[621531]

Need some tips.

Been fishing out of the Eatons Neck / Huntington area for last month or so, without much luck on big blues and bass.

So, for all you experts please help again (thanks for the chunking tips on other thread about a month ago).

I keep running into the large schools of bunker in the bays. Been using a largish spoon to snag them (1 treble on it). Hit and miss with this.

Is there a better way? Ie, what do y'all use as snagging rigs for Bunkers?

Or is it better to buy one of the Shi** (Forgot name) rigs and park the boat over them and jig it (or however it works)?

Then once captured, where and how do you hook them (Behind dorsal fin?). Do you bottom fish them with a fishfinder rig? I assume steel leader at the front.

I have had blues chow a few I snagged on the way back to the boat (think piranha, hehe).

Second question - I have been catching snappers (12" or so) on the shore also. Should I go out early and catch them and use them as an alternative?

Sorry for long message, I have searched forums and didn't easily find a lot of that info (found some of it ).

Also, any tips for in the above areas (ie, Centerport harbor , 11B,13B, etc have not worked lately for me :<( ) and tide stage via either PM or here appreciated.

Tight lines!

 

[Hunt n' Fish]

Bunker will not typically "hit" any kind of lure so the Sibiki/Shakuri/Herring rigs will not work for them. Most use a weighted treble for snagging bunker. You can find them in most any tackle shop. It is a big treble with some lead poured around the center shank. In the ocean, when the bass are chasing the bunker, you can use one of these snags to first snag a bunker and then let it swim without retreiving it. It will act injured and draw the bass' attention. This would probably work in the sound as well.

If you are seeing shad, one of the Sibiki/Shakuri/Herring rigs would work great and you can load up quickly on them. Remember the limit is 5 hickory shad and 5 american shad. You can also use small tins or shad darts and catch them on light tackle. They can be a lot of fun and are also know as "poor mans tarpon" because of all the jumping they do.

As far as liveling bunker or shad, I usually use an 8/0 circle on a three foot leader attached to a drail. I hook the bait in the meaty part, just behind the head so that it stays facing the right direction while you drift. Hooking it through the front of the eyes or nostrils is a good way to do it too. Avoid hooking it through the lips because you could suffocate it, by not allowing water to pass over the gills.

I read a great article in Saltwater Sportsmans a few years ago that said the best way to liveline a bait was to sew a small rubber band, like the ones for braces, through one of the afore mentioned parts and then wrap the hook with the rubber band until it is tight to the bait. Supposedly it will help keep the bait much longer than having a wook working its way around in the bait. I am just too lazy to try, because the way I've been doing it works fine for me.

Good luck,

Chris

 

[Hunt n' Fish]

Oh yea,

I've used snappers to catch weakfish and caught a few blues and stripers while doing it so they work too.

 

[seaslug44]

This is what you are looking for. Some folks also tie an unweighted treble a foot or two ahead of the weighted one.

 

[621938]

get docs snag

i usually use the snag doc has posted, the biggest one available, this time of year the big ones are sometimes soldout and you have to settle for smaller ones

tie a swivel to your line and about foot of wire leader to a nice BIG sharp bluefish style hook

slip the eye of your snag over the hook, it will stay on like it was tie up

put your boat quietly on top the bunker school, no more than 5 yards from the school, toss the snag to the other side of the school of bunker and reel in as quick as you can, when you feel the snag bounce off a bunker , give it a good swift pull, following thru all the way in a big arc, swiveling your body at the waist

some guys pump the rod all the time, i wait till i feel sang bouncing off the bunkers as it saves lots energy and you also look like your knowelagble

you should now be attached to a bunker, reel him in, its tough fight because the bunker will be sideways most of the time and there tough little swimmers also

get it in the boat , hopefully in one piece, that is if a blue dont bite him in half

slip the snag off the bluefish hook, remove snag from bunker and rehook on the bluefish hook, thru the sholders of the bunker

let him swim on free spool and be ready for the choppers to move in on your live lined bunker

the reason i do it this way (slipping the snag on to a hook)is for the quick turn around and ease of use when going from snag to hook, no retieing or switching poles

make sure you use wire leader when blues are around and sharpened hooks on both the snag and bluefish hook, they aint sharp from the store

if your bunker was snagged in such a way as it is dead or dieing when you boat it, save it for chunks and try again to snag a lively one

anyway, good luck and i hope i dont confuse anyone

dino

 

[621938]

second question answer

no, blues like bunker better than themselves, given a choice use bunker, let the snappers go, eat them, use for bait in lobster trap

you could certanily catch fish useing bluefish meat as bait but your chances are better with bunkers, the natural food at this time of year

dino

 

[613098]

I can't add a thing to the good info about bunkers given above. Snappers can make a good bait for almost anything with a mouth big enough to eat them. The hard part is to keep them alive. I've found that a big killy car works OK if you don't have a livewell on your boat. Hooked through the nose just above the mouth, they make a fine bait for blues, weaks, and even big fluke. Just remember that the limit is ten blues, wheter they're alligators or snappers. Good luck.
Paul