| The basic idea behind chumming is to encourage fish | | | | of a big container, such as a garbage can, filled with |
| to eat something with no hooks attached in the hope | | | | sea water. |
| that they will later take something with a hook. | | | | The ground mossbunker is then added and the whole |
| Chumming also attracts fish in large numbers to a | | | | mess is stirred around until it is the consistency of a |
| certain spot. Instead of the angler moving about in | | | | thick soup. Then one or two anglers start ladling the |
| search of fish, he can stay in one spot and wait for | | | | stuff over the side of the boat in order to form a |
| the fish to come to him. Mainly, however, the idea is | | | | chum slick. In this slick, the oil spreads in a broad band |
| to fool the fish with a free handout and dispel his | | | | on the surface of the water and extends for several |
| suspicions so that he will more readily take a baited | | | | hundred feet behind the boat. The particles of bunker |
| hook. | | | | sink to varying depths under the chum slick. Tuna and |
| Various methods and techniques are used in | | | | other fish get the scent of the oil and juices and |
| chumming, and the angler who knows and practices | | | | follow it up to the boat. |
| them will often catch fish when ordinary casting or | | | | Most tuna fishermen also get whole bunker and cut |
| trolling methods fail to produce. You'll find a long list | | | | them into big chunks, which they toss overboard into |
| of game fish and bottom fish which respond to | | | | the chum slick as an added attraction. Butterfish, |
| chumming like a gang of hungry ranch hands to a | | | | mackerel, herring and whiting can also be cut up and |
| dinner bell. In fact, to catch certain fish chumming is | | | | thrown out. This gives the tuna something to |
| almost a must. | | | | swallow and holds their interest. |
| Take the giant tuna, for example. Although a few big | | | | Next, of course, you bait up a big tuna hook with a |
| fish are caught by trolling or drifting with whole fish | | | | whole bunker, herring, mackerel, butterfish or whiting |
| baits, the great majority of tuna fishermen depend | | | | and let it drift out naturally in the chum line. Finally you |
| on chumming to get results. They use ground | | | | hope a big tuna will take it. |
| menhaden or mossbunker, called "bunker" for short. | | | | Whole bait fish are also used on the "live-bait" boats |
| This flat, deep bodied fish, which averages about a | | | | which leave from many ports in Southern California. |
| foot in length, is seined commercially for its oil. Millions | | | | These boats are equipped with big bait tanks, where |
| of pounds are caught annually. And each year more | | | | sardines and anchovies can be kept alive. The live |
| and more of these fish are being diverted for use in | | | | bait fish are thrown into the water a few at a time. |
| chumming. In three days, the U. S. Atlantic Tuna | | | | This brings around such game fish as tuna, yellowtail, |
| Tournament has been known to use up 85,000 lbs. | | | | albacore, bonito and barracuda. When a fish is hooked |
| of bunker chum. | | | | or seen swirling behind the boat, the anglers put a |
| Menhaden or bunker can now be bought fresh, iced | | | | live anchovy or sardine on a hook, cast it out and let |
| or frozen, either by the bushel or in cans or blocks. | | | | it swim around in the water. In this type of fishing, it |
| Whole bunker are sold by the bushel and must be | | | | is important to use small hooks and fine leaders in |
| ground by the angler. Those sold in cans or frozen in | | | | order to fool the fish. |
| blocks are already ground and ready to use. The | | | | This method is tried and true, and used correctly, will |
| usual method of chumming begins with the acquisition | | | | produce marvelous results! |