for more fishing information check out www.FloridaSportFishing.com your one stop site for everything sport fishing!
Many people smirk when I suggest writing in a fishing journal, but think about it for a second... If you are fishing one fall day and you had great success fishing in a particular spot , over certain structure, with certain conditions, with a bait you dont normally use. Two years from now are you going to remember all of those details?
I know i remember a lot of the fish Ive caught and what it was on, and certain aspects of the weather at the time. But that usually lasts for about a year, and generally the more years I go back the less and less of those details i remember until it turns into, "Hey remember when?"
So instead of missing out on opportunities that you have already discovered , write it down for future reference! Also say your trolling spread was right rigger with X bait and was X amount of feet back, while your long line or whiskey was set at X feet back and pulling a X bait. These details are almost impossible to remember if you ever fish more than 5 different spreads in a single day until you found the one that works.
Now think of if you had that information already at your finger tips, its not a sure fire way for you to know what will exactly work on that day but it WILL give you a great starting place to save you valuable fishing time.
An example of what to write in a journal is , who you were with, what you caught, what you caught it on, time of day, weather, water temp, water clarity, and generally ill draw a picture of my boat if I'm trolling and draw out the trolling spread I was using. That makes for a much faster reference guide and will spark your memory much faster or at lest it does for me.
And if you troll severall spreads in one day draw all of the spreads! Even the ones that do not produce so you know which ones to avoid in the future under the same conditions.
Have fun with your fishing journal you will be amazed at what you will read in the future. It always brings a smile to my face when look though mine and remember some of those great moments with friends and family.
Tight Lines!
for more Sport Fishing tips and tricks visit www.FloridaSportFishing.com
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Southeast Florida Fishing Report
Southeast Florida Fishing Report for the Jupiter Inlet, Hobe Sound & Juno Beach area (offshore)
Read more fishing reports at ...
January 16th 2008
Offshore
Action has been steady. The dolphin, sailfish, and kingfish bite offshore has
been consistent. If targeting sails those who use live bait will be much more
successful right now. Goggle eyes have been prefered bait mostly dues to their
longevity. I always found kites to be optional, if you have it use it if you
don't there's no need as long as you have lively bait, and use a slow gear to
gear troll. In about 120'-150 ft just north of Jupiter Inlet there has been
decent current and bait pods. Also in the late afernoons you can find these same
bait pods off lost tree to the pier. Trollers will find dolphin although the big
bulls havent been to consistent, smaller dolphin seems to be the action
Contact Info:
Capt. Colin Hickey
98 Lighthouse Drive
Tequesta, FL
33469
Phone: 561-262-6453
Alt: 561-262-6453
Email: cjhick34@aol.com
Colin Hickey is a licensed, full time captain on a 34' Buddy Davis (private). He
also runs a 34' Venture. He’s been fishing the offshore waters of Jupiter and
the Bahamas his whole life. His specialty is dorado and wahoo.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
West Central Florida Fishing Report
West Central Florida Fishing Report as seen on www.FloridaSportFishing.com
you can view more fishing reports by area at http://www.floridasportfishing.com/magazine/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=7&Itemid=40 and using the interactive map on the page to search the section you are interested in
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Fishing Report for West Central Florida
January 8th 2008
A December to remember! December was even warmer than November this
past year and the warmth in this winter month did things to fishing
that many have never seen and might not see again in the future. I
think the fishing is finally going to change a bit, but we will see
what this next month really brings.
Mostly, we have been fishing with live bait, which is very rare for this time of year. There are a few different reasons that fishing with live bait this time of year is rare. Many times we can't find bait in the bay and usually the water temperature is to cold for the fish to chase the shiner. Most of the time we are fishing with Shrimp, which is really good bait when it's cold. A few mornings we have fished with Shrimp, but it's been a bit difficult because Pinfish ate most of the Shrimp. We did have some good luck with Shrimp on a couple of the cooler days. For the most part, we have been using live bait and the live bait fishing has been great.
We've caught many different species of fish lately. On a couple of mornings that were cooler we started off catching Trout, Jacks, and Ladyfish. The Trout we caught last week were some of the biggest Trout we've caught the entire year. We had a number of Trout over 20 inches with the biggest toping out at 28 inches. Twenty-eight inches is a big Trout for the West Coast. I also saw a few swim by the boat that had to be over 30 inches. Fishing for Jack and Ladyfish has been phenomenal. Every time we put bait in the water we had a fish in seconds.
