Chum

[Nightprowler]

Anybody ever tried this and did it work? Crappie Chum from crappiestuff.com (article below)
Had some emails about the jigswap pictures also, here they are --->
http://www.crappie.com/crappie/jig-s...swap-pics.html
Plus I noticed after 4 years I finally reached 1K posts.



Crappie Chum
by John Brower
If you are an angler who tries to gain as many advantages as possible, here's a idea for you. Why not try chumming for crappie? Chumming is common in saltwater fishing, and it works for freshwater fish also. Since I started chumming, I've increased the numbers and size of fish I catch. I use the chum while fishing for crappie at night with submerged lights.

Here's how it works. Come up with an old fashioned metal meat grinder. Usually, you can find them at garage sales or flea markets for three to fifteen dollars. For chum, carp, small bluegill, minnows, old meat out of your freezer, shad, an occasional crawfish or any type of meat or trash fish you prefer, can be used. Check with your local Conservation Department to make sure the fish you use chum for are legal. Cut the fish into small pieces that will run through the grinder. Filleted carp work great and open up another species to fish for. When the bait is run through the grinder, deposit it in a one gallon plastic bag. Add water until the bag is two-thirds full and freeze it. Locate some mesh bags, I found mine at the dollar store, and you are ready to fish. After you hit the water and get your rods and lights set up, it's time for the chum. Don't put it in the water until about one half hour after dark. Place the chum in the mesh bag and lower it to the depth you think the fish will be. Where I fish, it's usually twenty feet, and the fish move shallower as the night goes on. I raise the bag occasionally, and sometimes use a second bag of chum. I fish over plastic fish attractors so it is easy to have several rods out and not hang up. The chum attracts minnows and small gamefish. Once that activity starts, the larger crappie and white bass show up, and the occasional walleye and catfish.

Chumming works for me, and it seems crappie and other gamefish are more aggressive when chum is in the water. I've caught crappie, walleye, bass, bluegill, white bass, catfish, and carp using plastic attractors/cover, underwater lights and chum. It doesn't take a lot of effort to make the chum, and I think it definately give the angler an advantage.

Thanks for your time, be safe, and good luck on the water!

[gabowman]

I could see where it would work, although I dont think it's necessary to bring crappie to your lights. IMO the lights ARE the attractant that draws the minnows in which draws in the crappie. I would think the chum would draw more of the unwanted thugs (catfish) in and they'd make a mess of your lines.

[crappieseeker]

I agree with gabowman on the lights being what is mostly attracting minnows at night. On another note. I was fishing over a chummed or baited spot one time and I caught so many crappie for about a couple solid weeks. I wondered why there were so many in that area when I never caught many there before. I eventually found out it had been baited up.

[GoneCrappieFishing]

With heat indexes over 110 around here, any night time fishing help is appreciated. I never tried it, but a friend of mine told me about reading an article sometime ago about taking egg shells and crumbling them up to "chum" the water but I think it was just meant for daytime fishing. Ive often wondered if that was worth the trouble.Never tried it.

[crappieseeker]

I think the eggshells might work. If they reflect the light, the little pieces while floating or falling an the water column might resemble scales from wounded minnows. just a thought, but I dont know

[Harold]

Why would this not work in the day light??

[crappieseeker]

Harold, I think it could work day or night

[Locator79]

It may work to some degree, but like already mentioned, the light that draws in the baitfish is the real attractant.

[crappieseeker]

maybe this could be a strike enhancer. If it is daytime you would have to know that you are already on top of fish. If the eggshells resembled scales then this could trigger feeding

[boatboy54]

chumming or baiting is pretty common whenr i grew up on Grand Lake in OK. many dock owners will tie a weighted slab of "fat back" to their dock and it holds minnows by the hundreds. combine that with brush and you can catch fish there year round. I have caught crappie in less than 6 feet of water every month of the year on a baited dock.