Fishing with chum is a popular practice if you are looking to attract predatory fish.
Known as “chumming”, the use of chum involves utilizing various ground-up fish parts and using them as bait to attract other fish, such as large game fish.
Chum can attract smaller fish, but the amount of blood and oil that is involved in the process of chumming makes it a particularly attractive bait for the bigger kinds of fish.
Different kinds of chum can be used to attract different fish, so we are going to be taking a look at what goes into a wide variety of the various forms of chum, as well as what fish each chum type is intended to attract! Let’s take a look.
What is Best chum make for?
As we mentioned above, chum is essentially made up of ground-up fish organs, bones, and blood.
The most common form of chum is called basic chum, which consists of the following ingredients:
- Fish guts or intestines (or both)
- Fish heads
- Blood
- Bones
Chum is typically found in buckets or bags and is often mixed with fresh water before being used as fishing bait.
A chum line is usually thrown out into an ocean from a boat, which will float on the surface for a short time before sinking to the bottom.
When this happens, the decaying fish parts that the chum is made up of will attract fish that come along to feed on the rotting remains.
The more chum (or bait) that is used, the greater the number of fish that may be attracted by it.
Basic chum is one of the most effective ways to attract many types of marine life, including sharks, tuna (bluefin), marlin, swordfish (blacktip), king mackerel, and more.
It’s also very easy to make because all you need to do to make it is grind up some fish guts, blood, and bones and mix them together.
That being said, there are two major drawbacks to using this kind of chum:
First, it’s not very appealing to humans because it smells terrible, particularly when wet.
Secondly, it isn’t very durable, so it tends to break down after being exposed to saltwater for a long time.
Because of this, chum needs to be replaced every few days, but even then it will only last for about a week.
If you want something more durable than basic chums, then you can make your own chum instead of buying it.
The History Of Chum In Fishing
Chum is a fishing technique that dates back to ancient times. It was originally used by fishermen to attract sharks to their nets.
This is because sharks instinctively want to eat rotting flesh, which is why they’re attracted to chum. Over time, chum became a popular way to attract bigger fish, especially tuna.
The very first recorded instance of chumming comes from Japan, wherein Japanese fishermen used it to catch bluefin tuna.
They would do this by throwing chunks of raw meat into the sea and hoping that the tuna would find it and eat it.
Whilst this didn’t always work, over time the method proved itself to be highly successful.
In this day and age, chumming is still a widely practiced method used by commercial fishermen and recreational fishers alike.
The Different Kinds Of Chum
There are actually several types of chum available, according to what kind of fish you’re trying to catch. The three major categories of chum are as follows:
Live Chum
Live chum is made from live fish, as the name suggests, meaning that the fish must still be alive when the chum is made.
Live bait is generally considered to be better because it provides the freshest source of food for the fish.
It is much easier to make than most of the other types of bait, since all you need to do is fill a small container with fresh water and the chum itself.
Dead Chum
Dead chum is made from dead fish (obviously!). It comes from fish that have been caught naturally and then killed.
It’s probably the easiest way to make chum, since all that is required is to take the fish parts apart and grind them up.
Furthermore, it does not require refrigeration because there are no living animals used in its production. On the other hand, it smells pretty bad if it gets too wet.
Artificial Chum
This is a common form of chum, created by mixing different kinds of fish parts together.
There are many different types of recipes for artificial chum, some designed to attract specific species of fish.
For example, some use shark liver oil, whereas others prefer herring roe or anchovy paste.
All these ingredients are combined into one big batch and then left to dry. Whenever needed, the mixture is just added to water and allowed to sit overnight. It can be bought pre-mixed in a can, but it can also be made at home.
How To Make Chum
It’s pretty easy to make chum, and it’s quite inexpensive too! To get started, you just need to find a large bucket or container that will hold enough water for the fish.
You then need to take each individual piece of the fish (head/tail/etc.) and place them into separate containers.
When you’re done, you should end up having a bucket full of fish bits. You now need to add some oil/grease to the mixture, with the amount depending on how much chum you want to make.
If you want to get a lot out of it, you may need to use as much as half a gallon of oil or grease.
Then, you need to mix all the ingredients together until they become a thick paste. After that, you should leave the mixture alone for about 30 minutes before use.
You then need to pour the mixture into buckets or tubs, and then set it outside to dry. Depending on the weather conditions, this process could take between 12 hours and two days.
Once the chum is completely dried, you can either store it in airtight containers or use it immediately.
Due to the process, you shouldn’t have to worry about issues such as mold (though the smell is a different story!).
Why Use Chum?
Chum is commonly used in fishing because it’s cheap and effective. Since it’s made with dead fish, it doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals or toxic substances.
The only downside is it tends to smell bad when it’s been exposed to the elements for some time.
However, if you’re planning on using it right away, this won’t be an issue. Making your own chum is not only cheaper and more useful (particularly for fishing beginners), but it’s also more environmentally friendly.
Final Thoughts
Chum is an exceptional choice for fishing for a variety of reasons. Not only is it inexpensive and easy to make, but it doesn’t require refrigeration. In addition, it keeps well and doesn’t attract insects.
On top of that, it’s great for attracting fish, which is obviously a bonus when it comes to fishing! As long as you keep it properly stored, you shouldn’t have any trouble using it.
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