An offshore trip is in the making and I was wondering where to find and how to catch ribbonfish for bait. Any help on the subject would be appreciated.

Here is a site that might help.

http://www.flwoutdoors.com/fishing-articles/tips-and-techniques/143745/wrangling-ribbonfish/

Hi lady,

I have not fished for them much and have caught them incidentally. The only place I have targeted them is off the back of the scatcat there in port a the night before tuna trips. I use a long shank small hook like mentioned in the link provided by Dave above with a small bit of shrimp lowered straight down in the lights. They feed vertically up from under. Small hook needed to make sure it fits in their mouth when they take the bait. I have also caught them on small shad imitations but the hook up ratio is terrible because they usually don't happen to grab the hook when they hit it. Follow the link directions for storage because they die in live wells. Fun fishing but I like catching everything from piggies to tuna.

we catch them in the mornings at Port A. along the rocks going into the harbor entrance. we use small size salad shrimp with bead shot and small bobber and bream hook...We have caught some really big long ones.they all have long teeth..we use the smaller ones for bait to 12"--15" long the 20" 32" ribbons are good to eat..steaked and smoked they are pretty good with a bottle of good wine and sharp cheese,home made bread.Don't knock them if you have not tried them..

Catch some ribbons like this one and you're sure to catch a trophy

It can be done with a long 3 foot by 20 foot shrimp net at night 1am thru 4am in certain water areas of Port Aransas.

They do migrate. When we did it every year we would freeze 300 to 400 pounds each season, so we had plenty for offshore.

Wow I may need to rebuild my king rigs for that one! lol

I was in Port A in mid May and every bait store we checked had em. About $6 a dozen.

I have caught a bunch under the lights of canals and channels throwing flies. I bet a spec-rig would do some damage as well. They fight vertical right under the surface, when you hook one you will know it.

white road runners with pink heads work (crappie jigs). the spinnerblade on them helps.

Spec rigs with with plum/pink,, or the white/yellow work great around the harbor entrance for ribbonfish but we have caught alot of big flounder on these rigs and the white pink roadrunners are great on the flounders and ribbons...harbor rocks entrance to Port A..and all along the cement harbor walls
are really good when the tide is coming in...
the ones close to channel view condos..the walls are fenced off so we use kayaks to paddle to them and fish vertical along the walls...is legal and you are not tresspassing since you are in the channel but,do not get out on the walls..then you are in trouble....

spec rigs we use ...have the bristles and we use a pink,plum,new penny color or white gurb worm with black dots same in yellow ---two inch worm grub....that is what gets the bite...take the grub off and they will not bite for some reason....grub on and the bite is on....and that same wall area is good for croaker and spec trout too.
bite is best early morning and evening at sun set...
have fun and always be safe..

I caught at least 6 off of Bob Hall last time I was there a couple months ago using cut mullet.