Daytime Chumming

DAYTIME CHUMMING

Daytime chumming is especially good for kingfish and weakfish, but works on white perch and stripers as well. Instead of scent, viewing is the main attraction during the day, although scent is an added attraction.

A bait net is required, and commercial nets come in various lengths, with a depth of four feet. A commercial license is required for nets over fifty feet.

Two stout poles are attached to each end of the net with the leadline about three inches from the bottom. Stretch the net tight and tie the tops. ON each pole, fasten two inch screw eyes. These are to hold the removable four feet lengths of rebar – half inch diameter.

Insert one length of rebar through the eyes of the poll, jam the rebar into the bottom edge of the water, stretch the net along the edge of the water toward the direction of the current, sweep the net through the area, keeping the bottom of the pole in hands on the bottom at all times, and the lead line in the front at about twenty-thirty degrees. Once the net is landed, remove anything that is illegal to possess, small crabs, small fish with restrictions on them.

What you are going to have after the cull is a lot of shiners, minnows and grass shrimp. It’s not necessary to keep them alive and almost impossible without a large live well. The shiners will die anyway, but the chum must be kept cool. Water is the enemy here, and so an onion sack or a five gallon bucket full of small holes seems to be the answer.

Transport the chum to a table where any unwanted stuff is removed – snails, bits of seaweed, etc..

If the chum is going to be stored, pack in one gallon, sip locks and freeze as soon as possible. If the chum is going to be used within a couple of hours, pack in an onion sack and place in a cooker, on TOP of the ice.

Once you’ve reached your favorite spot for kingfish, perch or weakfish, put about a half gallon of chum in a small bucket, add a tablespoon of shedder scent and mix well. A scoop that’s used for flower or sugar is the best dispenser. A small amount every ten to fifteen minutes should get you good and slimed with fish in a couple of hours.

TIP: The best nets for this are hung in – that is assembled by persons such as myself, and although more expensive, will do a much better job, especially in the longer lengths and as these nets are nylon instead of cotton, will last a long time with proper care.