Cigar minnows, cigarfish, or hard tails are all "Round Scad", Decapterus punctatus.  They grow commonly to 6 inches but can be as large as 12 inches.  As the name says, they are cigar shaped and have a line of enlarged scales running the length of the body on the sides and a tiny finlet behind the dorsal fin and behind the anal fin.  You can catch them in a cast net or with Sabiki rigs in the same areas that you find sardines or threadfin herring.  They are also sold frozen and are an excellent cut or whole bait for almost everything.  Just remember to cut off the tail so the bait doesn't spin and get your line a tangled mess.  For live bait fishing, hook them in the cartilage in the nose and troll away or drop them down to the reef and wait.  They are a hardy fish in the well and on the hook, and like the blue runner, can out swim the boat if you are not careful.

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This page was last updated January 1, 2004