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大 M
小 Post at 2007-1-18 05:55 AM
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Types Of Chum
A number of natural food items, as well as many non-fish organic substances, are used as chum bait.
Live baitfish, whole dead baitfish and chunked baitfish are the most common. Depending on the specific body of water or region of the country, these may include menhaden, shrimp, herring, ballyhoos, pilchards, smelt, alewives, anchovies, sardines, mullet or other indigenous forage fish. Common chum bait is a soup-like mixture composed of ground-up fish, crustaceans, mollusks and worms. However, non-fish items like bread, grains (especially corn), processed meats, spices, dog food, oil, blood and even alcohol have been utilized as chum.
The greatest success in saltwater chumming is likely to occur when the angler utilizes food items that are common within the area being fished. Regional favorites have developed for particular species. Along the East Coast, where shark and blue fin tuna are sought, there is a preference for ground herring, which leaves an oily surface slick, as well as chunks of herring. On the West Coast, live anchovies and sardines are most common for catching various tuna species. In the Gulf of Mexico and around the Florida Keys, a ground up mixture of several forage fish, shaped into a ball or placed into a container, is preferred for fishing grouper and snapper.