Although we didn't see many Snook or catch many Snook, we didn't do a lot of fishing for them. Most of these fish are up in the river this time of the year. We didn't spend much time in the river because we had the Red fish bite of a life time. We found a big school of Red fish that we got to fish for a couple of days and the bite was unbelievable. It was like fishing for Red fish in the middle of the summer. Every time bait hit the water, we had a fish on or either we needed to pull our bait in because a fish had taken it. Most all the Red fish were slot size, which is 22 inches to 27 inches. With all of the fish that we did catch we had about a dozen that were pushing 30 inches and one that toped out at 32 inches. Take a look the picture of it. This was a great fish and I hope to catch many more like it. I think that this next cold blast of weather will put us back to fishing with Shrimp, but we will just have to wait and see. Please visit http://www.castawaychartersinc.com.
Capt. TJ Stewart
Castaway Charters, Inc.
5616 41 Ave. East
Bradenton, FL 34208
Phone: 941-737-5985
Email: CaptainTJStewart@yahoo.com
Website: http://castawaychartersinc.com/
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View more Fishing Reports at www.FloridaSportFishing.com and look for the Fishing Reports tab on the top navigation bar. Tight Lines! and Good Fishing!
Top Destination Fishing Report from Florida Sport Fishing, view more at http://www.floridasportfishing.com/magazine/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=7&id=94&Itemid=73 in the Top Destination Section.
Also visit www.FloridaSportFishing.com and www.DestinationFish.travel for more information on fishing around the world
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January 7th, 2008
Fishing Report from Jack Trout with Tons of new pictures
**BELIZE TRIPS START NOW!! GET READY FOR GREAT ADVENTURES IN CENTRAL, AMERICA. **
CHILE SEASON STARTS FEBRUARY 1ST ~
STILL HAVE ROOM IN PATAGONIA IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME DOWN IN FEBRUARY OR MARCH!!!
TRINITY WILL BE FISHING AGAIN BY JANUARY 10TH, BE THERE WHEN IT STARTS TO COME DOWN AND BE REWARDED INDEED! GUIDES & FREINDS ~ KLAMATH RIVER IS AT 1400 CFS AND FISHING GREAT!!
The winter can be so silently beautiful, the only noise I hear is the breath of warm air that covers my face and this reminds me that winter has settled in. jt
Lee Jester, owner of the Craftsman Home in Berkeley, California, came up to fish again.
He had been out previously in the fall with my guide Aaron Greener, and had successfully hooked up on a monster estimated to be over 10 lbs. Unfortunately the steelie came un-buttoned at the boat and was last seen near Orleans! So Lee called again having a great day with Aaron, and I took him out on the Trinity River on December 27th & 28th.
He hooked a steelhead on his 2nd cast!
It fought hard as usual! 20 minutes folks!!
Success! Not 10 lbs but wow, what a beauty>
Then it poured and the fishing got better!
a Steelhead has the most B.T.U's. They burn hotter than a cord of black oak in a Franklin Stove!(Good ole Ben Franklin, thanks dude!)
That's worth bearing the elements for! Besides we all have heaters, and it's good to keep warm outside, it's good exercise in the winter. Nice steelhead Lee!!! CHECK OUT LEE'S VACATION RENTAL IN MONTANA!!! YOU CAN RENT IT TOO.
FLAT HEAD RIVER, ROCK CREEK, BLACK FOOT & BITTER ROOT RIVER ~ MONTANA VACATION RENTAL 863 River Bend Drive West Glacier, Montana, U.S.A. www.glacierhome.com Reservations: (888) 836-5500 http://www.glacierhome.com/photos/index.html
Lee caught enough fish the first day and asked me if we could go see this heard of elk. He had been told by Dave & Sandy from Susie's Bakery, that there was a heard of wild elk located 5 miles outside of town in a farmers pasture. Knowing that there was dangerous conditions out we decided to go back and get exact directions to the location and let people know that we were going for a drive out in the snow. These are two basic things that are so important right now. My customer wanted to change the plans and that was ok, but I checked to see if we had water, food and a shovel. The last thing I ever want to do is inconvenience or put someone else's life at risk looking for my sorry ass because I made a quick decision and just drove out into the wilderness without thinking it out. 
I stocked up on delicables from Susies!
We saw up in the distance a cross road and the sign was of course snowed over to aid in getting us lost out there. I couldn't help to think about the countless times I've heard of people getting lost out in storms and little things like guessing which way to go because a road looks bigger or one way appears to be right. (We thought to go right for sure).
