When snagging bunker to use for bait for striped bass, don’t be in a big hurry to bring the snagged bait into the boat.  The bass are often right in the pod of bait trying to find a wounded or slow moving bunker.  Snag the bait and let it swim with the school.  Your snagged piece of bait will behave differently than the rest of the school and stand out as being wounded.  It will be a real target for a big striped bass that is lurking beneath the school of bait.  Let the big bass eat your bait and the snag hook and hang on for dear life and the fight of your life.  This is John Dall working a school of bunker by swimming a live one in the pod.

When fishing schools of bunker for bass it is often more productive to use a chunk of bunker rather than a whole live fish.  Bluefish which are usually also chasing the bunker will slash the bait into pieces and the bass will wait below and vacuum up the chunks.  If you offer a chunk, you will probably catch more bass than bluefish. This is me with Brad Brown, Stanley Tucci and Lloyd Taft with a great catch of big bass caught on bunker heads and whole live baits.