# Cigar minnows



## turbodog (Oct 12, 2007)

I want to up my game on cigs, been using sibikis and it's just too slow. I get frenzied at the start of a fishing trip and often give up getting enough bait. Have you seen the ballyhoop net, wonder if it would work on cigs? How does the bait boat catch his cigs?


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## stevenattsu (Apr 24, 2009)

Chum and a cast net


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## daylate (Feb 22, 2012)

Get them chummed up then mix sand with the chum so they don't see the net coming.


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## OutsmartedAgain (Oct 12, 2018)

turbodog said:


> I want to up my game on cigs, been using sibikis and it's just too slow. I get frenzied at the start of a fishing trip and often give up getting enough bait. Have you seen the ballyhoop net, wonder if it would work on cigs? How does the bait boat catch his cigs?


I tried the ballyhoop but wasn’t a huge fan for how we we targeted cigs in the pass. Chumming means anchoring and it’s not smart to anchor during rush hour and as much traffic as we have I think the bait would spook and get pushed around more. Drive down the beach a ways and you might have better luck. The bait boat gets out there early and chums and throws a cast net but they have the benefit of a giant sign and everyone leaves them be. A random boat in the pass probably doesn’t get that benefit. I’m sure if I stuck with it it would work though.

I go to the bait boat for like 50 cents per bait when it’s a full moon and making bait seems tougher, otherwise I found using the fluorocarbon hayabusa sabikis with the real fish skin can big a game changer.


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## LY-zer (Jan 16, 2019)

Now that Tony has past away, Is there another bait boat out there?


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## dbaltz (Oct 22, 2018)

What sort of chum is used for cigs?


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

Ground/mushed up frozen cigs and some sand.

Vienna sausage is king tho.


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## dbaltz (Oct 22, 2018)

Nothing eats that Vienna cr##!


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## canygaar (Nov 25, 2018)

turbodog said:


> I want to up my game on cigs, been using sibikis and it's just too slow. I get frenzied at the start of a fishing trip and often give up getting enough bait. Have you seen the ballyhoop net, wonder if it would work on cigs? How does the bait boat catch his cigs?


I share your frustration regarding sibikis! Especially when the kids are on the boat. I haven’t seen many guys chumming and throwing nets. I’m interested to see the feedback. Great post.


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## troygem (Jul 27, 2015)

Thanks for the cigar minnow thread. As someone who is relatively new to using a boat in the GOM I have questions about catching cigs. Is the around the bouys on the outside of the pass the best/only place to try and sabiki them? The few times we have tried that we did not have any luck.


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## Play'N Hooky Too (Sep 29, 2007)

The Massachusetts about a mile southwest of the pass is a lot of people's go-to spot for bait. Just be very careful until you get familiar with how the wreck lays.


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## reelthrill (Oct 3, 2007)

dbaltz said:


> What sort of chum is used for cigs?


Ground king mackerel and beach sand.


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## troygem (Jul 27, 2015)

Play'N Hooky Too said:


> The Massachusetts about a mile southwest of the pass is a lot of people's go-to spot for bait. Just be very careful until you get familiar with how the wreck lays.


Yea I haven’t tried the Mass yet... The last I heard it was floating around in the GOM. Sounds dangerous to me. :001_huh: Along those lines... what direction would be the best to approach it from? For a newb like me...


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

This is at the Mass, all of the surface that looks like rain is solid bait 4 ft thick. All you can eat.


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## CGRescueSwimmer (Oct 15, 2019)

Boat-Dude said:


> This is at the Mass, all of the surface that looks like rain is solid bait 4 ft thick. All you can eat.


Dang that’s awesome! I too have been nervous to hit that spot due to the horror stories I’ve heard of it not being properly marked.


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

Here is a top view.


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## CGRescueSwimmer (Oct 15, 2019)

Boat-Dude said:


> Here is a top view.


That’s a great shot, thanks for that...game changer!


