堤防胴付き

Basic Structure of the Rig

• Rod and Reel: A rod with a soft tip is ideal. Light‑game lure tackle such as eging rods, seabass rods, or bass rods can be used. Pair it with a small spinning reel around size 2500.
• Rig Type: Use a “dropper (dōtsuki) rig”, which has multiple hooks branching from the main line and a weight positioned at the very bottom.
• Hooks: Since filefish (kawahagi) have small mouths, choosing small hooks is essential. “Kitsune hooks” (around size 1–4) are recommended because they are easy for the fish to suck in.
• Weight: Use a teardrop‑shaped sinker (3–6号). Increase to 8号 or more in strong currents or deeper water, and lighten the weight in snag‑prone areas.
• Bait: Their favorite bait, clams (asari), is highly effective. Ragworms (aonisome) and easy‑to‑handle artificial baits also work well.

Fishing Procedure

1. Careful Baiting:
   For clams (asari): Insert the hook through the siphon, then the foot, and finally hide the hook point inside the soft organs to form a compact shape.
   For worms (isome): Cut them to match the hook size and hook them in a curved shape to make them easier for filefish to suck in, improving hook‑up rates.
2. Dropping and Bottom Contact: Drop the rig near the pier edge or slightly ahead and wait for the weight to reach the bottom.
3. Luring and Searching the Depth: With the line taut, lift and lower the rod slowly or tap the bottom to attract fish. The basic target zone is the bottom, but filefish sometimes swim slightly above it, so checking higher layers is also effective.
4. Bite and Hook‑set: When the rod tip vibrates with “taps” or “trembles”, that’s a bite. At that moment, lift the rod smoothly to perform a decisive hook‑set.
5. Moving Spots (Run‑and‑Gun): Filefish tend to stay in small localized groups. If bites stop or the number of fish decreases, move little by little to search for a new school—this run‑and‑gun approach greatly improves catch rates.