Setting THe Hook With Bunker For Stripers

[VDAWG]

size of your hooks to 10/0 octapus style hooks,fishfinder rigs and Mono or floro leaders 50# 3 ft on normal tides and 1-1 1/2 ft on spring or full moon hard running tides as this will keep your bait down on the bottom where ya want it ...ok now



In ideal conditions and in a perfect world ,This is how its done !
soon as you feel or see depending on if you dead sticking or holding your rod(i prefer dead sticking ) a tap or bump

cause they are tapping and bumping first mainly not just running off lately,and this can change day to day or week to week or outing to outing ok im sure you have the idea

1- put the reel in free spool no clicker,or in baitrunner mode light tension if spinning reel keeping just enough tension that the tide wont take out line but the Striper can
2- point the rod in the direction where the line is going into the water and keep it level with your waist
3- when it starts swimming/running with the bait give it the old 1000 and 1 up to 1000 and 5 count and lock up your reel
4- THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT wind the reel to take up all the slack QUICKLY WITH a FEW QUICK TURNS till it comes tight
5- pull back and set the hook .....

and This By PGoins and i agree with it 100% ..

Quote:
Originally Posted by pgoins
sometimes they inhale the bait. But, sometimes they will only grab part of the bait and swim away with it and make sure it's what they want before they inhale it. It's not the norm, but that's the nature of fishing isn't it.

Sometimes they hit like frieght trains. Sometimes, they seem to play with it before committing suicide. Either way, put to guys with little experiance on a boat. One with a fishfinder setup and the other a 3 way swivel and the fishfinder will definately put up bigger #'s everytime. Remeber with the 3 way swivel rig you only have one option. Hit and swing. With the fishfinder you can hit and swing or let'em run then swing. Why limit yourself to just one option? ;)

Ok now you make the call !! Remember its up to you to figure out what method and when to use it !!
Let um run ur wack up on the bumps ...

I bet if you read this ,and then try and get a read on the stripers,
on how they want it and how their taking it..
your hook up ratio will go through the roof ...
Good luck and also remeber im just trying to through a brother a bisket !
This is how i do it and To each Their own !!!!

[johnny d]

excellent info

[Vitalsigns]

Just goes to show there is no "right way" some times you hook em and sometimes you don't. Experience is the key but I'd rather be lucky than smart.

[DEEP POCKETS]

Very good advice, #4 is the key, you have to get all of the slack out of the line before you set the hook. If not you'll be setting the hook on the weight of the sinker, not the weight of the fish. I have had much better luck fishing the rods locked up, except with the rods baited with heads:)

[Capt Steve]

I just use a circle hook, set the rod in a Bent Butz rod holder, lock it in gear, and when the rod folds, catch the fish. No dropback, no counting, just reel it tight. Works for me!

[NJAngler Bill]

VDawg, I agree, but I don't let 'em run that long. Once the fish moves off, I stick 'em.

You are 100% right about coming tight before the hookset. That's the most important part, and the part that most folks get wrong, in my opinion.

Capt. Steve, I still can't get your method right. I know it's simpler and by rights it should work, but I just can't make it work for me.

[phish4fun]

I just use a circle hook, set the rod in a Bent Butz rod holder, lock it in gear, and when the rod folds, catch the fish. No dropback, no counting, just reel it tight. Works for me!
agreed............since we started using this method with 8/0 gami are missed fish has gone way down.another lesson learned by fishing with a barner:). the other method does work but seems a higher ratio of missed hook sets.

[mattlist]

let em run it tight then cross there eyes!

[joe kane]

for the dead stick with a J hoop we just let them tap until the rod bends over and then reel away.

anyone else use this technique?

[Paul Tripodi]

Nice Topic !

We all know Stripers inhale the bait most of the time.

I was using circles hooks locked up and dead sticking with great hook ups.
The only bad part for me was when the fish ran toward the boat, We would lose them.