Here's the sign we had to decide which way to go from. We weren't wanting to be deerlicks so we stopped to check things out and be safe.
After I got out and cleaned the sign, it was left on the little road. Thinking things out before you head on or head out is key to not making the news and papers for your stupidity or laziness not to research before you charge.
Take it slow. Last week I heard a fly fisherman ask for directions, and ask which was faster way to drive? There's no fast way right now, the slow way is the way to arrive.
We didn't see the heard of elk, but saw a golden eagle attack a coyote out in the field.
See the coyote!
We headed back out and was hooked up by noon!
Had a hot lunch because it was cold. (Chocolate cheesecake was marvelous!)
Thank you so much for this hook-up! I look to the heavens!!
David Diaz with his first steelhead, ladies & gentlemen!
David Diaz~~ YOU'RE MY SIZZLER OF THE WEEK!! CONGRATULATIONS SIZZLER!! JACK TROUT
Senator Tom Harman was a cool dude! This is one Republican Senator that talks about environmental reform within his own party! He is very disapointed with the Republican stand on water, the environment and its direction. He is part of the Republicans for Environmental Protection. I really liked what he had to say, so check out this site.
(Please know my site is Non-Partisan, but I will post information important to the environment and just write the facts. Jack Trout)
He believes global warming is occurring and is researching this issue constantly. He thinks there's is plenty of water up in Northern California for Orange County and Southern California, but the people of Southern California need to preserve the resource more judicially. He doesn't like that Westlands Water District, who bought 10 miles of the Lower McCloud River, and thought like I did, something greasy happened there. (Thank Leighton Hills and his family for that one.... Enjoying that money?)
Nice Catch Senator! Tom Harman http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_HarmanI have guided Senator Harman before and I really like him as a fly fisherman and a person. I hope we can all get on the same page before too long, we need to find a balance. Thank you, Jack Trout
Oh my god, it's big!
Travis and Richard Gebhart, and Travis is hooked up with guide Aaron Grabriel! (I have 3 Aaron's that work for me.. Aaron Greener, Grabiel and Martin) When I leave for Belize and Chile, my guides still guide the Trinity and Klamath Rivers.
Cindy Gebhart who went to Belize with me and her family back in April 2007, out on the Trinity River with a nice steelhead.
Cindy Gebhart is a die-hard fishergirl! Way to go Cindy! See you and Richard and the fam in the spring.jt
Is that Jack Grandcolas out there somewhere..?
Jack....Fish on bro! (Don't tase me bro!)
Nice form Jack Grancolas, thanks for coming up and tying one on before all hell broke loose and we had to get out of there, just in the nick of time!
Bobo's first fly fishing trip was a memorable one.
After he hooked up, things became all clear and the fight was on!
Now that's a handful Bobo!
Wow, your first steelhead!! How do you feel?
Need I say anything? Thanks Jack (Chewy) George (Bobo) for coming up and fishing with me !! Many Rivers to You, Jack Trout MY NEXT REPORT IS FROM HOPKINS VILLAGE, BELIZE.
At home now getting ready to leave tomorrow for Belize, Central America. You use a lot different gear there then you do here!
Lloyd, here I come man!! See you soon. JT
That looks great! Belize, what a great place on Earth!
Let me know if you didn't get the 10 pictures I just sent? The Belize trip basically went like this. We went out early the first day we were there. My pops and I in one boat and my sister's boyfriends in another with Clarence. The ride out to Glovers was rough that day but it was all good. We caught bones every spot we went to, all four of us were rookies and we all caught. Glovers reef was unbelievable. Anyway, my pops and I boated probably 6 each, largest around 5lbs according to Lloyd. The next day we went out we chased permit all day, my pops and I got a shot at 5 each, came close on maybe one each and totally blew the rest, spazzing the cast. But Lloyd is an amazing guide, the dude was spotting tailing fish that we wouldn't have seen if you paid us. He was also fully patient when he would put us 10 feet away from a fish and we'd botch the cast. He found a permit or two on every flat we went to in the afternoon. Then we went up in the mangroves late in the afternoon to look for Tarpon but found none. Anyway all I want to do is fish for permit now. I hit up Lloyd a few days later for another half day chasing permit but we didn't find any that morning.
But thanks a ton for hooking it up man. The people down there are amazing. Lloyd shows up out of nowhere on New Years eve with this huge slab of Grouper and gives it to my family for a new years present. It was tasty.
