Striperchum.com's step by step chumming method when                      
bottom-fishing live or chunk bait in Hudson River:








1. First, we catch some fresh herring, and/or shad, (keep them alive or
on ice) or bring fresh frozen.(if none of the above is available, use
cheap cat food, or oily fish scraps from local fish monger or
restaurant (that's where we get the burlap sacks too, or at a nursery)
2. Cut burlap into swatches 2 ft. x 2 ft. Poke some random holes in
burlap with a fillet knife. Pack some twine & a 5 gal. bucket w/ lid  on
the boat (we prefer the twist-on type lid)
3. Anchor boat in prime fishing location.
4. Check your beer inventory for quality!(Taste if necessary)
5. Cut fish to be chummed in small pieces (or grind), store in bucket.
6. Place some chum in the burlap, gather ends into a 'purse' and
tie tightly w/ twine.
7. Attach a loop of the twine onto the clip attached to a downrigger ball,
closing the clip tightly.
8. Drop the ball down to the bottom, then reel up a bit , then back
down, bouncing the chum bag a few times. Let rest.
9. Periodically drop 8-10 pieces freshly cut (or ground)chum
overboard into the current (these will drift further from the boat)
10. Bait your hooks with live or 1/3 of a herring (chunks - we usually save the
heads for this, or strips) Cast them out into the direction that the
chum is drifting.
11. Be patient; keep the chum slick going and change  bait often. It's just a
matter of time 'til FISH ON!!! See Ziffy's video of this method in action (below) :
'I Want My Reel To Sing' (please wait for ad to play first!)
Tips When Chumming:
1. Don't feed the fish, just entice them.
2. Make sure all chum dispersed doesn't drift too far from baited area
(chum thrown overboard drifts away with current, whereas a chum
bag (or cylinder) emits the slick closer to baited hooks. Use a
combination of the two.
3. Use oily, bloody fish types (herring, shad, mackerel, bluefish, etc.)
or clam bellies
4. Remember, it may take up to 30 mins. at times to attract fish that
are far off. Give it time to work.
5. Fast currents require more chum, slow currents require less.
6. Keep it inexpensive. We find that a swatch of burlap filled with
chum, tied up with rope and attached to a downrigger ball makes
for a perfect chum bag. It can be "bounced" periodically, and if by
chance it breaks loose, it is 100% compost-able. (soda bottles,
poly-bags and PVC canisters aren't)
7. Discuss chumming duties and technique with the "striperchums"
you are fishing with in advance. Take turns.
8. Good chum smells! . . . not big with the ladies.
Chum - to be used as a fish attractant can
mean a variety of things depending on which
striped bass angler you talk to. The main  types
of productive offerings that we here at
striperchum.com are aware of are:

(fresh, chopped or ground)
  • Bunker, herring, shad, bluefish, squid, clams, mackerel, anchovies,
    sand eel, eels, grass shrimp, cat food, chicken livers, fish bellies/
    livers/ hearts, menhaden oil (pogie oil), or a mixture of any of the
    above with bread, oats, rice, sand and/or glitter mixed in.
    (bread/rice/oats keeps it from all sinking, sand keeps it from all
    floating and glitter acts as visual attractant.)

  • Fresh dead fish can be cut up, portioned and immediately frozen
    for an effective second option for chum as well.
Striperchum.com
Chum
Experienced "Striperchums"  Spread the Chum . . . and Chum Around Often !!!
chum [chuhm]
–noun
1.         a close or intimate companion;  boyhood chums.
2.         a roommate, as at college.
3.        cut or ground bait dumped into the water to attract fish
4.        my dog Baxter
5.        A type of salmon

–verb
(used without object)
1.        to associate closely.
2.        to lure (fish) with chum: (They chummed the fish with
ground clams)
As mentioned, striped bass have a keen    
sense of smell and use it quite
effectively in search for prey.                    
Experienced "striperchums " use this        
fact to their advantage by periodically       
emitting bold, but fresh smelling odors      
into the area they are fishing, knowing      
it rings the dinner bell good and loud!       
Stripahs seem to know the difference        
between fresh and foul, so we                   
recommend using the freshest chum         
available. **Check your local regs. to be    
sure chumming is legal in your area.
Think Like A Fish!
This beauty was
caught using this
chumming
method . .

Oh, . . My, . .
Gawd!  
(Ziffy)