Q: Howdy all.
As my name suggests I don't do a whole lot of bait fishing. Nothing against it, it's just not the most productive method for my homewater.
But I'm coming down for a few days in a couple of weeks and will be chucking chunks. I try to get around as much of the learning curve before I fish as possible. I know that like any fishing there are right ways and wrong ways to prepare and hook bunker chunks and that those ways seperate competent productive fishing from incompetency. I've got enough handicaps as it is, don't need to add improper bait presentation to the list.
Sure would like to hear everyones ideas on how to prepare and hook bunker chunks.
Oh yeah, I assume those little boxes y'all wear on your belts are bait canteens?
A: Hi Plug, I've been meaning to draw up this diagram for a long time so when I saw your post earlier tonight I decided now is as good as any (was supposed to be building reels :)
Yes, the "canteens" (bait box to us) are to keep bait in so you don't have to keep running back and forth up to the truck every time you need a new chunk of bait. Storing them in yer pocket could get kinda messy! :)
Make sure you drill small drain holes in each corner [of the bait box] so the water can drain out if it gets dunked. Most of us also keep our bait in a sealed bag of some type for protection from water and to help keep it fresh longer. Another tip with these things is to string 2-4 pieces of heavy mono through the top of the bait box and the rear wall, kind of like hinges. Doing this can save the top flap if it where to come off in the heat of battle.
Back to the bait....
Find the "firmest" bait you can find and then check the gills for bright redness, clear eyes don't always tell the true story.
Ok, this is how I steak a Fatback... or Bunker to you Northern boys...
First, no scaling is necessary. The less you do to it the better as far as I am concerned, I'm sure you know how soft it is to begin with. All I do is clear the hook point of any scales it might pick up as you bait it (very important!) and then flick off any scales that might be interfering with the hook or hanging off the edges of the steak. A large, very sharp knife is also a must, we don't want a mangled piece of bait that's going to fly off the hook on the 1st cast. A serrated knife as shown above is the best I've found for the job.
This diagram is for a fairly large Menhaden as is the head baiting method shown. You won't get this many baits out of a 8" fish. A smaller head can be baited through the eyes without obstructing the hook setting abilities of the hook but I don't recommend it on larger heads. You just want enough of the hook in the bait (head or steak) to keep it from coming off easily, no more.
The first thing I do is whack off the head (#1). If I'm using lots of heads I will leave a little more meat on it like in the hooked head diagram or even more. If I'm going more for distance and not using heads I make what we call a gill cut first, that's where you'll end up with a little of the gills intact on that 1st steak [between #1 and #3 above].
The next cut, #2, is to whack the stomach off in one fell swoop [Menhaden bellies make fine strip baits for Flounder, Trout, Blues, Sea Mullet, Toads, etc., so don't throw them away if you can use them]. No need in wasting time cutting the stomach flaps off each steak later, plus, that's just one more step where you can damage the steak.
The first steak resulting from cut #3 will look similar to the steaked hook shown, NO FLAPS hanging down and no stomach holes to aid the current in pulling your bait down the beach!
Follow the rest of the numbers in that sequence and DO NOT let the steaked bait see water until it lands in the ocean. In fact, the bait should never sit in water period, even when whole. A cooler that drains constantly is a must for me.
Cob and larger size Mullet can be prepared similarly except for cut #7, best to leave the head whole with these.
With Finger Mullet I'll make a single angled cut from about the top of #5 behind the dorsal down to the bottom of #1 just behind the gill plate and use only that head and dorsal section for bait.
Cut up only what you need for the next hour or so, no need to cut up more than will fit in your bait box. Plus, it will start going bad anyway. Store the rest whole and covered with ice until you need it. If bait is scarce and what you have begins to deteriorate, removing the heads and stomach sections can help delay the spoiling process. Rinsing the slim off in seawater or an icy salt brine when you first get them can also help delay the inevitable.
Good luck while you're down, hope this helped.
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