Surf/Shore Chumming

[lamnidae]

I would like to know your guys thought about this. I know some may practice it but do you find it helpful and are there any hidden rules against it. I'm thinking about surf and bay. Any thoughts?

[sasquatch]

I have fished with Tom in the past and chummed in the bay. I'm not convinced it helped and we haven't done it for awhile. I feel like the current takes the chum and makes a nice slick, but doesn't necessarily lead the fish to the baits since they are cast out to a distance and the slick starts at the shore. Maybe throwing chum from a location down the beach that puts the slick over the baits would work better.

Sort of the same thing in the surf, chum is close in, baits are out farther. I do feel like repeated casts and lost baits in an area may act as chum of a sort creating a scent trail from the area.

I have some reservations with trying to attract sharks into an area that will have people swimming in it later. Lost baits are one thing, but buckets of fish parts is another. However if I have crappy old bait to get rid of I will put it back into the Eco system.

I know of no rules against it.

[Latimeria]

I just watched a thing on the Weather Channel showing rip currents.  They put dye in the water and even though it looked like the waves would bring it in, it washed it out to the deeper water.  I bet a good chum slick in a rip current and a cast into it may be the ticket for bigger stuff or at least chummed in stuff.  I just saw that dye as tuna blood and had a light bulb go off in my head.

[sasquatch]

I can see rip currents working.

[lamnidae]

I've heard about using rip currents to get baits out but one would have to be cautious.