09/21/08 La Santa Fe - Some after storms effects

    No Marco, I meant killing a fish just for chum. It's just one of my soft spots, can't bring myself to do it. If there was a specific fish that I knew I could attract with it then probably I will do it, but I have not been in that situation yet.

    Thanks Julio.

    Quote from Marco

    Think about what? Ciguatera? Think seriously. I was like you until....

    Yo me ciguate una vez, with this fish. It's a lizzard fish.



    I remember well because it was the biggest one of its kind I've seen so I shot it. I hit it with a glancing blow on the side of it's face and crushed half its head. They're always on the bottom and the fish shot up in spirals with an open mouth almost all the way to the surface.


    I ate a little of it baked and two - three hours later was f*cked up. I'll never touch one of them little buggers again. The big one had quite a bit of meat on him. Se vengo asere!

    Quote from Dan

    No Marco, I meant killing a fish just for chum. It's just one of my soft spots, can't bring myself to do it. If there was a specific fish that I knew I could attract with it then probably I will do it, but I have not been in that situation yet.


    The thing about chumming is that it will bring in those fish you are likely to never see without the use of it. I have a friend that says we are lucky to see 5% of all the shootable fish holding in any kind of bottom....and then there are those just outside of your range of visibility. If there are macks around chumming is a great way to draw them in and get them to stick around long enough for a shot. One thing that works great also is shooting small bar jacks or blue runners through the middle of the fish and then twisting their tail just before letting them swim off all F-ed up. One friend has a version of this where he rips a few of the gills on one side of the fish. Watch them swim to the bottom and watch out for pelagics......after that watch them at the bottom or scan for them occasionally and sometimes a mutton or grouper will appear out of nowhere and park itself close or right on top of the wounded baitfish. Those fish seem so preoccupied with their snack that they hardly notice your approach and sometimes they posture aggressively as to defend their meal.


    I understand about restraint and what seems like waste....specially when a dive buddy suggests chopping up a good fish like a cero but that is why god made bermuda chubs:D


    One other way to chum without wasting is to gut your fish in the water before boating them. Cuda guts make great chum...the key is to rip the mass appart to maximize its distribution. Just having it bring in baitfish is good...small fish bring in big ones. Another way to attract fish is to let your well secured speared fish dangle and struggle......can't remember all the times a speared fish brings in another yet bigger fish to its side or out of hidding. Every time I hear a buddies gun go off I am busy trying to locate them so I can either back up his shot or capitalize on any fish attracted to the commotion.

    That's some great info Emil. Problem is that I never seem to stay in one place long enough for the chum to take effect. How long do you let the chum do its thing in one spot before moving on to the next?


    The emphasis when I'm diving is to cover a lot of ground. We don't have a lot of "numbers" where fish congregate on a relatively small patch of reef or artificial structure.


    On the other hand I have seen what you're talking about, fish appearing out of nowhere in response to some commotion. It seems like a gamble though to do it on a spot say at 50' and wait around when nothing might happen. Currents are usually such that chumming a spot and returning to it later is not practical. I'm talking about chumming with fish that you shoot on the spot not chum that you bring along on the boat.


    I used to gut fish in the water always and scale it too, now I do it rarely as there's the cooler with ice on the boat. I like the idea that the fish matter will go back into the environment. In all my time doing it however I've never seen anything shootable appear.


    I'd like the opportunity to see a chumming master at work :) and pick up a few tricks.


    And I hear you on them chubs.

    Macks and Muttons are the first fish to appear when you chum. Usually they get in range withing few seconds, but sometimes it is worth to return to the chummed spot after 15 minutes or so.

    Marco Melis

    A bad day fishing is ALWAYS better than a good day at work.


    For what you do Dan, Get a 1 1/2'-2' length of 4" PVC pipe and buy/attach the threaded(male) couplings to each end. Buy the end caps to fit the threaded couplings. Drill many medium sized holes in the pipe and two smaller ones in each cap. Tie some lead on one end, and a float in the other, and fill with frozen chum. Leave on the bottom and come back to it later. Becareful with the :shark1:. We've had many tubes disappear.

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