Chunking for Tuna?

[Gut Wrench]

Ok here is the dumb question for the week...

We are looking to do an overniter this weekend and would like to chunk for tuna,can this be done at night?Does a an underwater light help?

also any tips or techniques would be very helpful,this not something that many do here in SC and is totally new to us...

i have heard he term menhaden pallets(not sure where we can get these),will the menhaden oil do ok too?

how about mullet,we have plenty of them showing up?

Thanks

[B.C.]

We use Butterfish to chunk with for the most part and use sardines or squid for the hook baits. If you use bunker you may attract to many sharks. I have been told this is a problem in NC.

[Gut Wrench]

big swordfish squid or normal small bottom fishing squid?


bunker=menhaden?

[chumtini]

Night, especially early AM is the best. Here's and oldie, but a goodie from last year: http://www.chumtini.com/media/Videos/TheFog.html

Butterfish, anchovies, sardines and whatever is swimming around the boat you can snag. Bring a net. Like BC said, oily stuff like macks and menhaden draw sharks up here. The bulk of our chunk mix is made up of butters with a little tuna candy (chovies, etc) mixed in. Good luck!

[TheBigI]

Bait
Bring 4-5 flats we usually bring 3 butterfish and 2 sardines. This is for chunking from around 8:00 to a little after first light. Mix up your baits with sardines and butters, if you can get live squid (it works the best). Also take some of that live mullet with you.
Rigs
Tie up multiple rigs with 40-80lb fluro leaders and circle hooks 7/0. When rigging the butters or sardines try to hide the hook the best you can and make sure they don't spin, squid should be hooked through the beak.
Lights
I have underwater lights on at all times when chunking because they bring bait under the boat. A lot of times squid or other bait will come up right behind the lights and you can net them or jig them.
Chunking
I usually fish 4-6 lines and staggered depths and sometimes a sword line deep ( depends on conditions). Use balloons or floats to move your baits different distances away from the boat. I set my reels on freespool with clickers on. I also like to have one or two guys jigging with diamond and butterfly jigs. Cut your butters up in peices, but don't mush them up ( I like to cut a couple flats at the dock before leaving). When your chunking always keep a flow of chunks going even when fighting fish, when you throw a handful wait for the chunks to disapear and throw another( I have a machine called a chum chucker that does it for you).

Good luck and report back how you do, very curious to see how chucking works down south.

[Gut Wrench]

whew,lots of info...thanks..


i will report back,but promise not to laugh to hard at our results...

i think some down here think we are foolish,but hey we are going to be out there anyway..



sardines we can get...butterfish i am not sure we have,..

anyone sell butterfish online?i have googled but no luck so far..

[WAHOONBOX]

HEY GUT'............ONE OF THE REASONS WE REFRAIN FROM CHUNKING IS THE CURRENT FLOW....SECOND IS SHARKS......

A PALLET OF BUNKER IS A CARBOARD BOX....CALL THE AREA BAIT HOUSES AND CHECK PRIOR TO YOUR START DATE

THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP I CAN OFFER YOU ON NIGHT TIME CHUNKING IS TO INSIST ON ONE MAN REMAINS WIDE AWAKE....I SAID WIDE AWAKE AND ALERT ON LOOKOUT FOR TRAFFIC .....BECAUSE MOST GUYS WILL EVENTUALLY GRAB SOME SHUTEYE

WE ALSO HAVE A NEW MEMBER HERE WHO JUST MOVED TO YOUR AREA....YOU GUYS SHOULD MAKE CONTACT. HIS BOARD NAME IS GGBill

CHECK MY LINK OUT: www.wahoonbox.com/videos/dachunk.wmv

GOOD LUCK

[Double D]

sardines we can get...butterfish i am not sure we have,..

Sardines outproduced for us the last couple years for both bait and chunks. Don't let lack of butters stop you

THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP I CAN OFFER YOU ON NIGHT TIME CHUNKING IS TO INSIST ON ONE MAN REMAINS WIDE AWAKE....I SAID WIDE AWAKE AND ALERT ON LOOKOUT FOR TRAFFIC .....BECAUSE MOST GUYS WILL EVENTUALLY GRAB SOME SHUTEYE

I would suggest a second guy stay awake to watch the first guy Sleep in shifts. Ships will get on ya in a hurry in the dark

[Nauti Natured]

I never get enough of that video. Gets the blood flowin every time! Thanks Box! I hope to see that in person one day.

[bigfish4me]

2 guys awake at all times, in the south jersey canyons this past fall there were quite a few close encounters with vessels under auto pilot, 4 eyes are better than 2 ......besides i dont know how you guys down south do it but the way we roll is a 6 outfit spread, flat lines, mid lines , and deep /sword lines. The very first thing i learned on my first chunking trip was the guy that works his line the most will catch the most fish. This aint no put em in the gunnel and wait for em to go zzzzzzzz, gotta keep the chunk going steady, through bites,working lines,re riggin, keep the chunk going NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS. Floro leaders, hide the hook, toss 3-5 chunks at a time and drift a whole bait back with the chunks, this is a natural presentation....theyre swimmin along chewin on the chunks and there is a whole butter sittin there spinning in the current, does this look natural...nope , but the one your driftin back with the chunks is going to get chomped. I like to keep just enough tension on the drag to let me pull off about a foot of line each pull with out getting a backlash when it gets eaten, keep count of how many pulls when you get bit, then you know how far back the fish are eating. Catch em up just remember you gotta work those lines.