Best Rigs For Live Yakkas?

[tentonner]

Thought I would once again tap in to the vast amount of knowledge on Fishraider and ask about the best way to use live Yakkas for Kings. The other day I caught about 15 Yakkas in 10 mins but wasnt exactly sure the best way to rig them up, lacking a better idea i simply used a running rig and hooked the Yakka through its back. Needless to say i caught no Kingfish. So my question is, how can I best convert the yakkas i've caught into Kingies?

Thanks in advance raiders

[pauljm]

I suggest a single hook paternoster rig with appropriately sized live bait hook through its back towards the head being careful not to put hook through lateral line of fish (i think this kills it real quick) sinker on bottom and hook a few metres off depending on water depth.

[jlloyd]

I have used different set ups all with success at hooking kingies/tailor/jew/salmon with live yakkas, off the beach or other land based try a sliding snell double hook in a paternoster set up with one hook through the back or eye socket and one through near the tail, sinker size, this way tailor and salmon will also hook up along side the jewie/kingie. If only after Kingies or jews up the hook sizer and go through the eye socket or jaw. I enjoy in deeper water using a float with the sliding snell and have hooked up kingies and tailor regularly with the yakka set near the harbour floor. Unfortunately my legal Kinige catch and/or keep rate is dismal.

As a note I called myself Yakkaman due to my ability to catch Yakkas and nothing else, thankfully I have moved opn a bit and can also catch squid with some success (and some pelagics)

I am land based so can't offer advice on trolling or off boats.

[jewgaffer]

Hi Tentonner.....When trolling a live bait I dont think you can go wrong placing the control hook up under the chin and having the barb exposed out proud thru the side of the top lip so as not to close up the mouth and have a trailing hook on a short length of leader tied to a small solid ring just above a lumo bead that you place above the eye of the control hook so as to protect the knot from scuffing....If you decide to rig up differently, just make sure that any trolled live bait is rigged up so that it swims towards you at all times when trolling i.e. whether your are trolling a live bait behind a burley trail and letting out a little bit of slack occasionally to pause the bait, or if you're trolling and not using burley.

Cheers

jewgaffer

Edited April 5, 2009 by jewgaffer

[tentonner]

Thanks for the useful replies so far guys, hoping to put them in to action this friday. I hadn't considered trolling them because I dont have a downrigger and have only read about fishos downrigging with live yakkas. So is it worthwhile trying trolling yakkas without a downrigger?

[Captain Spanner]

Definitely worthwile trolling yakkas without a downrigger. i have been pulling 2 livies on the surface and a squid on the downrigger for good results lately. i now just use a single livebait hook sideways through the nose for trolling. I find they drown less than when the hook is vertical through their jaws potentially locking their mouth either open or shut. I use 60lb leader and only use a 2 hook snell rig on the livie for bigger baits at anchor, (top hook sideways through the nose so he can swim into the current).

If you want to get the baits down try the poor man's down rigger that i used to use with a break away lead on a sliding sinker clip above a 2 to 3m leader.

Experiment with 1 and 2 hook rigs for livies to find out what you're confident using. I think they last better and present better with only one hook but it takes a while to feel happy that you wont miss fish (usually tailor or sharks anyway) by not having a hook at the back.

Good luck and remember everyone has their own favourites so there is no right or wrong way to do it.