where to buy bunker?

[mhoffman]

Havent ever used bunker but hear a lot of you talking about using it for cats and stripers? Where can you buy it (live or frozen)? Also has anyone had luck catching your own with a cast net? What is better live whole, cut, or frozen and what type for what application? Thanks

[MDFishin]

You will never be able to buy live bunker, it will either be "fresh" on ice, or frozen. I know Anglers usually has it, Kool Ice in Cambridge, and several places in OC. as for the western shore i have no idea. You can cast net smaller "peanut bunker" in most marinas later on in the season. Gill netting of Bunker is being banned sometime this year I believe so its going to be harder to come by.

Bunker, Alewive (pronounced El Why), Menhaden are all the same fish

[ronaultmtd]

I have caught many pounds of Menhaden in cast nets and with snatch hooks when big schools come by- at boat docks we sometimes catch live peanut bunkers in cast nets- I have a chest freezer in my workshop, so I always freeze any left over or any given to me- I have one package left from last year- a half dozen or so medium sized menhaden in a big zip lock bag-

[surfdog]

i got some real fresh alewives from anglers a couple weeks ago. some times there fresh are a litle too ripe

[MDFishin]

some times there fresh are a litle too ripe

Had that experience from there x2.

Look for clear eyes and firm meat when checking freshness.

[J.A. Veil]

I posted last week about buying menhaden (bunker) from Leo James at LJ Marina. This is located next to Cantlers seafood restaurant in Annapolis. Leo catches his own bunker so it is likely to be quite fresh.

[mhoffman]

How about rigging it up? Whats the best way to use it for stripers and for cats?

[Capt Brady Bounds]

Tackle Box, Lex Pk Md

Frozen always,and twice a week fresh, alewife, aka bunker, menhaden is sold at The Tackle Box in Lexington Park, MD... Call first to (301)863-8151

The fresh is infinitely better.

[ronaultmtd]

Cut bait can be fished many ways- a whole fish on a fish finder rig, head with hook through eye sockets on a fish finder rig, small pieces cut up on a double bottom rig, etc.

Rigging the bait depends on what size and what species you go for. For catfish I cut mine up in fish steaks...bigger baits for stripers, smaller baits for catfish.

[jsnyd86]

Cut bait can be fished many ways- a whole fish on a fish finder rig, head with hook through eye sockets on a fish finder rig, small pieces cut up on a double bottom rig, etc.
Rigging the bait depends on what size and what species you go for. For catfish I cut mine up in fish steaks...bigger baits for stripers, smaller baits for catfish.

what would a decent fish finder set up be? Im an advocate of keeping it simple. Ive been looking online and some people can really make a chore out of it. Can I just tie a barrel swivel and 30lb braided leader to my 12lb main line? Do I even need that much?

[ronaultmtd]

what would a decent fish finder set up be? Im an advocate of keeping it simple. Ive been looking online and some people can really make a chore out of it. Can I just tie a barrel swivel and 30lb braided leader to my 12lb main line? Do I even need that much?

On my baitcasters, I have 30 pound braid- I tie on about six feet of 20 pound mono leaders using double uni knots to join the braid to the mono...for fishing for cats, I use about 18 inches of 40 pound mono tied to a 6/0 circle hook and the other end tied to a swivel- the main line has a snap swivel passed through the swivel end and the tag end of the main line tied to the swivel on the 18 inches of 40 pound mono that has the circle hook- on the snap you attach a sinker that allows the rig to stay anchored to the bottom while the bait (and hook) can be taken without friction by the fish-

[kayak456]

YES I CATCH IT. i catch it all day long in my cast net on the south river. i use a 8 foot 3/8th mesh and i catch them from 3 to 7 inches. they a great bait for blues and stripers and trophy croaker. they are also great bait for anything that swims since pretty much everything on the whole east coast eats them.although last year i didnt catch as many than in years past