bright red ribbon at one end by knotting it to the Swivel loop

(10) Pass the ribbon through rings one-third and two-thirds of the way up the rig

(11) Attach the ribbon to the other Swivel, leaving some slack in the ribbon when fully extended

(12) Attach the Sinker to the Snap Swivel and the rig is complete

HOW TO USE:

Tie the rig to a light spinning rod and lower or cast it into a baitfish school and let it sink. You will feel baitfish hitting the rig. Keep the line tight and wait for the rod to bend. When it does, wait a few seconds and reel up. Remove baitfish and repeat, as desired !

Those worked very good also.