Livelining

[adesai73]

Okay, folks, time for another installment of "Look at Ash ask a dumb question!" 

I've heard frequent reference to livelining bunker.  What is this exactly?  Is it the method used to snag the bunker from the water or is it a method used to fish the snagged bunker as bait?

As a shore fisherman, how can I utilize this to help me catch more (or any) fish?

As always, thank you for your thoughtful, informative and patient answers... 

[mboy]

Livelining is the act of putting a live baitfish on a hook and dropping it in the water to catch fish. The live bait can be caught by net, snagged, trapped or purchased.

GOing to be tough to do from shore unless you have bunker schools in close. Unless you have a large baitwell, you will have to snag and immediatly use for bait, then snag another when you need it.

Much easier on boat to net a number of fish and store in live well.

[Hotrod]

check this out

http://njsaltwaterfisherman.com/forums/index.php?topic=854.msg6118#msg6118

never a stupid question here.  I think most are afraid to ask questions like this

[PeggyLee]

If your fishing from shore, bring a couple of treble snag hooks so if you see live bait breaking water, attach one of those sang hooks cast out into the water where the bait is breaking ,and keeping your rod verical(not horisontal)sweep across from the water to the sand beach in a nice motion and hopefully you can "snag" a live bait.Take that live bait hook it through the mouth or once behind the dorsil fin and send it back out.5/0,6/0 hook.
"live lineing" from a boat is the preferred method because mobility allows the capt. and crew to stay on the fish. Also a cast net makes getting bait a lot easier. I hope I helped .  AJ

[Luna Sea 5]

 

[adesai73]

Appreciate the responses.

So, I guess from the beach what I'd be doing is using a smaller set-up to throw a weighted treble into a school of bunker.  Snag one and then transfer it to a hook on a larger bait stick?

Saw a guy doing this on the pier in Perth Amboy.  He was using a real small spinning outfit to snag the bunker and then putting them on a hook on a boat rod type set-up.

[mboy]

I wouldn't go too light on the spinning to snag adult bunker. They can be BIG and take a little while even on heavier gear to reel in when snagged.

I have become somewhat of a master of snagging bunker over the years (because I couldn't throw a new until recently).
I use a VERY stout 5'6" spinning rod, drag cranked to snag bunker with.

Use something light and you will be fighting that for a while instead of a bass.

Get a short, XH spinner for snagging bunker.

[gymrat987654321]

   sometimes the bluefish will take the bunker right off the snag hook and sometimes even get hooked. So you dont want to be using tackle that light when fighting a bluefish.

[ped579]

Good point gymrat...

I like a kid thats thinking.

[CapBob]

One thing on live lining, I always re-hook after snagging the fish. Set the hook through the nose or just ahead of dorsel fin.

This way if the Choppers rip the bunker butt off, the head drifts down to the awaiting cow bass on the bottom.........hooked many of the old girls like that.

[mboy]

One thing on live lining, I always re-hook after snagging the fish. Set the hook through the nose or just ahead of dorsel fin.

This way if the Choppers rip the bunker butt off, the head drifts down to the awaiting cow bass on the bottom.........hooked many of the old girls like that.

Good advice. I do the same. I am not a big fan of using my weighted treble as my hook to catch the bass/blue on.

[wingshooter]

I have livelined from shore in the past,

1-have a surf rod set with nothing but a sinker on the bottom, few inches from sinker put one or 2 beads

2- have a snap swivel in hand with about 3-4 foot leader with 6/0 or 7/0 hook

snag bunker,
cast out as far as possible with hook only,
take premade rig and attach swivel to main line
hook bunker thru dorsal fin
set him in water


as he swims (and he will look for deeper water)he is heading down towards sinker end thus covering a lot of water eventually something will see a lonely injured bunker and hit it




its efective i have taken some bass like that

 

[gymrat987654321]

that's pretty smart. Ill have to try that this year.

[PeggyLee]

I agree with Mboy and Gymrat dont go too light on the snag rod.Also, a med. action (stiff will go right thru the bunker)8ft rod gives plenty of sweep.
Use a couple of the snagged bunker for chunks or heads. AJ.   

[Wreckfish]

A few weeks ago CaptBob had a good technique  using a Duro Snap to hook the bunker. Worth re-reading

http://njsaltwaterfisherman.com/forums/index.php?topic=854.0

[ped579]

I've seen a variation of that where by they use a sinker slider and a treble
hook.  The line is passed through the slider and the treble hook is attached to the tag line.  The snap swivel was put through the nostrils and one hook of the treble is put through the back fin or just before the tail fin depending if you are targeting blues or bass.

Sounded interesting...

Paul