Live lining bunker question

[rumster]

No need for anything more than 10 feet of top shot unless your fishing on a crowded party boat, which can be a nightmare with bunker swimming in different directions.... In my opinion you want the bunker to swim as natural as possible and I have never used a weight unless it is a weighted snag hook. If you use a fish finder at some point you will be unable to real past the barrel swivel, which is used as the stop. Personally that is pointless because if you are using a 10 to 25 foot of top shot as suggested you are unable to real in that slack due to the barrel swivel.
Again if your using a weighted treble just snag and let it swim. If you are transferring the bunker to another setup use a 7/0 to 8/0 hook for live bait with a short shank and either hook it directly in back of the dorsal fin or in the nose. Good Luck!

[Capt Sal]

Originally Posted by rumster

No need for anything more than 10 feet of top shot unless your fishing on a crowded party boat, which can be a nightmare with bunker swimming in different directions.... In my opinion you want the bunker to swim as natural as possible and I have never used a weight unless it is a weighted snag hook. If you use a fish finder at some point you will be unable to real past the barrel swivel, which is used as the stop. Personally that is pointless because if you are using a 10 to 25 foot of top shot as suggested you are unable to real in that slack due to the barrel swivel.
Again if your using a weighted treble just snag and let it swim. If you are transferring the bunker to another setup use a 7/0 to 8/0 hook for live bait with a short shank and either hook it directly in back of the dorsal fin or in the nose. Good Luck!

A short shank hook for what reason?A large gap long shank hook works better.12-0 is not to big and it should be a circle hook.If you want a j hook use a Big River 12-0.You can buy them at Atlantic Bait ad Tackle on Rt. 36.Once you have landed and retained your limit it must be all circle hooks.Mono is all you need and it is forgiving.50lb. floro leader.If you want to sink the live bunker use a three way swivel with a bank sinker 2' loop to the wieght 4' floro carbon leader to the 12-0 circle.Circle hooks will allow you to release large cows unharmed as they will be hooked in the corner of the mouth. Ulta lite rods are not the way to go because by the time you land the striper it will be exhausted.It all works but be ethical.

[SaltLife1980]

Originally Posted by rumster

No need for anything more than 10 feet of top shot unless your fishing on a crowded party boat, which can be a nightmare with bunker swimming in different directions.... In my opinion you want the bunker to swim as natural as possible and I have never used a weight unless it is a weighted snag hook. If you use a fish finder at some point you will be unable to real past the barrel swivel, which is used as the stop. Personally that is pointless because if you are using a 10 to 25 foot of top shot as suggested you are unable to real in that slack due to the barrel swivel.
Again if your using a weighted treble just snag and let it swim. If you are transferring the bunker to another setup use a 7/0 to 8/0 hook for live bait with a short shank and either hook it directly in back of the dorsal fin or in the nose. Good Luck!

The 25 feet of top shot should be attached with a knot like a uni to uni or albright etc. so that way you can reel it all in before you get to your swivel that goes to ur hook/rig. That length i like to keep around 2 to 3 feet for my rigs. Sometimes with weight, sometimes no weight.

[Billfish715]

We try to keep one "dead stick" in a holder with a fish finder and sinker heavy enough to keep the "livey" or bunker head down and close to the boat while the rest of us liveline bunkers on top. On the dead stick, we leave the clicker on and the drag set light enough to maintain control while it's in the holder. You can also use a "baitrunner reel" in the same way if you are inclined to spinning tackle.

AS for "spinning" be careful with weighted dead baits since they have a propensity for spinning in the current or with the drift.

As for the swivel on a rig like that, the swivel stops at the fishfinder so don't keep it so far up the leader that it keeps you from reeling the fish in closer once it's near the boat.

We remove all sinkers and do not use deadsticks if spiny dogfish seem to dominate the bite.

[rumster]

Originally Posted by SaltLife1980

The 25 feet of top shot should be attached with a knot like a uni to uni or albright etc. so that way you can reel it all in before you get to your swivel that goes to ur hook/rig. That length i like to keep around 2 to 3 feet for my rigs. Sometimes with weight, sometimes no weight.

What you did not catch was the fish finder.... If you use a fish finder the swivel will not slide through.

[rumster]

Originally Posted by Capt Sal

A short shank hook for what reason?A large gap long shank hook works better.12-0 is not to big and it should be a circle hook.If you want a j hook use a Big River 12-0.You can buy them at Atlantic Bait ad Tackle on Rt. 36.Once you have landed and retained your limit it must be all circle hooks.Mono is all you need and it is forgiving.50lb. floro leader.If you want to sink the live bunker use a three way swivel with a bank sinker 2' loop to the wieght 4' floro carbon leader to the 12-0 circle.Circle hooks will allow you to release large cows unharmed as they will be hooked in the corner of the mouth. Ulta lite rods are not the way to go because by the time you land the striper it will be exhausted.It all works but be ethical.

The reason I like the short shank is the longer shank beats up on the bait along with it being one more reason for not getting a solid hook set due to the hook turning. I agree that there is not an issue w the gap size, up to 12/0 is fine. And yes circles should be used as you mentioned, but then it is a different hook set.

[Capt Sal]

Originally Posted by rumster

The reason I like the short shank is the longer shank beats up on the bait along with it being one more reason for not getting a solid hook set due to the hook turning. I agree that there is not an issue w the gap size, up to 12/0 is fine. And yes circles should be used as you mentioned, but then it is a different hook set.

Just start reeling when you you get the bite.When i chartered i had to restrict my guys from setting the hook with a big 12-0 circle.When you learn how to use circle hooks for live lining they are deadly.

[rumster]

Originally Posted by Capt Sal

Just start reeling when you you get the bite.When i chartered i had to restrict my guys from setting the hook with a big 12-0 circle.When you learn how to use circle hooks for live lining they are deadly.

Agreed Capt....

[SaltLife1980]

Originally Posted by rumster

What you did not catch was the fish finder.... If you use a fish finder the swivel will not slide through.

If you tie your top shot to ur main line using a knot the slider weight will slide right up to ur swivel at the end of ur top shot. Then to ur rig/hook. Thats why i was saying if you keep ur rig around 2 to 3 feet u can reel it right up and be able to get the fish without having 20 feet of line in the water to pull in by hand.