We also went out to Southwater with the whole crew (9 of us) on the Luke with KK, Ken - I think his son's name is - and Robbie, which was awesome. Those little dudes showed us how it was done with the handline off of the docks on Southwater Key.
I can't wait to go back that place is one of a kind. Tell Lloyd thanks a million and that the grouper was awesome.
I'll work on getting you more pics. Lee Kayser
EMAILS FROM YOU:
Jack-
Congratulations on your success as a guide. I'm inquiring on your knowlege or direction for creek or river property that might be available. I'm looking to relocate my family from the bay area. I was most interested in the Metolius River area of Oregon but after years of inquiries and no luck, I'm looking for something here in Northern California. I felt it best to ask someone like you that frequents prime flyfishing areas and may know of a property that may be or becomming available for sale. I have 5 kids and would like to buy a place on a creek or river with some seclusion but access to town for schoold etc. Would appreciate any direction you might have-- happy new year--Brad mailto:bsouzamail@yahoo.com.
Hello Shasta Dam Alliance Members:
I hope that you are all having a wondering holiday!
Our Lobby Day and hearing on AJR 39 are fast approaching. I have attached the latest AJR 39 Fact Sheet. We'd like to include as many of your logos as we can get by Monday of next week (January 7th). Please send us your logo if you would like it included.
You will also find a sample support letter for AJR 39. Please take a moment to put it on your letterhead and send a copy to the committee members. You can find a list of the committee members at:
http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/newcomframeset.asp?committee=9
Please also forward the letter to others who support the Winnemem. It is especially useful to get letters from committee member's districts.
Finally, if you need a hotel room the night of the 8th you may wish to check out the Ramada Plaza Harbor Inn and Conference Center. It is in West Sacramento about 3.5 miles from the Capitol and currently has rooms for as low as $79/night. Please visit www.ramada.com to make a reservation.
More details will follow.
Debbie
On Dec 19, 2007 3:29 PM, Debbie Davis < mailto:debbie@ejcw.org> wrote:
Dear Shasta Dam Alliance members -
I'm sending this email out for Benny, our new Outreach Manager here at EJCW. He will be facilitating the Shasta Dam Alliance from now on. Amy has sadly left EJCW to pursue new opportunities, but will likely continue to be involved in the Shasta Dam work. Please be sure to send your responses to benny at mailto:benny@ejcw.org.
As we discussed at the Nov 27th meeting, we will be having a Shasta Dam Alliance Lobby Day in support of the Assembly Joint Resolution 39 on Winnemem recognition. The details will follow, but please mark your calendars for the following dates:
January 4th, 2pm - Lobby Day Prep Call January 8th - AJR 39 Lobby Day (all day, or please let Benny know what time you will be available to make visits) January 9th, 10am - Shasta Dam Alliance strategy meeting January 9th, 1:30pm - ASM Goverment Organization Hearing (AJR 39 is scheduled to be heard in this committee)
In other news, Mark, EJCW, EWC & NRDC had a very successful meeting with Congressman Miller's office. The staff seemed very receptive to the issues and we will be following up with them.
I have also attached the notes from the last meeting, which are slightly outdated at this point.
Here's an update on our "next steps" from our last conference call: Debbie will try and find info on Committee dates - COMPLETED Once we have that, we will work on scheduling lobby day and an Alliance meeting. COMPLETED We will continue to develop the communications strategy. IN PROGRESS We will try to allocate money to develop a really good press packet, hopefully contracting with PMC. IN PROGRESS Once we have more info on the resolution, we will pick dates in early Jan to go to Washington DC. Maybe target April/May. WILL BE DONE AT JANUARY 9th MEETING Debbie will set up meetings with Miller and Pelosi's staff. MILLER MEETING COMPLETED - STILL WORKING ON PELOSI - ALSO WORKING ON MEETING WITH BOXER'S OFFICE David will get on BoR email notification list. DONE?
We will figure out the process for a joint resolution. DONE
Please don't hesitate to call Benny or me with any questions you may have.
Thanks,
Debbie -- Debbie Davis Legislative Analyst Environmental Justice Coalition for Water 654 13th St. Preservation Park Oakland, CA 94612 (510)286-8400
Appears like based upon the weather - blizzard warning - that we will be looking at another day to hit the river. John Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T Jack,
Just wanted to thank you for the trip of a lifetime. Pops and I had a great experience up in Douglas City breathing the crisp fresh air, away from the crowds, under the snow and landing our FIRST winter Steelhead that has eluded us for so long!
