live bunker
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bunker
Well i dont know of any place that sells them live, most people catch their own with snags or in a cast net, i prefer the net cuz u can catch alot in one shot and they arent harmed by the treble hook, what you dont use u can always freeze for reserve...i like using a 40-50lb 4-5 ft floro leader attached to the mainline with the smallest barrel swivel that wont part, i use 6-8/0 octopus hooks and hook the in the meat right behind the head as bass take bunker head first, let em run a bit then lock into them...if u want blues use wire instead of mono and crimp a stinger hook with 3 inches of wire to another hook off the shank of the first hook and secure it to the tail with a small rubber band, works great, u have to pay close attention to your bunker and know where he is at all times because they can be frisky and put a big bow in the line if your not careful, GOOD LUCK!
Well i dont know of any place that sells them live, most people catch their own with snags or in a cast net, i prefer the net cuz u can catch alot in one shot and they arent harmed by the treble hook, what you dont use u can always freeze for reserve...i like using a 40-50lb 4-5 ft floro leader attached to the mainline with the smallest barrel swivel that wont part, i use 6-8/0 octopus hooks and hook the in the meat right behind the head as bass take bunker head first, let em run a bit then lock into them...if u want blues use wire instead of mono and crimp a stinger hook with 3 inches of wire to another hook off the shank of the first hook and secure it to the tail with a small rubber band, works great, u have to pay close attention to your bunker and know where he is at all times because they can be frisky and put a big bow in the line if your not careful, GOOD LUCK!
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for blues, I've had the best results, by just putting a single treble hook in the tail and counting to 3 before striking, though I'm batting under .500. hood 997, for blues, why don't you stick the treble into the fish, why use a rubberband? Also, with blues, do you hit them right away, or let them take the bait, like chunking? I've tried it both ways, with lousy results. I've heard it both ways from several sharpies.
NORTH FORK BUNKERS
Bunkers can be very difficult to obtain live in the Peconic system. They show up heavy in May, but then seem to disappear. Best bet to find the livies is up in the river, anywhere from the 105 bridge and back behind the McDonalds. Large pods were between Robins and Nassau Pt over the weekend, but they never stay there very long.
Mac
Bunkers can be very difficult to obtain live in the Peconic system. They show up heavy in May, but then seem to disappear. Best bet to find the livies is up in the river, anywhere from the 105 bridge and back behind the McDonalds. Large pods were between Robins and Nassau Pt over the weekend, but they never stay there very long.
Mac
Bunker
MATTS- as for the stinger hook and rubber band, its a matter of preferance, its the way my old man taught me to do it and i have tried one hook in the tail and have retrieved bunker where blues chomped all around the hook but didnt get hooked, its also nice to have the high hook for a striper cuz they take bunker head first and dont always get the tail down right away, when you hook a bunker in the tail half the hook is buried and only the point sticks out, i forgot to mention in my earlier post that the stinger hook IS a treble hook and it lays well right in front of the tail and doesnt effect the fish's swimming, as for striking i do it by feel, usually with a blue u will feel a sharp intermitten striking feeling then a fast run, i let them run fast for a bit then lay into them, sometimes the high hook gets them other times the stinger once in a while both, if your lucky you may get a double header which is cool, the fish fight each other instead of you. No 2 fisherman will ever agree but we all do catch fish so it doesnt hurt to play around with methods...
HOOD
MATTS- as for the stinger hook and rubber band, its a matter of preferance, its the way my old man taught me to do it and i have tried one hook in the tail and have retrieved bunker where blues chomped all around the hook but didnt get hooked, its also nice to have the high hook for a striper cuz they take bunker head first and dont always get the tail down right away, when you hook a bunker in the tail half the hook is buried and only the point sticks out, i forgot to mention in my earlier post that the stinger hook IS a treble hook and it lays well right in front of the tail and doesnt effect the fish's swimming, as for striking i do it by feel, usually with a blue u will feel a sharp intermitten striking feeling then a fast run, i let them run fast for a bit then lay into them, sometimes the high hook gets them other times the stinger once in a while both, if your lucky you may get a double header which is cool, the fish fight each other instead of you. No 2 fisherman will ever agree but we all do catch fish so it doesnt hurt to play around with methods...
HOOD
HOOD - Thanks. I'll give that rubber band trick a try. Hopefully the bunker will be as thick as last summer. Already they're all over the place, more bunker than I've seen in any spring, just not balled up. Last summer I would frequently barely feel a tap,wait for the fish to run with the bait, then reel in a bunker minus whatever part didn't have a hook in it. My hook-ups were the ones where the fish did run with the bait, but less than 50%. I actually had the best luck chunking with the pieces, but that's just not as fun. By the way, your boat must be really fast to make it all the way south from Plattsburg.
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