How to Rig Pacific Sauries for Trolling
Why use a Pacific saury
Pacific sauries are a useful dead bait when good garfish are unavailable. Their dark back, silver sides and long profile suit offshore trolling, and food-grade frozen sauries are often packed in good condition. They are larger and softer through the belly than many garfish, so keep them cold and support the belly while rigging.
The method below is the rig Andrew demonstrated with about 1.5 metres of 40 lb Twistweld multi-strand wire and a small treble. He used a size 1 VMC 6X treble while fishing 6 kg line. That is a recorded working rig, not a universal prescription. Match the trace, hook, target fish and main line for your own fishing, and use current legal hook arrangements.
Choose and thaw the bait carefully
Select a straight, bright saury with an intact belly, firm head and no obvious freezer burn. Keep it frozen until preparation is about to begin. Thawing it fully can make the skin and belly difficult to handle, so work while the bait is flexible enough to rig but still cold and firm.
Lay the bait beside the Head Start before inserting anything. Check whether the head seats naturally and where the supplied hook will finish. A longer bait changes hook position. If the supplied trace cannot put the hook in an appropriate position without stretching or crushing the bait, do not improvise with unknown wire or an altered hook. Use a correctly rated, compatible trace made with proper tools, or ask the product supplier or a tackle specialist.
Prepare the rig on a stable bench
You will need:
- a current Head Start rig
- a suitable trace and hook arrangement for the bait and target
- a purpose-made bait-rigging needle
- cutters designed for the trace material
- proper crimping pliers if the approved trace uses crimps
- suitable crimps, swivels or rings where the rig design calls for them
- bait scissors, pliers, clean water and a cutting board
- protective eyewear for cutting or crimping wire
Do not use a cut coat hanger as a bait needle. A commercial needle is smoother, easier to control and less likely to tear the bait or injure the user. Do not squeeze crimps with ordinary side cutters. Match the crimp, trace and tool, and follow the component manufacturer’s instructions.
For the demonstrated wire trace, attach the treble with a properly formed haywire twist or a correctly matched crimp, then form a small loop at the nose end. Keep the hook gap clear, use rated parts and pull-test every connection. Check current rules, including permitted hook arrangements and species limits, for the fishing you intend to do.
Pass the trace through the body
The aim is to place the trace through the body without creating a hinge that will roll in the water.
- Lay the saury straight and place the trace beside it. On the demonstrated rig, the treble finishes just outside the vent.
- Insert the purpose-made bait needle through the mouth and guide it down the throat, through the stomach cavity and out at the vent.
- Attach the small front loop of the wire trace to the needle.
- Draw the trace gently back through the bait until the loop comes out of the mouth and the treble sits just outside the vent.
- Check that the wire has not cut through the belly and that the hook is not pulling the tail to one side.
If the needle jams, withdraw it. Forcing it can split the belly. If the bait is already torn, use another one. A damaged saury may look acceptable on the bench but fail quickly at trolling speed.
Attach and align the Head Start
Pass the front loop through the small Head Start piece. On the demonstrated rig, a small split shot is pinched onto the wire on the bait side of that piece so it cannot slide away from the saury. Use a shot that grips without cutting or flattening the trace, and replace the wire if it is damaged.
Bring the head into line with the saury. Pass the locating post through the eye socket, keeping fingers away from the point, then slide the larger head piece into position until it clicks home. The trace should leave the tow point cleanly and the bait should remain straight. The split shot is only a stop for this particular rig. It is not a structural crimp and does not make an unsuitable trace safe.
Look from the nose to the tail. Correct any side bend before the bait softens. The hook and trace should not lever the tail to one side.
Swim-test at low speed
Lower the bait beside the boat while moving slowly. Keep hands and loose clothing clear of hooks and propellers. Watch from above and, if safe, from the side.
A usable bait should track consistently without rapid spinning. A gentle swimming action is useful; a hard roll is not. If it spins:
- check that the Head Start is centred
- check that the trace exits the tow point cleanly
- inspect the belly for a tear
- confirm the hook is not dragging the bait sideways
- reduce speed and retest
Do not try to solve a badly rigged bait by simply trolling faster. Speed must suit the whole spread, sea state, bait condition and target. No universal number is reliable for every boat and bait.
Prepare as much as possible at home
One method that has worked well for us is to complete the delicate work before the trip. Rig a small batch on a clean bench, inspect each bait, then seal and freeze them flat. Leave only the final leader connection and swim test for the boat.
Package each bait so the head and hook do not damage the bait beside it. Label the package and keep it cold. On the day, thaw only what you expect to use. Repeated thawing and freezing softens the bait and makes its condition harder to judge.
After a strike, inspect the cover, trace, hook and belly. Replace a bait that has been slashed, stretched or twisted. A fresh straight bait is more useful than one kept in the spread because it took time to rig.
Where this fits in a mackerel spread
A saury is one presentation, not a complete trolling plan. The boat still needs a spread with adequate separation, tackle matched to the likely species and a clear strike routine. See the Australian mackerel trolling guide for finding fish, setting a manageable spread and adapting speed and presentation.
For smaller garfish and the standard preparation, use the Head Start rigging guide. If a Head Start pack or trace has changed from the components shown here, match the method to the actual parts in front of you rather than forcing the old sequence.
The value of this method is preparation and repeatability. Use sound bait, purpose-made tools and properly rated components. Keep the body straight, test it beside the boat and reject any bait that will not track cleanly.