Chums are great IF they are bright. Chum flesh that is bright orange is excellent. I find it a bit milder than other salmon , which some folks seem to prefer.

Often when we do a shore lunch on the Alagnak River we have our choice of chrome chum, pinks or coho. We uasally have chum one day and coho the next. BTW pinks that still have long tailed sea lice are excellent too.

I post these photos because evry year someone makes a broad statement that chums are no good.

I think Zog needs a new hat. But that chum looks good.....C/22

and steelhead love chum eggs

The Morning Hatch. Best fly shop around. I just wish their hats weren't so ugly or I'd be wearing one right now.

That right there says a lot



They fight like turds and taste even worse...


Don't get me wrong Dave... Chums are fun to catch once and a while, and I usually catch a few each year while fishing for coho... but you wont see any in my cooler even if for crab bait.

anyone that says chum are no good. should come over to my grandmas house for dinner during thankgiving weekend. and i promiss your opinions on chum will be changed.

Mine won't change. I'm not saying they are no good I'm saying, to me, they are the worse tasting salmon and full, inside and out, of parasites. I've had lot's of chum but it's been a while. They are low enough on my preferences and I catch plenty of higher quality fish that I don't need to keep or eat chum or even humpies. Right now my freezer is still loaded with chinook and coho. Just about anything smokes up good or tastes ok if you put enough spices on it but when you look at a chum you often see some sort of black parasite on the outside along with the sea lice and then slice em open and you will almost always find tape worms and such. No thanks. I'll stick to Chinook and Coho.

Yeah they were caught in the Duwamish/Green River by the Muckleshoot as they have a contract with Safeway. Funny how the Duwamish has been listed this week as one of the 5 worst waterways for pollutants and is in the top 5 for federal grant cleanup.

Makes you wonder if Safeway Corporate knows thats were most of there fish come from?

Sheesh, Dave...who's that kid in the picture on the left?

He looks familiar, only young!

Fish on...

Todd

thats funny i have been fishing them for 15 years, and have never once found any tape worms or anything for that matter. you guys ever think that its the waters you fish them in that make them this way, the river i fish them on stay nice and bright in there.

the only access to this river is all private property, you have to know someone that lives on the river to fish it. its always nice and clean no bad runoffs in the river. idk if that would make a difference in the **** you all are finding in chum.

and dont get me wrong i know that other salmom are better. but when we cook them we dont do anyting different then how we cook any other salmon.

and everyone that says that chum are gross and wouldnt eat them. after actually trying it has loved it. and talk about getting over there all year long cuase they like the fish.

but yet. i would still much rather have a king or silver for sure.

Dave those pics in Washington somewhere? Don't think so?

I swear to god it was it bent my net in half.And i have landed so pretty big fish in that net lol. beleive me it was 50 lol

JandL Both were shot in Alaska. But I have taken them that bright in WA. I just don't know if I have any digital images. I will look.

Was just wondering Dave, I have personnally caught some of the most aggressive chums on the Nushagak by Dillingham. Ever fished it? I use to fish it every summer for Someone up there who ran a camp (no names mentioned) and coming back here afterwards every year was hard to do. You get spoiled up there on these mint bright chrome "chumlies"

JandL; I couldn't agree more. I have not fished the Nush for chums, but know the guide there sure like to play with them

Bill herzog and I agree that the chrome bright chums we get in the Alagnak act like summer runs. They take a swung fly on or just under the surface. They jump, rip off line and generally make themselves a ton O fun. I can remember begging herzog to quit at 11:P.M. when he was landing his billionth chum.

On that day the chinook fishing was great. Everyone was getting 6-10 a day, but we didn't care those chrome chums were just a blast.

Maybe one year you guys could get over to the Nush with me in July........40 to 50 kings a day and the "chum bar" is way awesome.

Have talked to Bill about it a ton of times either out fishing with him or at Sportco. All we have to do is get him committed.

Thanks again and tell "zog" I said hello,

Jerry

where are you fishing? the chums I've caught have been complete bulldogs to the bitter end, even those that aren't that bright!

geeeeez...

ok, so a 6lb chum fights like a 12lb turd...

but a turd is still a turd...


here's an oldy but a goody

I bet he celebrated that catch with a case of Duff!

My god what a bunch of snobs.

You like chum? Go catch some, there are plenty.

You hate chum? Stay at home and watch some bubba kiss a bass on OLN.

It really shouldn't be such a big deal either way, but as far as I'm concerned though, "There's nothing wrong with chum!"