# Chumming



## Vinny L (Oct 20, 2020)

So when I’m not throwing feathers I’m throwing Pins, Whites and what ever else finds it’s way into my cast net.. I bought a while back, I think was Purina powdered form fish food in bulk. I mix in with a little water and Bunker oil. It works great. My question is, what do you guys use to chum up bait fish? I’m not sure what the hell I have, it came in a green 5 gallon pale unmarked so I’m not sure what it is. The stuff I have is brown and powdery. Any thoughts?


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Probably Purina’s tropical fish food powder… Any feed store that buys Purina product should be able to get if for you… Make sure you keep it in some sort of sealed container since insects are drawn to it (another of those “ask me how I know” deals… ).

I found that a simple block of frozen menhaden chum worked just as well…

PS... I learned the hard way that preventing bug infestations in your garage is a very good idea... so is having your own bait freezer for blocks of chum and other stinky stuff.... This will help (but not prevent) domestic trouble (understatement..).


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Grape Nuts


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## Vinny L (Oct 20, 2020)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Grape Nuts


You’re joking?


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## tcov (Apr 7, 2018)

Purina


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Vinny L said:


> You’re joking?


No. Dudes chum up mullet on sand flats with grape nuts and catch them on little brown fuzzball flies. Look it up, I ran across an article about this method being used and was intrigued. Not intrigued enough to chum any baifish or eat mullet but thought it was cool.


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## Vinny L (Oct 20, 2020)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> No. Dudes chum up mullet on sand flats with grape nuts and catch them on little brown fuzzball flies. Look it up, I ran across an article about this method being used and was intrigued. Not intrigued enough to chum any baifish or eat mullet but thought it was cool.


That is cool!! This place is inundated with Mullet. Smoked Mullet is suppose to be good.


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## Vinny L (Oct 20, 2020)

tcov said:


> Purina
> View attachment 207143


Yep that’s it!! Thank you


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

Vinny L said:


> That is cool!! This place is inundated with Mullet. Smoked Mullet is suppose to be good.


Smoked mullet is good. Blue Dog in Matlacha makes great smoked mullet.


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## Snakesurf (Jun 18, 2019)

Florida mullet taste a lot different than Texas mullet. Texas mullet have a "dirty" taste.


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## Littlefish (11 mo ago)

We used to get canned "jack mackeral" from the Food Lion years ago and put it in pantyhose, then mark it with a bobber. What we called greenbacks would be swarming the area an hour or 2 later.


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## fishnpreacher (Jul 28, 2018)

Littlefish said:


> We used to get canned "jack mackeral" from the Food Lion years ago and put it in pantyhose, then mark it with a bobber. What we called greenbacks would be swarming the area an hour or 2 later.


I do the same thing with canned dog food fishing for catfish. Except I use a piece of 3"PVC with several 1/2" holes drilled in it. It's got a cap on one end and a plug on the other that can be unscrewed. Pop a couple cans of Ol' Roy in there and let it loose. Come back a couple hours later and fish.


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## tcov (Apr 7, 2018)

Snakesurf said:


> Florida mullet taste a lot different than Texas mullet. Texas mullet have a "dirty" taste.


Never had Texas mullet, but Florida mullet taste good fried up that’s for sure.


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## Littlefish (11 mo ago)

I had smoked mullet as a boy on a jobsite and thought I'd never tasted anything so good. Never been able to replicate that taste myself, but if worse comes to worst there's always mullet.


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## SS06 (Apr 6, 2021)

Littlefish said:


> We used to get canned "jack mackeral" from the Food Lion years ago and put it in pantyhose, then mark it with a bobber. What we called greenbacks would be swarming the area an hour or 2 later.


The dollar stores still carry it, great to mix with oatmeal and sand......after mixing make "baseballs" with the mixture.


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## SS06 (Apr 6, 2021)

tcov said:


> Never had Texas mullet, but Florida mullet taste good fried up that’s for sure.


Mullet is an acquired taste....and one I have yet to aquire.
I've tried it at several places in Florida after being told by friends "this place makes the best mullet"...I've tried to like it for years...I'm done with smoked mullet


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Smoked fish - and an ice cold beer... I swear I'd eat my shoes if they were smoked properly...


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## hipshot (Sep 29, 2018)

Snakesurf said:


> Florida mullet taste a lot different than Texas mullet. Texas mullet have a "dirty" taste.


There are several different subspecies of mullet. I THINK (it’s been a lot of years) that black mullet?? are the ones that are good to eat. We once mixed a bunch of grouper and mullet, cut into chunks and deep fried in beer batter, in the same bowl. Several people ate it and were unable to tell the difference. I never tried silver mullet, but I always heard they were mushy and inedible. Not sure about striped mullet.


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## hipshot (Sep 29, 2018)

Back in the sixties there was a catwalk on the Rickenbacker causeway for anglers. No idea if it’s still there. But we used to tear the spanish mackerel up there when they were running. We would use “rings” to catch pilchards for bait. The rings were like a tiny section of gill net; two horizontal bars with a section of interlocked stainless fine wire rings between them and a weight underneath. Crumbled Saltines were the chum of choice. Drop the crumbs in the water (if the wind was blowing you’d have to drop them as a wet blob) and lower the rings into the feeding frenzy. The longer you left it in the more pilchards you nabbed. I imagine the Saltines (or any other soda cracker) would work for you. i’ve used them to chum minnows around the dock to get the bream and crappies going for the kids to catch. And you can always dab a little peanut butter or bean dip on them for a snack if the fishing’s slow…..


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

lemaymiami said:


> I found that a simple block of frozen menhaden chum worked just as well…


I've decided to try this and have ordered a block box. Been using more live bait lately since lures have been hit or miss and my son likes catching more fish even if they aren't big snook or redfish, he's happy catching a bunch of little jacks and snapper.

Really trying like hell to find a good spot for mangrove snapper keepers inshore, hopefully this will help.


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

This is what I do. I use the Purina higher percentage of menhaden oil I think it’s 45%. Mix in a couple cans of Jack mackerel and oatmeal. This wets the Purina chum and the oatmeal soaks up some of the juice. You still need to wet the Purina with seawater or it floats and doesn’t sink well. In my opinion, adding a couple cans of Jack mackerel brings in larger greenies. Threadfins do not respond to chum.


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## stoked (7 mo ago)

I find mullet is best when it’s from clean salt water on the outside, not muddy creeks. I also use a separate smoker for mullet because I feel they leave a fish taste in the smoker. Done right they are the best. This I making me want to run over to Crystal River and get some.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Those rings you used use are now considered to be “gillnet” and are no longer legal… Good thing that gold hook rigs (what we had before sabikis became available) work so well..
By the way, Rickenbacker and the Bear Cut bridges were pretty much home for me at night fifty years ago… when I was new in town.


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