I even used them in the rips with eel holding the rod down at the water and when I felt the pull I slowly lifted the rod up and HOOKED UP !
My buddy's could not beleave I was fishing the rips with that set up.

Last year I started using J hooks and noticed people that came out with me once in a while would lose fish from not knowing how to work the reel with a run off. Even I am missing more fish.

Might go back to the circle hook. ;)

[BigSexy]

I just use a circle hook, set the rod in a Bent Butz rod holder, lock it in gear, and when the rod folds, catch the fish. No dropback, no counting, just reel it tight. Works for me!


There is no better way

[Bass Tubb]

Capt Steve hit the nail on the head. that is how i do it and it seems to work almost every time.

[take one]

after last fall, its all circles for me, locked up in the rod holders. while iam sipping my hot coffee, and hot tomato soup :D. waiting for the rod to double over.

[FishinPhil]

Locked up and in gear, when the pole bends reel him in. Nothing pisses me off more than to have someone on the boat letting his clicker run like hell and counting to five and pulling back with nothing to show but an empty hook.

[RodFather]

Ahhh the thrill of the run off. J hooks all the way with me :)

[bw28]

Do any of you guys fish live bunker with circle hooks ?

[JoeyZac]

When by myself, J hooks locked up.

When with friends, J hooks with clickers on. Nothing gets the heart racing like a screaming clicker, and I want my company to have fun above all else.

[Guatemala Dave]

all the replys seem to state the ovious that the rod holder is smarter than most of the fishermen that hold the rod.

[BigSexy]

all the replys seem to state the ovious that the rod holder is smarter than most of the fishermen that hold the rod.


I personally hold the rod as well as my friends. But my friends and I know what we are doing. When rookies or charters on the boat I put rods in the rod holder and they get most of the hooks ups. I think the guys that don't do it as much can have a tendency to pull the bait away from the bass when he is picking it up. The whole letting them run thing aggrivates me. I get so sick of hearing on the radio " missed a run off". That's because when the bass felt that line and weight weight instead of his eyes getting crossed he spits it out. If it was locked or the angler set the hook the fish would have been a fish, not just a run off

[JoeyZac]

all the replys seem to state the ovious that the rod holder is smarter than most of the fishermen that hold the rod.

I fish with at least 4 rods. Can only hold one and work the bait.

- 1 rod with clam locked in a holder
- 1 rod with an eel on a float in a holder with clicker on
- 1 rod with a spot, maybe locked, maybe clicker - depends on my mood
- 1 rod with clam, held, being gently worked to get it "noticed"

If I have someone else on board to help clear the lines if neccessary, I may go as high as 6 rods.

Yes, I know that is excessive, but to me it is fun.

[KOOSE]

Allways rod holders, locked up for beginners. Try using big river bait hooks for bunker chunck n. They really leave alot of the hook point and barb exsposed because of the different shaped hook.

[JoeyZac]

GREAT hooks! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[procastinator]

Circle hooks will out catch J hooks on big stripers day in and day out. If you use big enough circles, and use them properly, you can't help but to be able to hook up. And as an added bonus, the fish will be much more likely to be able to be released no worse for the wear , then a fish stuck in the gills or guts from a J hook. :)

[TTT-TBONE]

I personally hold the rod as well as my friends. But my friends and I know what we are doing. When rookies or charters on the boat I put rods in the rod holder and they get most of the hooks ups. I think the guys that don't do it as much can have a tendency to pull the bait away from the bass when he is picking it up. The whole letting them run thing aggrivates me. I get so sick of hearing on the radio " missed a run off". That's because when the bass felt that line and weight weight instead of his eyes getting crossed he spits it out. If it was locked or the angler set the hook the fish would have been a fish, not just a run off

Hey Big S,

I've been fishing a long time for stripers...only fished them locked up when in the rips or drifting following clam boats (the bite tends to be aggressive).
What do you do when the fish are just "playing with it"?
I understand when they slam it...I'm just not sure how you fish locked up when the bite is light?:huh:
Do you free spool it when its light...then as soon as the start running with it you lock it?
Thanks.
Tbone

