| Every self-respecting sport fisherman knows | | | | frenzy. |
| chumming is one extremely effective method of | | | | 4. Insert this twisted end through the upper eye |
| 'calling' fish. Tossing overboard at a regular rate | | | | of the line's swivel to a tight fit. If needed, double |
| likely fish food such as cut-up fishes, canned corn, | | | | the twisted end to make a good fit. A small loop |
| or any other ingredient palatable to the fishes you | | | | should thus be made on the line. |
| are after, will draw them to the source, your | | | | 5. Carefully lower the chum and tackle to the |
| boat or place of fishing. But ordinary chumming is | | | | water by hand, then freespool the assembly to |
| not effective when you are bottom fishing reefs, | | | | the bottom. Be sure to pay out a very loose line |
| for example, since the current will take your | | | | so as not to pull out the bag from the swivel eye |
| chum too far away to benefit you. The only way | | | | prematurely. |
| is to chum the bottom where your hooks are. | | | | 6. When it reaches bottom, yank the rod up |
| You do this by making a chum bomb. | | | | several times to release the plastic bag's closed |
| In Australia they call chum 'Berley' or 'Burley' and | | | | end from the swivel and the chum out of the |
| they use a sort of bomb, which is a split-tube | | | | bag. The chum will thus be concentrated in a |
| container for the chum that you let down to the | | | | single area. |
| bottom. Once there the container opens by itself | | | | 7. You can then fish normally. |
| as you pay out more line, releasing the chum. | | | | 8. Caution: Do not use this on thin lines. Yanking |
| Actually a very good system except that in going | | | | the rod might snap the line and negate your |
| down, the bomb leaves the liquid part of the | | | | efforts. |
| chum near the water surface. It is this smelly | | | | There are alternatives. |
| liquid component that quickly attracts the fish | | | | If you are not using a swivel, you can make |
| because it mixes more easily with the water, and | | | | a small slip knot in your line to put the bag's end |
| the fish 'smells' it. The chum's solid part still needs | | | | through, but this will kink your line a little due to |
| the frenzied feeding of smaller fish to attract the | | | | memory. |
| bigger ones to the commotion. | | | | Release the chum higher in the water column |
| To take the liquid chum to the bottom, you can | | | | if that is where you need to fish. |
| use a simple 3" x 5" plastic bag. This is how it is | | | | Use another line for chumming so the |
| done: | | | | emptied bag will not interfere with your fishing. |
| 1. Find a thick, tough small plastic bag open at one | | | | Use a kraft bag instead of a plastic bag but |
| end. A 3" x 5" or similar size should do nicely. | | | | the paper bag is not reusable and must be |
| 2. Tie the closed end of the bag to your main line, | | | | lowered very slowly and really carefully. Else it will |
| the closed end higher on the line, leaving the bag's | | | | burst along the way. |
| open end three inches or so above the swivel. | | | | Peg the bag's end to the swivel if the fit is |
| Make sure the bag will not slip off even when | | | | too loose even when the bag's twisted end is |
| pulled strongly. | | | | doubled or tripled back. |
| 3. Fill the bag with ground or minced chum to | | | | Chumming 'calls in' the fish so you can enjoy the |
| halfway. Remove any trapped air bubbles and | | | | sport, but incorrect chumming will just waste your |
| twist the open end closed. Ground chum is the | | | | efforts and chum, to produce very little, if at all. |
| best to use. The tidbits will not sate the larger | | | | While you can take along plenty of chum, it is not |
| fishes while strongly stimulating their desire for | | | | really a cost-effective proposition. Better chum |
| food because of the smell, inducing a feeding | | | | the right way. |