This is one trip I won't soon forget and am glad that I learned more than just how to "improve my cast"!
Next stop, the Klamath!
Dave Diaz
Jack -- Great fishing with you and Tom Harman on the Klamath last Sunday. Here are a couple of pictures of the steelhead Tom landed. Have fun in South America. Be well.
Kris Frank
Hi Jack,
My wife and I will be staying at the Mt. Shasta Resort for four days starting February 4th. We were wondering if you were available to guide us on the upper Sac one of those days, (preferably the 5th, but the 6th or 7th would work as well.) We would like to find some places on the upper Sac where the wading is not brutal, (is there such a place?). I have been fly fishing for over ten years but still need to learn a lot, my wife has been fishing for three years and is a low intermediate. Drop us a line and let us know what you think.
Brad Laue
Nice steelhead on the Chetco caught by Chris Welch on eggs and a big fly rod!
http://www.goldriverguides.com/
Jim Basnmer is a great guide on the North Coast!
Jack FYI...Aaron was a great young guide who did well to put us on fish. I would not hesitate going out with him anytime. Had a great time and my friend Stan these were the largest steelhead he had every caught. Thanks, L. Masula Jack, Sounds like The Klamath is the way to go! We plan to start heading up north about 1 pm on Friday. Where should we stay?
John Gusiff
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To view more reports from Jack Trout visit http://www.floridasportfishing.com/magazine/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=7&id=94&Itemid=73 which is the Top Destination area of the Florida Sport Fishing , Fishing Reports
for more info on everything fishing check out www.FloridaSportFishing.com
and for more on Travel Destinations around the world visit www.DestinationFish.travel
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Tight Lines! and good fishing!
Fishy Story
Click... Click...
Click... Click...
As a teenager growing up on the edge of the Panhandle, my only passion
was fishing. While most kids in the neighborhood dreamed of shiny new
bikes or sleek skateboards, my only desire was to land a monster shark.
I wanted to catch a man-eating beast that would make Jaws look like a
big fat sissy. For years all I could talk about was shark fishing. The
thought of landing such a giant absolutely consumed my mind.
In my early teens at the time, and not quite old enough for a boat I wanted to catch my shark from the beach. I would bring chum, and lots of it. For bait I would use raw meat that was dripping with blood to help provide a tempting long lasting scent. I would rig up my dads ancient 12/0 PENN with 100 lb. line and a strong enough hook and cable to pull a tow-truck. A bit naïve, I may have been a little over confident thinking all of this gear meant I was ready to fight and land the big one.
Spending most of my free time at the local docks, I overheard many old timers chanting fish tales of enormous sharks lurking the oceans edge. Over and over they said winter time was prime time to catch these huge creatures. Many, like bull sharks, spinner sharks, hammerheads, nurse sharks, and even awesome tiger sharks traveled close to the beaches in their search for food. The most vicious of them all, tiger sharks have markings like cheetahs and a mouth lined with teeth as sharp as razor barbed wire. These huge creatures are predators and scavengers; eating anything and everything in their paths. Catching one of these monsters would undoubtedly be a feat. Doing it off the beach could only be described as a dream-come-true.
Hanging out at the tackle shop after school one day I happen to overhear one of the local commercial fishermen complaining about a giant man-eating shark that was snacking on all his mackerel and bluefish. He seemed upset because this monster was evidently eating away all his profits. Overhearing the story rekindled my determination to pursue and finally put an end to the culprit. Friday night would be my night!
I spent the entire next day rigging my rod, sharpening my hooks, and grinding two full buckets of chum. I asked a friend to drop me off at the beach and if necessary, I planned and prepared to stay all night. The only dilemma I faced was bait. Luckily, in the fridge was sitting a five pound rib roast destined for Sunday nights dinner. It looked fresh and very bloody. It looked perfect. Knowing I was already going to get my hind skinned for staying out all night, I figured what the heck, and grabbed the juicy slab.
I got to the beach just before dark and began setting up. With all the anticipation I neglected to plan how I would get my bait out away from the shoreline and into the deep part of the edge where I knew the shark would be lurking. After a bit of searching I luckily stumbled upon an old crate.
I figured it would be suitable for paddling my bait past the breakers and out into the deep. Even though surfing was new to me, I was determined to accomplish my goal. I put the chunk of meat on the board, rod in clicker mode and began paddling out into the darkness. To say I was scared would be an understatement.
