Question about chunking

[Lumberjack93]

I've been curious about this for a while and I figure that someone here can help answer this.

Why is it necessary to "hide the hook" while chunking? I ask this because you can also catch YFT jigging with diamond jigs. The hook is exposed on the diamond jigs and the tuna don't seem to mind. You also catch YFT on topwater poppers. Their hooks are also exposed.

So, I'm just wondering why it's so critical to hide the hook while chunking?

Lumberjack93

[Pope]

The fish can inspect the chunk as it floats by. Jig and topwater strikes are reaction strikes.

[MrBill]

It's really not critical for a night bite. You can just hook it through the skin and meat of the chunk bait and let the hook show. A fresh bait is more important than hiding the hook. Daytime, hiding the hook works best.

[PiePuncher]

During the day you deff. want to hide the hook, as Pope said, " They have time to inspect the chunk". You want your chunk to look as natural as possible and a black chunk of steal sticking out of your red chunk of meat with line attached doesnt look too natural. Sometimes even using too big a hook, making the bait fall at a faster rate than chum can throw off a bite. Pope nailed it. The Jig is a reaction strike. Last year at the lump, last chunk of the day, I figured I would make the "perfect" chunk, sure enough it worked, big tuna. No hook was exposed and no part of the hook was stuck in the chunk. I just pressed the hook into the chunk and gently laid on the water.

[ksong]

When jigging, tuna regard hooks as part of a jig (fish).
When you see an underwater video, fish actually attack THE HOOK.
I like to use shiny hooks for jigging for the reason.

When you see this video closely, you'll notice cod attack the falling jig, actually the hook.

http://www.soroy-havfiskesenter.no/a...articleview/56

[Lumberjack93]

Guys, thanks for the replies on this.

LJ93

[Uncle Russ]

LJ93's questions brought up a few of my own about chunking (and live bait fishing which I would like to tack on here for your opinions:

1. Leader Length:I seem to recall that people tend to use longer leaders when chunking (as opposed to jigging, topwater, and deep drop.) Outside of those of you who use a 25-100 yard topshot, who long do you make the nylon or flourocarbon portion of your line?

2. Swivels: Do you use them when chunking? I would think the line twist could get pretty severe with a big irregular chunk of meat on the end in a current. On the other hand, more metal would make the chunk sink faster, as pointed out above. And if you use swivels, where would you put them--on the hook or up further in the leader?

3. Hooks: If weight of metal makes a difference, might it be better to use a regular Mutu rather than a Super Mutu, or does strength outweigh presentation?

4. The chunks: What everyone posted above seems to fit what I have seen across the board. I saw one post (somewhere--but I think on this board) where the poster said he just cuts a slot in the chunk and slips the hook in, then, when reeling in, he just gives the chunk a jerk and pulls the hook out, thereby avoiding line twist on the retrieve. This sure seems to me that the meat could slip off too easily in a current. Opinions?

Thanks,

Russ

[Brewgod]

Would red hooks be better?

Enquiring minds have lots of chunking questions...

[etan]

wahoodad on the allcoast board uses light mono to tie the chunk around the hook. he is considered one of the best big tuna chunkers on the west coast.

[Lumberjack93]

I posted this on the 2Cool board. There are lots of answers about chunking for tuna on this thread. I wish we could copy the replies and post them here.

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/sh...ad.php?t=95950

By the way, I really like this board.

Lumberjack93