Best Day Ever (For Big Fish)!

[TomKat]

Saturday found pods of Adult Bunker, hooked up all day but kept getting bit off by Big Big Blues. One Striper boated about 34 inches.

So Sunday at first light outfitted with lot's of wire leader and snag rigs I ventured out off OC to try and find a pod of adult bunker. Very hard to do in the breezy conditions. Saw a few gulls hovering over an area and checked it out. They were over a pod of bunker! Snagged bunker and live lined for almost 2 hours without a bite.

Then when I was ready to leave a solid hookup and a few minutes later boated a 42 inch 24lb striper! From there it only got better!
TOTAL 8 STRIPERS BOATED OVER 20 POUNDS! All but one (kept for dinner) were hooked in the side of the mouth and quikly released. Along with several big blues.

I have had many fall days with more fish but never a day with so many big fish.

I have to give credit to Al Ristori and the Fisherman Mag for an article on how to fish schools of adult bunker with these rigs. Other boats around me were trying to fish with bucktails and not hooking up at all. I even tossed a couple of rigs over to another boat that could not hook up. I'm at work til Wednesday hopefully they might some still out there.

[Younger]

Was that you Im heard on CH 68...off of the OC ferris wheel?

[TomKat]

Yup!

[Younger]

You sounded pretty excited! Nice to hear capt's sharing info....thought about running up there, but decided to head in. Great job!

[DEEP POCKETS]

Congrats on a great day and thanks for the report.

[RodFather]

Tomkat congrats on a great day and thanks for sharing your report.

[rockdoc]

Good post Tomkat......would you mind sharing what these bunker rigs are? Thanks----Mike

[TomKat]

They are very simple, it is just a large weighted treble hook. They come in several sizes. I prefer the medium size. I rigged it to a 18inch wire leader. I was rerigging them with a single hook,and live linning them, but it actually worked best to just cast, snag, then just wait for a couple of big tapps then set the hook on the snag rig. I did not give much slack so all the fish were hooked very close to the corner of the mouth.

[LaStChAnCe V]

nice post cant wait to get out myself.

[Creek Duck]

Thanx for sharing,hope to get out this weekend for my 1st shot at some bass!

[TomKat]

Looks like Wednesday may be my only window. I will update later in the day.

[candyman]

GOOD JOB !!!! I was out there playing the same game on Sunday and getting frustrated. Drifted throgh pod with live bunker about 10 times and got squat. Were your bunker real nervous? I was getting a headache trying to see mine, they would pop here and there but there was no boil.

Finally went in the back with some eels and got squat there too.

Nice job toughing it out.

[Dr. Bass]

Originally posted by TomKat:
Saturday found pods of Adult Bunker, hooked up all day but kept getting bit off by Big Big Blues. One Striper boated about 34 inches.

So Sunday at first light outfitted with lot's of wire leader and snag rigs I ventured out off OC to try and find a pod of adult bunker. Very hard to do in the breezy conditions. Saw a few gulls hovering over an area and checked it out. They were over a pod of bunker! Snagged bunker and live lined for almost 2 hours without a bite.

Then when I was ready to leave a solid hookup and a few minutes later boated a 42 inch 24lb striper! From there it only got better!
TOTAL 8 STRIPERS BOATED OVER 20 POUNDS! All but one (kept for dinner) were hooked in the side of the mouth and quikly released. Along with several big blues.

I have had many fall days with more fish but never a day with so many big fish.

I have to give credit to Al Ristori and the Fisherman Mag for an article on how to fish schools of adult bunker with these rigs. Other boats around me were trying to fish with bucktails and not hooking up at all. I even tossed a couple of rigs over to another boat that could not hook up. I'm at work til Wednesday hopefully they might some still out there. NICE

I am jealous

[TomKat]

candyman,
I was very, very frustrated for two hours. There were not any fish feeding on them. Then it just started to turn on. Go figure!

[Younger]

Hey TomKat...think you are excited now....wait till it REALLY turns in in a coupla weeks...

[TomKat]

I know! I was gonna run up to Montauk, but at this rate I won't bother.

[LunchMan]

Yessssssss ,I'm getting EXCITED won't be long before they really turn on.
Thanks for the report.