It was pitch black and with blood trailing behind me and my arms dangling in the water, I felt myself shaking with terror. Once I got about a hundred yards out, I pushed the meat off the edge of the weathered crate and began paddling like crazy back toward shore. The second my feet were firmly planted in the sand I felt an instant rush of adrenaline. I knew I still had some work to do but the hard part was over, so I thought.
Back on the beach I felt relieved and at ease again. I quickly finished getting everything ready for a battle that most fishermen only dream about. I stuck the rod in a heavy duty pvc sand spike, checked the drag, and dove right into a pair of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Everything was in place. My excitement level began to climb as I could sense that my childhood dream was about to come true.
After a few hours of patiently waiting it seemed like it would never happen, then all of a sudden, click-click. My heart was pounding so hard I could barely move. Suddenly, another click, click, and then another, as line started to creep faster and faster I began to dig deep holes in the sand for my feet, hoping it would give me enough leverage for my small body against this giant man-eater.
I figured locking up the drag to set the hook was the way to go. Boy was I wrong! As the rod bent and bent I began to get scared. Sitting all alone on the beach the powerful fish was pulling so hard I began to lose my balance. Determined to win this fight I pulled and tugged for all I was worth. Apparently this shark was just toying with me, showing no signs of weakness throughout the entire battle.
As the fish pulled harder and harder I continued to lose my footing. The shark finally pulled so hard that I flew right off my feet and wound up face first in the sand, barely clinging to my dads old rod. This great creature was strong it was literally dragging me down the beach and into the water. It had to be a tiger! I was terrified! Choosing between my own life and the catch of a lifetime, I finally had to let the rod go. Knowing I had my dream fish right in the palm of my hands and then having to let him go was the most disappointing moment of my life. As I sat there looking out over the great sea, I felt mortified at my loss. Suddenly, I felt someone pushing me. Turning to see who it was, I looked up to see my mom standing over me. Panic now took the place of disappointment. I knew for sure I was in for it!
I rubbed my eyes, looked around, and quickly realized I wasnt in trouble at all. As a matter of fact, I was safe and sound in my own bed and my mom was just waking me up for school. It was all just a silly dream. Thank God I thought. As I sat at the kitchen table eating breakfast, I watched my dad in the living room slipping on his white rubber boots, and getting all his commercial fishing gear together for another day on the water, all the while wishing it was me.
View More Fishy Stories at http://www.floridasportfishing.com/magazine/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=91&Itemid=97
also look for other tips, tricks, articles, fishing reports, and more! at http://www.floridasportfishing.com/
Friday, January 4, 2008
AS SEEN IN THE SPRING 2004 ISSUE
Look for more great Articles and Tips at www.FloridaSportFishing.com
A refreshing look at an old time tactic.
All species of game fish respond in varying degrees to chum. For
consistently successful anglers, chumming and chunking has become an
art form and has practically evolved into a science. One thing is for
sure, effective chumming and chunking techniques definitely produce
more fish. Let’s discuss some of the most productive products and
methods that will help you put more quality fish in your box.
Initially, you must understand that there’s just about as many types of chum, chunks and techniques as there are the fishermen who employ them. No one product or tactic is the panacea. The way you choose to attract fish to your boat may be the very best technique, because you have confidence in “your” system and that makes you a more confident angler. The overall concept with chumming and chunking is not to over feed the fish but to invite them into catching range by appealing to their basic natural predatory instincts of smell, sight and even sound.
When it comes to commercially ground chum, menhaden is the key ingredient. Menhaden are prolific baitfish which exist in huge schools on both sides of the Sunshine State as well as up and down the Atlantic coast. Depending on your geographic location, menhaden take on colloquial names like pogies, LYs or bunkers. Many anglers consider these oily fish to be premier bait and all agree that live, dead, whole, cut up or ground, just about everything that swims is attracted to and eats menhaden. The aromatic oil in their flesh produces a potent odor that’s a powerful scent attractor and hard for any fish to resist. Even a few drops create a slick on the surface much like motor oil would.
There are a number of factors you should consider when purchasing menhaden chum. For starters, chum can be purchased coarse ground or finely ground, the difference being the following. Commercial fish houses grind coarse chum through 5/8 inch holes and it’s slightly more affordable than finely ground chum as the manufacturing process is not quit as labor intensive. Finely ground chum which is commonly referred to as double ground chum, is forced through smaller º inch holes and the machines must operate at a slower pace, thus increasing the per pound cost. The advantage to double ground chum is that the entire block is utilized and nothing goes to waste. According to Pat Lynch, owner of Bionic Bait located in Pompano, approx. 75% of the chum they sell is double ground, so it obviously has its advantages.
