Question about chunking

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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/article/articleview/56

 

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

 

Would red hooks be better?

Enquiring minds have lots of chunking questions...

 

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.

 

Hi Uncle Russ,

Here are my take on this subject.

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?3-4ft long fluorocarbon is all I use

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? I ties a small SPRO brand swivel between my main line and my leader, line won't twist as much if you cut a pocket to hide your hook and giv it a quick pull/jerk your chunk will fall off. If you think your chunk is too heavy, insert small piece of styroform or shipping peanut in the chunk to offset the weight.

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?I would suggest using non offset circle hook for chunk fishing=less gut hooked fish, JMO. My favorite is mustad 39950bl

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?The trick to this method is to pull out 10-20ft of lines and put your chunk bait in your palm and gently tost it over board, make sure the line go with the chunk. any tension will likely to pull the hook out. again this is just my personal opinion


Thanks,

Russ

 

1. i use a longer leader of about 10 to 15ft. i tie a bimini twist in my jerry brown spectre and then attach the flourocabon leader with a 15 turn reverse albright using the spectre to make the knot.
2.i don't use a swivel. the albright takes the place of the swivel and gives me one less knot to fail. however if my chunk fails to fall off when i reel my line in then i will get twists in my line. i sweep the rod several times to make sure my chunk falls off the hook.
3. when chunking most people are using heavier gear. that equates to more drags and higher drag settings. you don't need a big hook but you do need a strong hook. a hook about the size of your thumb print is all you need. hooks are a personal preference. if tagging and releasing yellowfins then the cheaper mustad will work fine. i am in the minority about tuna hooks and do use a ringed super mutu in ususally a 4/0 or 5/0 size for tuna of any size.
4. just as tj stated above. remember to keep a steady pull going to keep any tension off your chunk so that it floats natural in the water. however there are lots of tuna caught while the rod is setting in the holder and the drift is dragging the chunk. it just depends on how aggressive the tuna's are feeding. the possibility of a chunk falling off happens all the time. the greatest likelyhood is when you put it in the water at the boat. watch you bait and make sure it stays attached when you set it to drift. when you have developed a feel for chunking you can pretty much detect when you don't have a chunk on your line.
5. although the question wasn't asked i will give my thoughts as to what happens when the fish hits. 90 percent of the time the fish will hit the bait and run in a direction that pulls the line from your hand and pulls the line off your reel. i always fish with my clicker on when chunking with a conventional reel. this prevents the spool from over running and ending the fight in the fishes favor. i engage the drag just past free spool and get the rod out of the rod holder. i prefer to strip line out with the rod in a holder rather than holding my rod and striping line out between the reel and the first guide. once that i come tight on the fish i adjust the lever drag to how much drag i am going to use to fight this fish. usually all the way to strike postion. i set the hook with a couple of sweeps to make sure the circle has been embedded and if its going to pull i had rather it happen now and not 20 minutes later. yea i know you don't set the hook with a circle hook but it's hasn't hurt my hook up ratio. the hook has already lodged in the corner of the tuna's mouth and i am just making sure that the barb penetrates. i do the same things when chunking with a spinner and i fish it with bail open or with the bail closed and under very light drags. the bail open has its drawbacks as it can be very hard to close the bail when a tuna is running hard. now for the 10 percent of the time no one talks about. some times the tuna are picking up your chunk and swimming towards you. you need to pay attention when chunking and if you notice that your line is not going out at the same pace as earlier then crank as fast as you can to regain your line and possibly hook your tuna. however pay attention as most of the time it is a false alarm and you are tangled with some one elses line. good luck and remember to pay attention to what the people who are near you are doing to put their fish in the boat....rick

 

mcgolfer,

you hit the chunk on the head...What he said.. Longer leader,insert hook into chunk not hook the chunk, leave rod in holder, strip, watch the line, go to stike and crank while in the holder, then lift out and be ready for some abuse.

 

Most guys feed lines for chunking. However, most commercial tuna (giant) fishemen and charter boats captains on the East Coast don't feed lines. When tuna bites are far and between or have to work several lines, they put the rods on the rodholers and set the drag about 1/3 or 1/2 of strike. When tuna take lines, they are hooked already.
You'll be surprised how effective and easy this technique is.

 

Do they often use weights when fishing chunks from a rodholder?

I recall that unattended rods are a big problem on the party boats up north.

 

Do they often use weights when fishing chunks from a rodholder?

I recall that unattended rods are a big problem on the party boats up north.
We use weights to fish deep or use weighless when tuna respond to chunk. But mostly we use weights.

You usually see a few unattended rods when fishing is slow, but actually that is not big issue. When someone use multiple rods and he get hits both rods, then that gives problem. Whereever you go, there are greedy fishermen.

The technique I described on the previous post is not widely used on party boats.

 

We on the West Coast have lots of different ideas regarding chunking. Some folks like some skin on and some not. I think those who like the skin just like it due to allowing the hook to have something to grasp onto though they say it is for the flash factor.

Some like circle hooks and some like J hooks as the J hook can have the point just barely sticking out of the chunk which may be better for the hook set.

I for one Like Ringed and Swiveled hooks, both circle and J styles, I get from Ringedhooks.com. The hook, including the swivel is hidden in the chunk which I prefer to be skinless with the grain direction of the chunk aiding in the adherence of the hook. No twisting of line. Call Guy over there and ask for his input. He is a walking encycopedia of hook knowledge and will steer you in the right direction. Not only does he know his stuff but it shows in his catching of fish as he is generally one of the top sticks on his trips.

It really is kind of cool, when a fish is caught on the chunk, to see 40 or 50 pieces of chunk come out of its stomach telling us the critter is just hanging out at the end of the chunk line gorging itself.

Jamie

 

Good topic, chunking up fish is a blast. Its awesome to watch that line go ripping across the top of the water, going from slack to tight in a matter of a second. There are lots of good points here, good thread.