Porgy which may also be called Bunker or menhaden are one of the preferred baits for catching striped bass. They are known for stripers in fact, and many anglers depend on them for bass hits. Bunker can comprise up to 80% of the diet of a striped bass, it is high in calories, and is oily and fatty making it preferable to stripers. Today, commercial fishermen are taking millions of bunker at a time through a process known as purse seining. One reason that bunker is so popular for commercial fisheries is that food, medicine and even pet food are depending on supplies of Omega 3 oils. Take a look at some of the labels in your home and you’ll no doubt be surprised by some of the foods that you find them in. Purse seining is the process that involves spotter planes identifying schools of bunker, radioing coordinates to waiting fishing boats allowing them to quickly net millions of bunker in a single pass of a net. This is troubling not only because it lessens the ability of anglers to snag bunker, but there is an environmental price that is paid for this large scale harvesting. Bunkers are by design filter feeders, which simply means that they clear up debris in the form of suspended matter and food particles – they remove them from the water which helps keep it clear. Bunker also tend to travel in large schools, it’s not unusual to see millions of them in a small area. Most anglers already know that if you see a single bunker, there is no doubt that a school of them is not too far away. Summer heat means that bunker head to estuaries and back creeks for feeding – it’s not unusual for them to literally suck all available oxygen out of these smaller bodies of water. In fact, bunker are often to blame when there are mass fish kills in these small bodies of water.
It is because bunkers are filter feeders that it is impossible to catch them with traditional bait, flies, or even lures. There are only two ways that they can be caught, one is with the treble hook and the other is netting. Using treble hooks is not only a lot of work, but it is really messy. It does however, allow you the opportunity to cover the entire water column. If you elect to use treble hooking, make sure that you are prepared by wearing very old clothes because no doubt, both your clothing and your boat will likely be covered in blood. You may even discover that you catch a bluefish or striper before you even get the bunker in the boat. If you do find a school of bunker, you may consider using this fishing technique: cast into the school of bunker, and rather than reeling it in let it swim around with the rest of the pod. Keep in mind that the bunker now has a hook in him, and at some point it will sink below the rest of the school. Once it does, it will not take long for a striper to identify this wounded bunker. This can be an effective and relaxing method of fishing.
Another possible method is once you have identified a pod of bunker, consider using a gill net. A gill net is anywhere between 50 and 100 feet long, and generally 4 to 6 feet deep. You can attach small weights to the bottom to keep it stretched, and use floats to ensure that it stays on the surface. A gill net works because the mesh is just the right size for catching the head of the bunker as they tried to pass through the holes. It causes the gill plates to become entangled and when you pull the net back, you can remove the bunker. Most anglers have discovered that this is the easiest way to catch bunker. If you use a net with an eight foot radius, that is sufficiently weighted and has the right mesh size, you can literally snag about four dozen or so in no time at all. The critical steps that you need to pay attention to is the right mesh size, as well as sufficient weight. The ideal size mesh will be not smaller than an inch, and the ideal weight is 1.25 pounds of lead per foot of net. If you use less than this, chances are you will spook the fish and the net will be empty before it has a chance to sink. This is a great method if you have live wells to keep the bunker alive.
If you are planning on netting bunker, start off first thing in the morning, and head for an area that has a reef. If you start in shallow water you will not need to add any weight (in fact you should avoid it). Bunker run to the surface in an attempt to save their own lives when they are being pursued by stripers. It is not uncommon to see a bunker fleeing towards the surface, being knocked upwards of three free airborne by the tail of a striper and then landing back into the open mouth of the striper. It’s quite a sight to see. As the boat traffic increases, bass will typically head towards deeper water to get out of the way. This is the time when most anglers will begin fishing with sinkers and a three way rig and more traditional bait. It’s not uncommon for anglers fishing with porgy, hickory shad and eels that are in your area to have a hard time landing a striper if you have bunker on board. There’s a reason for this – your boat no doubt is now emanating a scent of bunker and once the striper identifies that scent, they become single minded in their pursuit of this favored baitfish.
When you are preparing to undergo a saltwater fishing experience, it is important that you have the proper fishing gear. Some of the most popular gear include Shimino Spinning Reels, Penn Reels, and Daiwa Reel.
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