AS SEEN IN THE SPRING 2004 ISSUE

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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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