[BigSexy]

Hey Big S,

I've been fishing a long time for stripers...only fished them locked up when in the rips or drifting following clam boats (the bite tends to be aggressive).
What do you do when the fish are just "playing with it"?
I understand when they slam it...I'm just not sure how you fish locked up when the bite is light?:huh:
Do you free spool it when its light...then as soon as the start running with it you lock it?
Thanks.
Tbone


It's the feel game. The rod in my hand will be locked up. If I feel a light tap or something playing with it. I pull the drag back(I fish with a lever drag). Then I thumb the spool. If it is just the nibble feel I let it work. Every now and then letting a foot or two out to try to trigger the attack. If it picks it up and starts pulling line I lock it back up and reel it tight.

If it is a rod in the rod holder. I keep an eye on the rod tips. If I see it start to bounce at all, I pick it up and do the same as above. I also fish rods with extreemly light tips. I believe this helps a lot.

[TTT-TBONE]

It's the feel game. The rod in my hand will be locked up. If I feel a light tap or something playing with it. I pull the drag back(I fish with a lever drag). Then I thumb the spool. If it is just the nibble feel I let it work. Every now and then letting a foot or two out to try to trigger the attack. If it picks it up and starts pulling line I lock it back up and reel it tight.

If it is a rod in the rod holder. I keep an eye on the rod tips. If I see it start to bounce at all, I pick it up and do the same as above. I also fish rods with extreemly light tips. I believe this helps a lot.


Thanks. That's what I figured.
We do the same thing when the bite is lite. We let some line out to try and entice. But instead of locking it when they finally run...we do the running thing. I'm in tournaments the next 3 weekends in a row (too afraid to change then)...but in between them I got to give it a try!
Thanks again for a super fast response!:eek:
Tight Lines.
TBone

[c21denny]

Does it make that much difference and what type drag do you use rod holder straight up or holding rod and rod in holder about waist high pointing sideways. :huh:

[fishhard]

I just use a circle hook, set the rod in a Bent Butz rod holder, lock it in gear, and when the rod folds, catch the fish. No dropback, no counting, just reel it tight. Works for me!

Capt. i can see that working if you use a small chunk or clam but can you make it work if you are using a mega chunk, 3/4 of a bunker?

[zar2754]

Capt. i can see that working if you use a small chunk or clam but can you make it work if you are using a mega chunk, 3/4 of a bunker?


2 circle hook stinger rig on whole bunker for us.

and on large chunks, as long as you only hook a minial portion with most of the hook exposed, it works fine. you should be doing the same with J hooks anyway.

[Captain's John & Diana]

I have seen way too many gut hooked stripers by letting them run too long with the bunker but also seen way too many misses by fishing the reels locked up. I really like the idea of circle hooks overall and will be experimenting with them this fall more than in the past. I still am very leary of fishing the reels locked up while chunking and we use all Shimano 6500 bait runners so be able to let them run some before setting the hook. I have always believed the stripers turn the bait to shallow it after the initial pickup and that is why we have always let them run before setting up on the fish. This does cause gut hooked stripers at times when using smaller baits or letting them run too long but not good for the stripers and I hate to see gut hooked or gill hooked fish bleeding as we believe in releasing more and more big breeders every season now. It seems fishing locked up reels with circle hooks works for some and I will be trying chunking this way and see how effective it is when charter fishing. I know one thing for sure if we get into a catch and release mode on any of our trips we will be using all circle hooks as losing a fish matters little on trips such as these and gut hooked fish is a poor excuse to keep more than is needed or over the legal limit.

[Capt Steve]

Fishhard,
Never had a problem with bigger baits. I use a 7/0 Daichii light circle hook.. Huge gap and sharp as he;;. Drumfish also hang themselves on this hook.

[BBContender27]

great info