Another consideration should be purchasing menhaden chum which is infused with menhaden milk. A number of manufacturers do add pure menhaden oil to their chum but there is only two that I know of that actual add Menhaden Milk. What’s the difference you ask well let me tell you. Menhaden oil floats on the surface and does benefit in creating a large surface slick but that’s about all it does. Menhaden Milk on the other hand, is emulsified during its manufacturing process thus allowing the Menhaden Milk to sink and create an enticing slick throughout the entire water column, not just on the surface. Tournament Master and Bionic Bait are the two brands that I know of that infuse Menhaden Milk directly into their chum as its being ground.
Along with this previously mentioned infusion process, there are dozens of other methods employed by fishermen when utilizing these products. Injecting baits with pure menhaden oil adds to the attraction of any bait, dead or alive. A number of trolling lure manufacturers have even designed lures with compartments that will accept oil or Menhaden Milk soaked sponges as an attractive sweetener.
IV drip bags similar to those in the medical industry are another one of the tools used to dispense controlled amounts of these products. They say that necessity is the mother of all inventions. Well it seems as though anglers have only been limited by their imaginations when it comes to creative uses for menhaden by- products. You should pick a method that works best for the way you like to fish but don’t be shy about experimenting.
Depending upon your target species, chum deployment is the next issue. When anchored over a wreck or reef, several methods will accomplish the task. Hanging a chum bag off a stern cleat and allowing the current to create an ongoing slick is probably the most common. The goal again is not to over feed the fish, just to peak their curiosity. This is actually another reason double ground chum is so effective. The tiny morsels only act as attractants rather than meals.
Many species like mangrove, yellowtail and red snappers respond extremely well to chum and will quickly head up in the water column to find the source and inevitably eat your free-lined baits. Larger fish such as king mackerel and cobia are also commonly caught on flat lined baits deployed on the surface in the slick you’ve created behind your boat.
Sending your chum bag to the bottom on a hand line or with the assistance of your downrigger ball is an equally effective technique of enticing bottom dwellers from their lairs. I recently came across a unique new product for reef/wreck fishing. The device is known as the Bandit Buoy. It combines a quality bright orange marker buoy with a weighted chum pot. Once deployed, the buoy only plays out the exact amount of line for that depth of the water. Attached to the other end of the buoy line is a 5 lb. weighted basket which can be filled with frozen chum or fresh chunk baits, thus releasing the scent and morsels directly in the fish’s back yard. If you would like more information on this product, the Bandit Buoy is manufactured by American Bandit out of Bainbridge, GA.
Across the Gulf coast, many professionals are using another innovative product called the Chum Churn. This device allows small whole fish or cut baits to be loaded into a large PVC tube. An up and down churning motion allows internal stainless blades to effectively cut and dispense the chum. The churning noise also acts as a bonus attractor, imitating the sound of a large school of baitfish on the surface. This product has proven to be highly effective on pelagic species such as tuna and kingfish as well as on bottom species including snapper and grouper.
A different twist on the art of successful chumming is a unique new device called the Chum King. The Chum King is equally effective for releasing both frozen chum and fresh chunks at any depth in the water column. Before adding your chum, you can remove the base cap and fill the weight chamber with up to 5 lbs. of lead. It’s easily adjustable to cater to every condition and I have found it to be easy to store and clean.
Another highly productive chumming technique which is extremely popular in the highly competitive world of tournament kingfishing, is grinding large amounts of fresh chum onboard with the use of a meat grinder. One of the best I’ve seen is used by an old friend in the Chesapeake Bay. It’s a wide-mouth, commercial meat grinder which he mounted on a piece of 1” thick marine plywood. The plywood was gimballed to fit flush into a rod holder and the apparatus was wired to a 12V battery with a weather proof on/off switch. He acquires baskets of fresh by-catch and simply feeds the blend into the grinder. Of course fresh menhaden or any other oily fish will also do the trick. Manual meat grinders are considerably less expensive than the electric versions, but both are effective.
The question is how do we really know which is the best type of chum to attract different species of fish? It’s easy enough to dive down and observe fish behavior but keen species like grouper, aren’t going to naturally respond to chum with a diver present. The latest answer is underwater cameras. With modern day technology, commercial chum will no doubt continue to evolve. One day you’ll be able to purchase specialized chum that has been proven to attract the exact species you’re pursuing.
