Chum for ocean bottomfishing

[huntandski]

Anyone ever used mashed up trout as chum while bottom fishing for rockfish, calicos, and sheephead.

I know lobsters love trout, but I was wondering if dropping a weighted sack/cage of mashed up trout would help speed up the bite and get them in a feeding frenzy, especially during the afternoon when the fishies aren't all that hungry. Throwing my live bait overboard won't help much because I'll be fishing the bottom and they won't swim deeper than 10 feet.

[deckhandmike]

I'd be wary about using a freshwater game fish for chum. It would be a stretch but they might get you for waste.

As far as it working it has limited success depending on currents and depth. I'd use sea urchins instead. It's not exactly what I'd call sporting but if your hungry and broke it should produce. I've tried several experiments with chum while freediving and the results were good but it didn't make it very challenging. If your not getting bites it cause your spot sucks or poor technique.

[huntandski]

I'd be wary about using a freshwater game fish for chum. It would be a stretch but they might get you for waste.

As far as it working it has limited success depending on currents and depth. I'd use sea urchins instead. It's not exactly what I'd call sporting but if your hungry and broke it should produce. I've tried several experiments with chum while freediving and the results were good but it didn't make it very challenging. If your not getting bites it cause your spot sucks or poor technique.

That would be really unfortunate if I got a ticket, especially because I plan on keeping the fish in a bag or cage.

But like you did, I just want to try because I just want to try. I'm going trout fishing on Thursday, and stocked lake trout taste like, well, stocked lake trout. Instead of choking them down, I'll try and use them to catch the tasty guys.

Normally, during golden hour, we can't even get our bait to the bottom without getting hit. About a month ago, my friend and I went out on our Kayaks and we each got about 20 fish from 4:30 to 5:30 (clearly not all keepers). But during midday/afternoon, things are slow and I thought it would be fun to try out some chum.

[JWHuey]

Uni goop

[theicecreamdan]

If you don't like stocked trout, why are you taking them?

[huntandski]

If you don't like stocked trout, why are you taking them?

To go fishing with friends and have a good time.

[deckhandmike]

If you don't like stocked trout, why are you taking them?

When I mentioned waste in my first post I was referring to "wanton waste" which is illegal in CA. Basically wasting any edible game meat is illegal according to DFG. This usually applies to mammals but I'm not sure if dfg would appreciate you using stocked trout as chum since trout is a "game fish" compared to bait fish. I'd at least suggest using Bonita, urchin or another bait fish to chum with. You can always use the rib sections from ocean fish you catch since it's not really edible. I used abalone trimmings and guts when I chummed.

[huntandski]

When I mentioned waste in my first post I was referring to "wanton waste" which is illegal in CA. Basically wasting any edible game meat is illegal according to DFG. This usually applies to mammals but I'm not sure if dfg would appreciate you using stocked trout as chum since trout is a "game fish" compared to bait fish. I'd at least suggest using Bonita, urchin or another bait fish to chum with. You can always use the rib sections from ocean fish you catch since it's not really edible. I used abalone trimmings and guts when I chummed.

Ahh I see. Good point.

I thought that applied only to mammals too and meant that you had to "take what you kill" and can't just leave it there. So you could use it however you want. For example, grilling jackrabbit for your dog instead of eating it yourself. I'll contact DFG about this one and see if its considered waste. I got the idea to chum when watching addictive fishing, I saw that Blaire suggested putting some of the fish they caught in the chum bucket and mashing it up.

[tony270]

The fresh and salt water baits and the specific bodies of water that they are legal to use are clearly explained in the fishing regulations, it doesn't fall under the mammal wanton waste regulation. I have seen them use frozen chum blocks, on TV lol.

[bigbossman]

.......... I'd at least suggest using Bonita, urchin or another bait fish to chum with.

ACK!

When I was a boy, my dad would take me to the Redondo Pier to fish for Bonita. We never considered them baitfish, they were what we were looking for.

We used to bake them or fillet and grill them. Tasted just like tuna to me, and I always thought they were delicious. Are they really considered bait fish?

[Californio]

Lobsters will eat/scavenge anything, try ground chicken parts.

Anyone ever used mashed up trout as chum while bottom fishing for rockfish, calicos, and sheephead.

I know lobsters love trout, but I was wondering if dropping a weighted sack/cage of mashed up trout would help speed up the bite and get them in a feeding frenzy, especially during the afternoon when the fishies aren't all that hungry. Throwing my live bait overboard won't help much because I'll be fishing the bottom and they won't swim deeper than 10 feet.

[eightmd]

ACK!

When I was a boy, my dad would take me to the Redondo Pier to fish for Bonita. We never considered them baitfish, they were what we were looking for.

We used to bake them or fillet and grill them. Tasted just like tuna to me, and I always thought they were delicious. Are they really considered bait fish?

Some people don't like to eat Bonito because their meat is a little mushy and they can be a bit oily. Some people don't like Albacore because their meat is a bit mushy also. I think a large Bonito tastes good. Of course if they are fresh and have been bleed it makes a difference. Not quite as good as tuna but if it is fresh it will taste good.

[bombadillo]

Long ago, river fishing for salmon and steelhead, we used to use a flatfish with a tiny bit of meat attached with little hair rubberbands and sprayed them with WD-40. My dad and I were the only ones getting bites out there when everyone else was doing the same thing minus the meat and WD on them. Always made people wonder what we were doing out there.

[tony270]

It isdefinitely illegal to intentionally introduce pollutants into any body of water in the State of California, spray it on the line as a lubricant while it is still on the spool and it will do the same thing but it is not illegal.

[lewdogg21]

It isdefinitely illegal to intentionally introduce pollutants into any body of water in the State of California, spray it on the line as a lubricant while it is still on the spool and it will do the same thing but it is illegal.

Thanks for the clarification Mr. LEO. You wanna ask chastise him for using a 2 stroke now as well since that dumps a ton of more pollutants into the water than a shot of WD-40?