Being disabled does not allow me to throw jigs and plugs with the stamina I once had. 5 minutes of jigging and plugging is about all I can do, so I fish cut bait, pogies and mackerel.
I did notice something when I went fishing last week (my back is paying for it now, shots in the back this morning, thanks doc). And another thing. I wont be using Gamagatsu octopus hooks any more. I lost 2 big fish using them last week. They hook very well, but did not hold the big fish (I was using 7/0 size). I did manage a 38 " but after loosing those 2 (they were big) I changed over to kerbed Mustad 8/0 (hand sharpened) and cought a 40". I noticed that the wire diameter on the Gami hooks was somewhat smaller than the Mustads and that they "pinch" the metal at the shank and the gap of the hook (further reducing the actual width/diameter of the wire (strain hardened). Over the years, I had noticed that I had also pulled the hook on a couple other good fish using Gamigatsu octopus hooks, chocked it up to bad luck. As a positive note, Gamagatsu hooks have hooked me some fine fish, but (sometimes) not firmly in the mouth, just on the lip, sometimes the fish were just hanging on by a thread. I never hooked up like that using Mustad hooks. I'm thinking the wire diameter reduction of the Gami's allows the hook to pull easier (please don't tell me I got the drag set too tight, when a fish dumps half the reel, and the hook pulls, theres something wrong).
OK, well my ranting is done.:jump:
Oh, do you fish cut bait ?

i didnt vote because the option wasnt there :huh:

i do about 25/75 this year.

25 cut bait

previous years was almost 100%

sorry about the back.. any sort of back problem can be one of the worst most painful things... you never know how much you use it until it dont work no more :eek5:

so i would say sometimes... but im not sure when a situation would present itself....



(had to make another post to get off 666) :)

I've never caught anything with cut bait though... Maybe chatham isn't the place for it.

Sand eels on the other hand... fegit-about-it

i will fish chunks when i just want to hang out at the beach, take it easy for a while and maybe have a tea. I would say that 80% of the time i fish eels, maybe another 10 or 15% of the time i use plugs. I like the octopus hooks. almost sounds like you are trying to horse the fish in, relax and enjoy the fight:angel: :angel:

When it gets so cold that the salt water is freezing on the guides , we sometimes chuck out some bait and sit in the truck with the rods in sand spikes. Even bait fishing is better than not fishing at all.

I have a pretty good supply of fresh herring available to me as the boats land it just outside my living room window, so I indeed am a chunking fool..... but I always carry two rods, one for bait and the other to toss wood/rubbah/plastic whilst I wait for the baited rig to go off. Been trending toward more artificial each year though.... :humpty:

I have a pretty good supply of fresh herring available to me as the boats land it just outside my living room window, so I indeed am a chunking fool..... but I always carry two rods, one for bait and the other to toss wood/rubbah/plastic whilst I wait for the baited rig to go off. Been trending toward more artificial each year though.... :humpty:

my efforts in this setup have always landed me a confusing mess. without fail while im messing with my casting rod my bait rod would start peeling out.:grins:

Also some places are a lot harder to fish with a lure than with bait ie. when your higher up off the water. Is there any secret to fishing this way with a lure that im missing?

[QUOTE=MrHunters]so i would say sometimes... but im not sure when a situation would present itself.... QUOTE]

Now I am using lures more than chunking, but if the lures dies down in getting fish, i'll be back to 75% chunking.




MrHunters- if your lures weren't producing, than would you go get bait?

Not all the time, but sure. I like to have all the bases covered. When you're targeting finnickey fish, sometimes it just takes a different offering. I don't care about being a "purist". I just want to catch fish.:cheers:

Give me a frozen Mackeral anyday. I bring three rods two for chunking and a small spinning rod for blitzes. There's nothing wrong with a little bank sinker lazy fishing. It's been proved many times big fish bite big chunks. A chair, a beer, and a sand spike; a slice of Heaven!

[quote=MrHunters]so i would say sometimes... but im not sure when a situation would present itself.... QUOTE]

Now I am using lures more than chunking, but if the lures dies down in getting fish, i'll be back to 75% chunking.




MrHunters- if your lures weren't producing, than would you go get bait?


yep most likely... i would have a tendancy to fish longer with bait if I had a buddy to fish with those times... i tend to get antsy while waiting... thats why i like casting from the shore and trolling/casting from a boat.

I would never use it for stripers but blacks and fluke sure.

any sort of back problem can be one of the worst most painful things...


yes.:behead:

[quote=newbie14]


yep most likely... i would have a tendancy to fish longer with bait if I had a buddy to fish with those times... i tend to get antsy while waiting... thats why i like casting from the shore and trolling/casting from a boat.


Same with me, I would die if I had noone to hang pout with while the bait just sits there!

I just wish chunkin counted.

I just wish chunkin counted.
yea... :sigh:

I just wish chunkin counted.
:hihi:
As long as a fish is on the hook is all that really matters. It tastes the same to me maybe a little better with that chunk of pogie or mack in it.

I find that I either fly fish or liveline, with some limited plugging - usually to breaking fish. Haven't chunked in 25 years.

Maybe I don't like anchoring.:huh:

From the shore, rocky shore up here, I respect those who can figure out what to use to catch and can change gears accordingly. Fresh herring was working for a week, then Monday evening I arrived with chunk set up, only to find a full on blitz chasing peanuts! Tried a fresh tail right in the mix and they wouldn't touch it. So back to the car to get the right rod and gear before the fun ended. Sometimes I end up with an elephant gun at a squirrel shoot:smash:

Chunkin' is just like pluggin ...except you don't reel it in :rude: ...setting the hook at the precise second is an art you know. What,?/ fish don't hook themselves on plugs from time to time?? You think YOU do all the work?:biglaugh:

Yes, I chunk.

MAybe once a year i will drift some chunk in the canal. And when i go to the north shore which isnt very often my buddy that chunks out fishes me big time and it embarising, so i will usually join him.

Hey thats another old family saying, "fish of cut bait kid."

cut bait all the time...Plugging wile waiting for the hit