# FISHING TIP # 265. HOW TO CATCH CIGARS INSTEAD OF SARDINES



## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto" align=center><SPAN class=posttext><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 20pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">FISHING TIP # 265<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>[/B]<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto" align=center><SPAN class=posttext><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 20pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">CATCH CIGAR MINNOWS INSTEAD OF SARDINES<o></o>[/B]<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">When you are bait fishing with a Sabiki or Gold hook rig, you will catch more Cigar Minnows by dropping deep below the Sardines. Cigar Minnows usually stay deeper.[/B]<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">[/B]<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">There is great temptation to start jigging as soon as your rig hits the water when the surface is absolutely churning with bait. [/B]<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: black"><o></o>[/B]<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">You will catch bait faster with a light sinker but most of them will be Sardines if uou fish topside. [/B]<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: black"><o></o>[/B]<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Spanish Sardines are great bait but they do not stay alive in your well as long as Cigar Minnows. <o></o>[/B]<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">If I need Cigar Minnows for trolling baits, I use gold hooks rather than Sabiki flies and use a [/B]<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: red; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">much heavier sinker[/B]<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">. Sabiki Flies are eaten by the Sardines even though they are sinking very fast. The gold hooks aren't eaten by the Sardines quite as fast so, when you slow them down to begin jigging down deep, you have a better shot at Cigar Minnows. <o></o>[/B]<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto">*<I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">No, I cannot prove this[/I]*<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> but it is based on many years experience catching bait.<o></o>[/B]


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## sniper (Oct 3, 2007)

good advice. That's how we did it on Friday and we didnt get any cigar's till we started letting it hit the bottom and then start jigging. THen we loaded up on them. Keep em coming!


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## gmblnfool (Jun 10, 2008)

Capt Ken do you know where to fish for cigs out of dauphin Island. Thanks in advance


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## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

I haven't fished out of Dauphin Island in over 40 years and even back then not a lot. I have absolutely no clue.

Ken


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## Backlash (Jun 11, 2008)

Will this work off the Pensacola Pier to get cigs and not hardtails?


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## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

I doubt if it is gonna help keep Hardtails off because they stay pretty far down with the Cigars. When your sinker hits the water, the Hardtails are just waiting to pounce.


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## wrightackle (Oct 29, 2007)

This is excellent advice. The cigar minnows we have been catching have been dead on the bottom in about 20-25 feet of water. They are not thick where you get three or four at a time {at least where I have been finding them} but you can get quite a few in thirty minutes or so. When you do get a good markup on your machine it is usually moonfish. They make great chum though so it is not a bad deal when you catch them. You can avoid the hardtails is you barely move your bait rig. The cigar minnows will hit it with just the tide pushing the rig around.


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