NJ Saltwater Fishing Articles
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- Category: Fishing Articles
- Published: Monday, 15 September 2008 02:43
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OK, so you’ve heard people talking about chunking for tuna, or we were on the chunk and caught 6 yellow fins… but what exactly do they mean by this and how do you go about it? Chunking simply put is cutting up bait fish and throwing it overboard with the hopes of attracting tuna. There is nothing mysterious and it’s pretty simple once you learn some of the basics. Hopefully this article will give you a beginner’s understanding of some of the chunking techniques to make your nest trip more successful.
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First thing you need to know, when is it worth my while to go out and invest the time in an overnight chunking trip? Is one time of the year better than another? The answer is a solid -it depends. Typically the best time for chunking for tuna is late August to mid October. Some won’t even start until Labor Day or thereabouts. If you can only get out once for the season then this is the timing I would suggest. This will give you the best odds for having a productive trip. I said earlier that it depends and the reason for that is each season is different than the prior ones. Sometimes the chunking will start to payoff in the first or second week of August and other seasons it will be later. You need to develop some “ears” out there as to what others are experiencing in order to make a decision.Your best resources are at the docks. If you live nearby any marinas start paying them a visit around early afternoon and ask questions. Watch the boats coming in and see if they are flying flags and what types of flags. If you see boats unloading fish don’t be afraid to ask questions. Most fishermen are happy to share their experiences when they have a good trip. Ask if the tuna were caught on the chunk or on the troll. Ask....
what baits they were hitting, what water temp? What was the action out there? Try to develop some contacts by being friendly and asking them questions about their experience. Give them a chance to brag and relive that trip while you are gathering information. If you know people you can start to gather information to help you decide when you should get out there.
Assuming you have no contacts at the docks and no possibilities to develop them then coming to forums like this one is a great idea. People who regularly get out there will typically post their results both good and bad. Read as much as you can to see if the fish are out there, check your local bait shops and especially those that cater to the off shore crowd. Don’t expect to hear anything in July for the most part, but get your feelers out starting in August and be ready to go when the reports start turning positive.
Next Article When to Run and Where to Set Up….
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