Chumming

[mintregila]

I boat in the Northeast and am only recently fishing the reefs 5-10 miles from the LI shore.

As a kid fishing with my Dad, I remember chumming offshore. It was a sloppy mess that I ladled overboard every few minutes to get a good slick going.

Lately, some guys have been talking about dropping a bucket of frozen chum to the bottom on a line. I was a little concerned about the line tangling my running gear with the boat moving in the swells so I instead used a chum roll tied in a net and hung off the stern. I don't think this went very well.

I guess I'm looking for good advice and techniques for doing this effectively. Boat doesn't have outriggers so not possible to tie it off and hold away from the boat that way. Is there a special bucket or do you punch holes in the one it comes in?

Any helpful suggestions and tips are appreciated.

Thanks

[aitkenkingfish]

I boat in the Northeast and am only recently fishing the reefs 5-10 miles from the LI shore.

As a kid fishing with my Dad, I remember chumming offshore. It was a sloppy mess that I ladled overboard every few minutes to get a good slick going.

Lately, some guys have been talking about dropping a bucket of frozen chum to the bottom on a line. I was a little concerned about the line tangling my running gear with the boat moving in the swells so I instead used a chum roll tied in a net and hung off the stern. I don't think this went very well.

I guess I'm looking for good advice and techniques for doing this effectively. Boat doesn't have outriggers so not possible to tie it off and hold away from the boat that way. Is there a special bucket or do you punch holes in the one it comes in?

Any helpful suggestions and tips are appreciated.

Thanks

well there are many choices for chumming sounds like your dad mixed his own. Ive never dropped them to the bottom I do like the cages better than the bags seems to dispense the chum better i also use liquid menhaden oil or milk which I dispense thru the superchumslick. I tie the cage to a front cleat when anchored. The basic principal is to keep your bait in the chum line so make sure you tie the chum off where your rods will be in the chum slick. ********** all chum is not equal************** some works some don't once I find one that works i try to stick to it. I like the super bee chum works for me

[Fubar512]

Firstly, a bucket of frozen chum will not sink. It will float, albeit, just awash.

Your best bet is to purchase a commercially produced, nylon chum bag. They're designed to hold an inverted 5-gallon bucket of chum, and can be suspended from a cleat, by a line attached to their drawstrings. The usual drill is to suspend the inverted bucket so as to keep the first few inches of it submerged. A 5-gallon bucket will last anywhere from 3-6 hours this way, depending on water temperature. When shark fishing, we usually submerge the entire mess, and even go as far as to poke holes in the bottom of the bucket, to hasten its thawing and to increase the flow of chum. You'll get about 2 hours out of bucket deployed in this manner. In the latter scenario, we'll make sure to 3-4 buckets of chum on hand.

[jamisjockey]

Go to the tackle shop and buy a cheap downrigger ball. Stick it in your chum bag, and that will sink it to the bottom.

I chum alot, nothing to be freaked out about, its an easy enough thing. Stick the frozen chum in either a bucket with a bunch of holes drilled in it, or in a mesh chum bag. As it thaws, shake it every 5-10 minutes to release the chum.

[Shock Treatment]

Sometimes I will get someone in the fishing party, usually someone new, and have them eat a greasy breakfast. Not long after we start fishing the chumming begins nothing extra to buy. The only problem with this is we usually have to go in early and it seems some chum always end up in the boat.

[triumphrick]

I use the wire cage, also weighted. Make my own chum by grinding up bait, grunts, junk fish, then freezing in a tupperware form that fits the chum cage. I use a clip eye and fasten the chum basket to my anchor rope...attached to a length of line ...and ease it down near the bottom. Gets it out of the way and I have yet to have a grouper wrap around it. Sure helps to get the bite started on the reefs.

[Ludicrous]

I use the wire cage, also weighted. Make my own chum by grinding up bait, grunts, junk fish, then freezing in a tupperware form that fits the chum cage. I use a clip eye and fasten the chum basket to my anchor rope...attached to a length of line ...and ease it down near the bottom. Gets it out of the way and I have yet to have a grouper wrap around it. Sure helps to get the bite started on the reefs.

Bingo. Chum cage on your anchor line Lower the cage in front of your boat and let the chum float back. The cage lasts forever, the chum bags either rip, or the raccoons eat the bag and left overs if you air dry off your trailer.