Live Lining Bunker..

[Reel Class]

you hook the bunker in the spot where you (the angler) want the most control

under neath = swimming down

nose = full control of the bait and they stay UP

behind dorsal = free swimming

Bass don't always feed down in the water column - sometimes you want those baits right up on the top or just under the surface so hooking in the nose or behind the dorsal will get more bites.

Fin-clipping keeps em' down too

Sometimes the livies just get no bites, ya gotta send a head, a dead bait, or a chunk down - that's still part of the "livelining" game as is true snag & drop fishing which worked better than anything last season especially later.

We don't use anything smaller than a 9/0 anymore - and no circles!

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by Reel Class

you hook the bunker in the spot where you (the angler) want the most control

under neath = swimming down

nose = full control of the bait and they stay UP

behind dorsal = free swimming

Bass don't always feed down in the water column - sometimes you want those baits right up on the top or just under the surface so hooking in the nose or behind the dorsal will get more bites.

Fin-clipping keeps em' down too

Sometimes the livies just get no bites, ya gotta send a head, a dead bait, or a chunk down - that's still part of the "livelining" game as is true snag & drop fishing which worked better than anything last season especially later.

We don't use anything smaller than a 9/0 anymore - and no circles!

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I'm with you on the circle hooks.. Way too many lost fish using them. I also don't like to use braid either.... I think the stretch of mono actuals helps you get a better hook set, especially with an aggressive hookset like I have.

Man you have to love when you can see your Bunker swimming on the surface and then all of a sudden.....WHAM!!! Can't come soon enough.

[Capt Sal]

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

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I'm with you on the circle hooks.. Way too many lost fish using them. I also don't like to use braid either.... I think the stretch of mono actuals helps you get a better hook set, especially with an aggressive hookset like I have.

Man you have to love when you can see your Bunker swimming on the surface and then all of a sudden.....WHAM!!! Can't come soon enough.

Jerry, I do agree with with you to certain extent.In the wrong hands circle hooks are frustrating with lost fish!When you have a charter and nobody ever fished with a circle hook it is enough to pull your hair out.If you use a large circle properly it can be almost a 100% hook up.The first instinct is to set the hook.Trebles and large j hooks are used first.Once a limit is in the box it is not ethical to gut hook large bass.Circle hooks then become the proper thing to do imho.Mono is all you need for live lining and it is forgiving!
I say do what ever works the best for you but we all should treat our released bass with kid gloves.

[SaltLife1980]

Lots of great info..


thanks guys!

[Reel Class]

Trebles are not forgiving - we fish em' when we have to and when we have what the crew has what they want. After that point, we switch to the big J hooks.

Sal in regards to braid if you set the drag correctly where it's not LOCKED DOWN we really have few problems. I still love fishing mono, but all of our reels are spooled with braid so we stick with it and make it work.

[Gerry Zagorski]

All good points....

Sal - I hear you on setting the hook but old habits die hard, especially when see your bait getting whacked up on top and you loose your composure

Allen - Good point on loosening up the drag some when using braid. Going to give that a shot this year. I usually have all my rods set up with braid and it's a PITA switching them over to mono.

[Capt Sal]

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

All good points....

Sal - I hear you on setting the hook but old habits die hard, especially when see your bait getting whacked up on top and you loose your composure

Allen - Good point on loosening up the drag some when using braid. Going to give that a shot this year. I usually have all my rods set up with braid and it's a PITA switching them over to mono.

Want a good laugh.Start out in the morning and the charter says''Hey cap there are only six of us why do you have so many rods''.By the end of the day half are birds nested so bad we undo them at the dock.Striking without engaging the reel,reeling against the drag etc.SNAP POW_what the hell was that??Did you tighten the drag?Yea because the "string kept going out'' lol .Lot of fun to watch the fire drill.Got a good feeling this year is going to be real good.

[Blind Squirrel]

Originally Posted by Reel Class

Trebles are not forgiving - we fish em' when we have to and when we have what the crew has what they want. After that point, we switch to the big J hooks.

Sal in regards to braid if you set the drag correctly where it's not LOCKED DOWN we really have few problems. I still love fishing mono, but all of our reels are spooled with braid so we stick with it and make it work.

Am I missing something here? I fish trebles with live bunker when I want to catch stripers. A bronze 8/0 or even 9/0 treble through the nostrils of Mr. Bunker may not look all that great to you or me, but stripers ain't tuna, and they really don't care what the meal's wearing for jewelry. Saves a lot of cussin' when you're reeling in slack line after a runoff too.

[Reel Class]

Maybe I didn't make my point clear. You my friend did in a much more eloquent and direct manner when you used the word "catch"

[Reel Class]

...and when I mentioned unforgiving I was referring to releasing deep-hooked fish with trebles stuck in their gullet!