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## bogey201 (Feb 3, 2016)

Is the Mass marked? I assume with the water depth in that area the relief has to be pretty high.


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## cody&ryand (Oct 3, 2007)

bogey201 said:


> Is the Mass marked? I assume with the water depth in that area the relief has to be pretty high.


The relief is all the way to the surface during low tide


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## LY-zer (Jan 16, 2019)

I don't like going there unless it is low tide so that I can see the stack clearly. I always go extremely slow and just use the I-pilot to move around once I am there. It is a great place for a sabiki rig.


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

When I see that much bait I must say no matter how many times I see it, it gets my heart a pounding. I love it.


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## bogey201 (Feb 3, 2016)

So basically, an a*s-load of bait but go during low tide so you don't hit anything. Got it..


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

bogey201 said:


> So basically, a s-load of bait but go during low tide so you don't hit anything. Got it..





There is always someone there, the mass is on the North side of the red buoy (guessing 80ft). If the stack is not out of the water if you looks close you can see the swirls on the water from the stack being under.


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## bogey201 (Feb 3, 2016)

Boat-Dude said:


> There is always someone there, the mass is on the North side of the red buoy (guessing 80ft). If the stack is not out of the water if you looks close you can see the swirls on the water from the stack being under.


Thank you. Have never been over by it so was just worried about hitting something I couldn't see if there were no landmarks. Appreciate the info!


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

here


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## canygaar (Nov 25, 2018)

This is a great pic. During high tide, I stay near the marker. I get nervous when I can’t see the stack.


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

Play'N Hooky Too said:


> The Massachusetts about a mile southwest of the pass is a lot of people's go-to spot for bait. Just be very careful until you get familiar with how the wreck lays.




I thought the Mass floated off? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## kingfish501 (Oct 7, 2007)

delta dooler said:


> I thought the Mass floated off?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


It mysteriously floated back into the same spot.


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

Spanish Sardines in the pass.


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## troygem (Jul 27, 2015)

ok. so apparently I don't know how to use the internet right because I can't find the coordinates to the Mass that I trust. I don't see the ship on the FWC artificial reef lists or the interactive map, and I don't trust just trying to pull them off of google. So can someone give me the numbers so I don't run into the darn thing...


Nevermind!! I'm an idiot. I think I found it...


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

This is one of the best Sabiki you can get @ the Gulf Breeze Bait & Tackle.


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## OutsmartedAgain (Oct 12, 2018)

We always have fluorocarbon hayabusas (or other real fish skin sabikis) on the boat for full moons or when they are finicky. I'll throw the cheap ones first and if there's no takers I'll try the flouro, if they still won't cooperate I'll tip the saki with bits of squid


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

Bait at the Mass today, the sigs were on the bottom and the spanish sardines were mid way up.


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## SurfRidr (Apr 24, 2012)

I solved my Mass paranoia by making a point to run out there one very calm day around low tide. Circled it a couple times using side scan and marked the two tower portions on my chart. Now I just approach the area, stop a few hundred feet off, kill my momentum and see which way the drift is going. Then I motor up, and approach from the down-drift side and watch my chart closely. That way I know if my troller failed or something I would drift off it instead of into it. 

Finding bait balls around the Mass at which to throw sabiki's is one of the uses for which I really like the sidescan option on my Lowrance.


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

I know what you mean, the worry wears off when you get use to the area, good place for bait. The big LY's will be there soon when it warms up a little.


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## TOBO (Oct 3, 2007)

turbodog said:


> I want to up my game on cigs, been using sibikis and it's just too slow. I get frenzied at the start of a fishing trip and often give up getting enough bait. Have you seen the ballyhoop net, wonder if it would work on cigs? How does the bait boat catch his cigs?


Use the smallest sabiki you can find. It makes a huge difference.


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

My go to is a #4


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## how2fish (Jan 21, 2008)

Thanks I just learned a lot about how and where to get bait and the Mass...now I just have to put it to use. !


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

Lots of bait in these red areas as well, I hit these first before heading to the Mass.


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