Attracting bait is another auxiliary use for chum. All the best live baits respond well to chum, including pinfish, hardtails, cigar minnows, ballyhoo, white baits and more. Bionic Bait’s double ground chum with its tiny tid-bits is again the optimal choice here. Once the bait has been attracted by your slick, you can then easily throw a net on them or catch the baitfish on hook and line. Multiple hook Sabiki rigs tipped with squid work extremely well. Successful anglers will all agree that having a steady supply of the most prevalent baits gives them an edge and often produces when all else fails.
Chumming is a standard, integral part of fishing in many locales, while in others the technique is actually non-existent. Local custom and tradition seems to dictate. For example, chumming the coral reefs of the Florida Keys is the accepted modus operandi, but this procedure is virtually unheard of in the Panhandle. Regardless of where you fish, do some experimentation, the results may surprise you.
Throughout the Keys and the Caribbean, savvy yellowtailers have developed a unique way to fool big, wily yellowtail snapper. The method involves the use of a sand/chum ball which practically tricks the fish into eating. As the sand ball sinks, it disperses throughout the water column and the cloud of sand, scales and tasty morsels drives the yellowtails nuts, triggering a total feeding frenzy. 
Variations of chumming are endless. One popular method that we’re all familiar with is called chunking or chunk-baiting. Again, this variation simply induces the fish into eating by both sight and smell. The idea is to create a steady slick of small appetizers. Too many chunks or pieces cut too large and you’ll over feed the fish so some experimentation may be required on your part to perfect the technique. Mahi’ are a popular species that love to be chunk-baited. Head offshore and park it in a sargassum weed line. Start chunking with fresh cut baits and before long, dolphin will show up to investigate and the fun will begin.
Successful permit guides in the Florida Keys have also learned to catch more fish for their clients with the use of chum. It’s common knowledge that the best bait for permit is a small live crab. A chum bag of crushed crabs deployed on a reef off Key West will quickly invite big permit into casting range. I learned a similar lesson a couple years ago. After several trips to a productive reef in the Gulf, I noticed that all of the red snappers I filleted contained juvenile blue crabs. On the next trip, I took a bunch of blue crabs out of my traps and ground them into chum. My customers called the end result catching, not fishing.
Live bait chumming is one of the most deadly of all tactics. Many guides have perfected this to an absolute art, though having the ability to keep hundreds of baits alive and frisky is the key. A large capacity custom built bait well system is a necessity as most standard systems are just not adequate to keep the necessary volume of bait alive. It’s vital to pump large amounts of raw water into the bottom of a circular tank with a powerful bait well pump. Nothing less than 1100 gph should even be considered.
A common mistake anglers make when live chumming, is tossing over too many baits. 4 or 5 at a time is all that required to grab the attention of any lurking predators.
Regardless of what your target species is, try chumming on your next trip. Employ a technique or combination of techniques with your own unique twist. Having total confidence in your system will make you a more determined and successful angler. Whether catch and release is your game or if you are looking for better bragging rights and fabulous dinner parties, chumming will undoubtedly catch you more and bigger fish. And everyone knows that a day spent on the water catching, is a day that doesn’t count against one’s longevity. Till next tide, tight lines and solid hook ups!
Captain Alex Crawford
Proud Member Florida Outdoor Writers Association
Proud Member Florida Guides Association
“Small sub article”
Captain Alex Crawford’s southern style home made chum.
Over the years I have developed a home made chum that has worked exceptionally well for me. Following is the recipe.
Supplies and Equipment Needed:
1 box heavy duty large ziplock freezer bags.
5 gal. bucket
Garden hand rake or stirring implement
1 gal. water
1 gal. pure menhaden oil or preferably menhaden milk
3 lbs. whole kernel corn
3 lbs. rice, oats, and or soft macaroni
12 cans cat food
6 loaves of wheat or stone ground bread. Bakery outlets sell old bread for 10 cents per loaf. Ask for “critter food”. Inexpensive dry dog food can be substituted for retail priced bread.
Food processor (Warning: You may burn it up and don’t even think about telling your wife what you need it for)
Electric can opener
Recipe:
Chop bread. Dump cans of cat food into bucket, mixing in bread with small amounts of water until achieving thick soup like consistency. Stir in oil. Take off gas mask and drink two cold beers a safe distance from bucket
Fill freezer bags and double each bag. Freeze for later use. Frozen chum fits perfectly in standard chum bags.
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