gonna be awhile, the river is on a rampage right now and it looks like more rain is in the forecast....once everything settles down you should find them at the dams. Good luck and let us know when they are on.

 

Your buddy is right about that.

Hardly anyone would disagree about skipjack being the absolute best bait for blues. If You manage to keep them alive, heck of a flathead bait to.

Once the river calms down a bit, just check out some youtube vids on catching skipjack, You can fish em and its actually pretty fun, or just net them. Below dams would be your best bet.

 

This time of year one of the best places to go to get huge skips and huge numbers is to drive to the cumberland city hot water discharge in tennessee you wont regret it. Went last year and caught 500 or more in about 6 hrs. stocked up on em for the year. Def. worth the trip.

 

This time of year one of the best places to go to get huge skips and huge numbers is to drive to the cumberland city hot water discharge in tennessee you wont regret it. Went last year and caught 500 or more in about 6 hrs. stocked up on em for the year. Def. worth the trip.

This is too late in the year for skipjack in CC. You have to go earlier in the year. Once the water warms up they move out. Plus with the flooding that just ended it down there. Just dont want someone to make 6 hour drive for nothing.

Once the river clears up you should be able to find them at the dams like everyone said. I just got a load in last weekend, but had to make a 9 hour drive to get them though.

Sabiki's will work just fine or just crappie jigs.

 

What is the best size and or color Tsunami Fluorocarbon Sabiki Rigs for skipjack in the Ohio River. Never caught them before but sounds like fun.

Thanks a bunch,
Terry

 

I too would like an answer to your question! What do the skipjack fisherman use for bait on their hooks?
I know NOTHING about skipjack,,,But these sure work GREAT for Erie Perch!
Just add HALF of a fathead minnow.
We'll have to try these the next time we go down to NC.

http://cgi.ebay.com/3-Pack-Sabiki-R...it-Catching-Rigs-Size-8-/150583645624?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item230f7c15b8

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fluorocarbon-SA...Size-2-JP-Bait-Catchers-/270719736156?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f0827595c

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160405410277&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370403674498&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

 

i like the new skip jack jigs from monster rod holders tried them last year and realy liked them.if you go to there web site you cant miss them all they sell is rod holders and skip jack jigs

 

all you need is a handful of twister tails in various sizes, bring white, pink, orange and youll pretty much be covered, I throw until I wear out my welcome with one color, then switch colors and go for a while then switch again, also when the bites get few and far between, gotta usually go deeper to find them. Sabiki rigs should work just fine just remember that in Ohio, youll have to cut them in half as Oh only allows 3 hooks per rod. Im sure the Monster jigs work but I have never seen or heard of them outfishing other jigs/sabiki's, if there there and biting, about anything will work

Salmonid

 

Better wait at least 6 weeks and any dam on the Ohio. They are hit or miss anywhere

 

Why 6 weeks? Skipjacks are usually one of the first fish to bite. The BIG Skipjacks will be at the dams first as soon as the water gets down. 6 weeks will be the middle of May and then there won't be anymore until the end of August.

 

Because the guy is driving a distance to fish for them and 6 weeks makes it the 2nd week of may which typically has the good numbers. Sure as soon as the water gets around 50 and clears up a few will show but just trying to help the guy have a good chance to catch some, not drive and cast for 6 hrs to have just 1 bite and it get off at the bank.

 

No problem. The water is on the way down and at 48deg.I was catching White Bass there today and the Skipjacks won't be far behind them. I'll post when they do start. Plenty to go around

 

Never fished for skipjacks before and bought a couple pks of Sabiki rigs at Cabelas.
These should work on ALL pan fish as well...I would think.
THANKS FOR THE TIP ON CUTTING THEM DOWN TO THREE....I HAD NO IDEA.

 

I use marabou crappie jigs- much easier to use than a sabiki as you dont have to worry about them tangling. Skipjack destroy the plastic grubs too fast you spend too much time changing out grubs.

 

i'm new at catfishing and want to know how you use skpjacks as bait
do you use them live ?
can you freeze them then use as cutbait later on ?

 

I use marabou crappie jigs- much easier to use than a sabiki as you dont have to worry about them tangling. Skipjack destroy the plastic grubs too fast you spend too much time changing out grubs.

Thats what I use most of the time anyway. We have a problem(if you want to call it that) with smaller hybrids and Whites tearing them up!! the sabiki rigs that is

 

i'm new at catfishing and want to know how you use skpjacks as bait
do you use them live ?
can you freeze them then use as cutbait later on ?

You are going to be hard pressed to keep a skipjack alive for any length of time, they need a large quantity of fast moving water to live and livewells do not provide this type of environment, even with my BlueWater bait tank made for delicate shad they still die within 30 minutes. Your best bet is to catch and put on ice immediately, I have had some luck using a slushy mixture of salt and ice to brine them as soon as I catch them. When I get home I break them up into groups of 3-4 size specific and vacuum freeze them for a later date. You can't beat fresh cut skipjack but a frozen-->thawed skipjack is a close second that rivals a live shad sometimes. Just cut them up into chunks and put them on a large circle hook with whatever rig you are using and you are good to go! Good luck and throw the big cats back after snapping the picture

 

appreciate your tips for saving skipjack for catfishing

 

i'm new at catfishing and want to know how you use skpjacks as bait
do you use them live ?
can you freeze them then use as cutbait later on ?

I used to use a lot of skipjack for stripers and thought the only way to use them was a smaller live ones, that was until a guy got on me about throwing back the huge ones, then he showed me that the guts in them had a really hard spot and stayed on the hook like no other. After that I was never not catching fish, even caught a 33lb blue off of it. All you do is cut open it's belly pull out all of it's guts, find the hard spot, slap it on the hook then cut you a fillet off and slap it on the hook and your good to go! The bloodier the better

 

mmmmm....sounds tasty! those suckers are strong smelling to begin with can't imagine anything but acetone will take the smell off your hands after a good disemboweling. Good tip though.

 

I would also like to get some skip jack...water is probably still way to high.

 

Hi guys, nice to be here on the forum. I fish the Racine pool and was wondering if anyone knows if and when this spring the big skipjacks will move into the warm water discharges of the power plants around here? Really want to stock up on some jacks for flatheads this season. Anybody catch 'em at the discharges instead of the dam in the spring?... any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

Someone who offers them for sale would have a thriving buisness around here.

 

i live in east liverpool ohio soo i go to thee warf alot wheres there a good place at down there too catch skipjacks dose anyone no just let me no thanx

 

Someone who offers them for sale would have a thriving buisness around here.

is it legal to sell them in ohio me and my boys was wanting to know but we heard it wasnt and there hasnt been any at racine but the fishing has been pretty good