Chummin' the water

From the PFBC web site:



During the last few years, I have seen more and more people using corn for bait. But it seems as if they are now being so bold as to sow the stream with handfuls at a time before casting their lines. I have always had the understanding corn cannot be digested by the trout and they would die from ingesting it. If this is the case, is it illegal to sow corn?



Commission fisheries biologist Tom Bender at our Benner Spring Fish Research Station conducted a study in 1992 that examined the impact of corn on trout. For the study, two groups of hatchery rainbow trout were held in separate tanks and tested for 54 days. In one tank, 20 rainbow trout (average size 8.3 inches) were fed a diet of whole kernel corn. In the second tank, 20 rainbow trout of the same size were fed a standard trout pellet diet.
During the 54 day study period, no mortalities occurred from trout of either study group. However, study results did show that the trout fed with a corn diet did not digest the corn particularly well. The growth observed by the corn-fed trout during the study period was only about half of that observed from the trout that were fed the standard trout pellet diet.
The conclusion from this study was that there appears to be little reason for concern about the short term health hazards for rainbow trout when whole kernel corn is used for bait. Although there are better diets for trout than whole kernel corn, this study confirms that mortality does not occur when trout ingest whole kernel corn.
You also asked about the practice of anglers using handfuls of corn to attract fish - a practice sometimes called "chumming." For waters managed under statewide regulations, chumming with corn or other bait to attract fish would be considered a legal practice, providing that anglers don't get carried away and liberally coat the bottom of the stream with corn. If this were the case, then it could be considered littering. The Commission does not recommend chumming.
(Emphasis added).


Please note, this mentions "waters managed under statewide regulations," so I am not sure if there are special limitations on the Erie tribs. 

In my opinion, he probably was throwing eggs. And, In all honesty, it was probably working. HOWEVER, there is no need to throw handfulls, such that it makes it seem like it is raining! Quite literally, 3 or 4 eggs is enough of a trigger a pod of fish and to get the fish going. Most of the time, I think it has very little effect on the fish. The way I understand the law of "chumming", is that as long as it is not construed as littering, it is legal. I'd take it with a grain of salt though, the last thing you want to do is advertise that you are chumming, it is usually cause for atleast a few dirty looks. Wait to experiment with a pod of fish you have to yourself. In other words, not in the project waters.

I think it's unethical, I mean come on! We already have enough advantages, from the rods we use, lines getting thinner and stronger, polarized glasses that can see through walls, do we really need to be chumming?
 
Its just as bad as hunting over a salt lick in my book.

I agree with you somewhat, I'm just saying there are levels of satisfaction I get from fishing certain ways. I caught fish every which way possible. It's almost like a chart, and every person is different but mine would be as follows: "Lining Fish" I could do it all day long in the right conditions, but at the end of the day I would be ashamed of myself; "Chumming Fish", sure its legal, and I'm hooking them in the mouth but still not very high up on my list, "Bait Fish" do it all the time, don't feel bad, but I don't by all means think I am tricking the trout, there eating something that is an actual food sorce to them. "Fly Fishing" This is very I get the most satisfaction, tricking a trout into eating something I created from feathers and fur....

I guess in my book chumming is just a step above lining..........

Again, thats just me............

I knew this was gonna be fun! Please replace the word "unethical" with "wrong" in my previous post..........and the reason he can afford to spare a few eggs is b/c he probably split open the bellys of enough hens, for the reason of using eggs alone.....

Does wrong imply illegal?  What you are saying is the he was performing a perfectly legal act yet he was wrong?
 
Are you sure he slit open the bellies?  He could have gently milked and returned a few hens and in many states this is legal and those fish count toward your limit.  He could have also legally harvested three or more salmon and is now using the fish in it's totality.  He could have just harvested the fish and threw away the eggs but then someone might chastise him for not fully utilizing the fish.
 
I'm just playin' with ya Sclupin but I'm trying to make a point too.  It's easy to draw a conclusion and condemn someone from a distance with no information.  It is easy to say something is wrong and no one should ever do it when it isn't something you do.  It's not like you are loosing something that you use, is it.  You have to be careful what arguments you use because most PETA people think sport fishing is wrong too.  Are they wrong and you right? 

I have heard of fly anglers kicking rocks and disturbing the stream bottom in riffles and then going down stream into the run/pool and nymphing.  Is this unethical or wrong? 

ORIGINAL: steelheadman28

I think I have seen people do this. It just goes to show which one is hitting and which one isnt. Its not illegal but if you want to toss a half a jar off eggs in thats good for you. 2-3 is enough to tell which ones are taking it.

 
 
i have done and seen this done before. i wouldnt consider what i do chumming them in but just to get an idea of what their hitting on. i dont throw hand fulls in or jars but toss a few eggs or minnows in and see if they gobble em up. then target the fish that do. its not always productive but it does help sometimes. what you said you saw sweetnubs, sounds more like he was baitin em in, or maybe he just thought they were hungry and needed a snack.

CR500, believe me I'm not loosing any sleep over the way others fish. I don't care either, I'm just stating MY preferred method.

ORIGINAL: CR500

I hope I didn't give you too much of a hard time.  My wife will tell you that I'm a jerk most of the time...  and she's be right.  I do think it's funny though when we as sport fisherman say something is wrong when we harass living animals with sharp pointy things for fun though.  Me included.

love that line cr.  all this talk of "ethical fishing."  everyone one of us is maiming and killing fish (just because it swims away doesnt mean it made it).  just like pinching the barbs on hooks....what about pinching the whole hook off?  if we really care about the fish....

i was in a feeding frenzy one time hooking fish every cast on a jig...but really not hooking them at all.  on close examination i had no hook left on my jig.  all those fish hit and not one was hooked.  no s---.  could be a new sport.  hookless fishing.  just count the strikes. 

Thank God I don't chum.  Personally, I would hate to empty out my egg patterns to catch more fish.

Any of you fly fishermen chum?? I need some new egg patterns and would like to get down stream from you...

I am not sure if chumming with sucker spawn and glo bugs is really going to have the desired effect.    I talked with a guy a while back who would walk up to a pod of fish and throw a few single eggs into the pod and watch to see which fish went for the eggs.  One they had been identified, he would target those fish.  Sounds like a reasonable way to fish.
 
I have also heard of people throwing small chunks of frozen skein into the water, usually high and off color water.  I am not sure exactly the rationale for this, but I have heard it will get the fish excited and more likely to bite.

I have tried that, but I don't think it helps a lot.  There is fish egg oil or scent you can buy and some folks will put a little of that on their flies.  I have even heard of guys spraying their flies with WD-40, but have been told this is not legal. 
 
Another trick is to use a small glo bug, #14 to #16 and hook on a single egg and then drift it.  The fly/egg combo gives the fly some scent.  It can be a bit tricky to keep the egg on.  I don't know if this will really help much.

Dano,
 
I agree about scents on egg patterns.  I don't use them, but some folks do.  I have even seen a guide scenting flies for his clients.  When the pressure for success goes up, some will do whatever to catch a fish.  I would prefer to think I had a fish hit a fly because of the presentation and the quality of the fly.  That is one of the biggest thrills for me to have a fish slam a fly I tied or even better is to have someone else land a fish on a fly I tied.
 
As for pinners, I would take exception to banning them.  On the tribs in Erie they give the fisherman a modest advantage and really are not all that better then a person using a noodle rod and spinning reel.   I will say if you can get a long drift, they will give you a better chance to cover more water, but with the increases in fisherman, it is getting harder to find the long drifts.  Most people don't appreciate you drifting in front of them, especially if you are hooking fish and they aren't.