Chum Mixer

[Andy M 44]

I'm a bit new to this fishing lark and was told that Chum mixer would be a good bait to catch carp feeding on top. I've since been online and found an article or two that suggests we should not be using dog food for fishing due to its composition. Fish can not digest it and will kill them off.

Anyone got any thoughts on this before I go and buy some. Also how to use it best as bait.To soak it or not to soak it as a hook bait etc.

Ta,

Andy

 

[Steve Berry]

Years ago what I used to do was put a load of Chum mixer in a bucket of water for around 5 mins. Then take them out and put them in a carrier bag. leave them over night and by the morning there be soft, if not next time leave them in the bucket for a bit longer. Carp have strong teeth and they can easily crush them up, so I don't worry any more and the chum mixer isn't as good as it used to be.For a hook bait I wouldn't use Chum mixer,try a pop-up chopped up to look like a mixer, the best at the moment I think is Dynamite Monster Crab, nothing to do with the smell they just look like a chum mixer. But I guess any white pop-up should do. Good Luck

 

[Andy Pryce]

I've succesfully used Chum mixers, soaking them first till they swell up and go softer. They float nicely.

Matt Hayes and other experienced anglers have used them so they mustn't harm the Carp otherwise they wouldn't use them.

At the end of the session I feed the surplus to the ducks - they love them and it doesn't harm them either.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

Excellent bait, no harm to fish and no preperation needed. I've found a pellet/bait band best way to attatch, although most other methods work.

Key to sucsess with this method isfeeding tequnique. Most importantly, find an area of the lake where surface condititons are likly to be stable. An apperance of a strong wind can very quicky destroy alot of hard work!

Better to find a quiet/settled area and feed little and often (sometimes alot ofpatients is requied). Then when the fish move in - which theywill on most small, well stocked venues when its warm, presentation will be easy - and if you get it right lots of action!!

 

[Joey]

An easy way to do it is to put some mixers into a freezer bag and then fill the bag with water. Allow the mixers to soak for no more thanone minute, drain off all the water and tie up the bag. leave the bag in the fridge overnight.

Next morning they will be perfect for hooking and will float very well. I use these on the hook and feed dry mixers.

To save money I usually buy Asdas own brand mixers ( cheaper than Chum and just as good ).

 

[Brian Knights]

Enterprise produce a very good imitation dog biscuit which has a hole on one side into which you fit a small weight and then attach the hook to the opposite side. The theory is that the biscuit floats with the weighted side down meaning that the hook is on top of the biscuit and isn'tspotted by the fish until it's too late.However,I still suffer from the problem of the fish knowing which bait inamongst the free offerings has the hook and moving away fromthe area leaving myhooked baiton its ownsome. I'm using Drennan 5lb double strength as the hook line,Vaselined apart from a couple of inches near the hook, and a size 12 Kamasan wide gape hook. Any helpful suggestions appreciated.

 

[jumpin jimbo]

Does it have to be a sunny day to catch off the top or can it be cloudy as long as the temperature is warm enough ?

 

[Joey]

<blockquote class=quoteheader>jumpin jimbo wrote (see)</blockquote><blockquote class=quote>

Does it have to be a sunny day to catch off the top or can it be cloudy as long as the temperature is warm enough ?</blockquote>


I,ve caught them off the top during march when it,s been overcast and very cold. I think that if they are feeding they will take food wherever they can get it.

I always feed little and often and never put a hook bait out until the fish are competing for the loose feed, this can sometimes take hours but is worth the wait.

 

[jumpin jimbo]

Thanks Joey

 

[Graham Whatmore]

There was a period about 10 years ago when Chum mixers stopped floating for some reason, maybe a change of ingredients or something, I opted for the Tesco version and not only are they cheaper but they definitely float.

I see a lot of inexperienced anglers who throw a floating bait out and then catapult a load of feed on top of it, not a good idea though you will catch the odd one now and again. There is a good reason why surface feeding is banned inmost matches, there is nothing worse than building up a swim only for some ijit to start lumping in lots of floaters (maggots usually) and watching all your hard work go to pot because the fish have followed the feed being blown up the pool, quite naturally of course, accompanied by much cursing.

 

[Andy M 44]

Thanks for your help

I got my mixer, soaked some and drilled some ready for a hair rig. Off I trotted to my local pond! Mind you it was a bit to windy to use them as surface bait. So one rod was set up to ledger the dry mixer on a hair rig as pop-up. The soaked stuff I used as hook bait to a waggler float set-up. Well I took 2 nice 5-6Lb commons on the ledger and for the other rod. It went crazy. Started off with 2 close to 1LB roach and then a Crucian, then into several Tench, roach and a few more crucian. They just kept coming. Nothing small and All in a 4 hour session. Mind you I lost more than I caught. I think my hook was a bit on the small size (12) and I soaked them to long as they fell off or the fish whipped them off the hook.

 

[DZ]

A chum mixer can do no harm surely.

I soak them in TheSource glug cos its yummy

 

[paul blackbourn]

OK guys this is a question i have thought about for awhile and as yet cant get my head around.-- what is the reason you guys soak your mixers? i always notice on my local water i go to for a bit off floater fishing,if my bait is in the water too long it seems to sitlower inthe surface filmand the carp ignore it while sweeping up the freebies.its not my hook or anything as as soon as i put a dry mixer on they get straight on it.
So like i say just wondering the reasoning behind the soaking?

Andy, a good tip i find is to glue the mixer to the back of the shank of a drennan specialist hook.very good strong hooks,do this by cutting a groove into the mixer and glue the hook into it. this presents the baitvery well.
Also if you have a few freebies out there when they are feeding confidently or fishing at range it can be hard to see the one with hook in! i get around this by sticking 2 mixers together then you can easily spot when it gets taken.

Hope this warm weather hangs about i fancy some off the top now im thinking about it,wonder if she will let me out at this time???/forum/smilies/i_dont_know_smiley.gif

 

[trev (100M bronze)]

Do you think the fish can detect the cyanacrolate (spelt wrong I know) glue on the mixer ?

 

[paul blackbourn]

Not that i have noticed,as said earlier the trick is in the feeding i find.Get them really competing for it and half the time they teake it off each others nose!

Im sure its not the glue that spooks them as i thought that so tried some on a hair and some with a band and the same result,after they have soaked in the water for a bit they get ignored.They prob. know its me after them so they just want to mess with me! lol

 

[Frothey]

maybe they like it......

the average chum mixer cant do any harm, just another scare story put round by people trying to come up with a reason to ban them.

trimmed cork is always good as a hook "bait" - its worth glugging it in salmon oil or the like - as it tend to sit higher in the water, and you can re-cast easily

the SonuBaits floaters are pretty good too, and are great to have in teh rucksack "just in case"

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Many would do well to listen to Mr. Frothey - - - - he who knows!

 

[Frothey]

he who googles..... lol!

I still suffer from the problem of the fish knowing which bait inamongst the free offerings has the hook and moving away fromthe area leaving myhooked baiton its ownsome.

theres no wonder rig with spooky surface feeders, the best thing to do is trickle bait in 3 or 4 baits at a time, waiting till they've cleared the baits before putting more in,so that the fish get competitive and hopefully they'll foget to be wary!

 

[paul blackbourn]

yeh, i like the look of the sonubaits floaters but so far im having trouble finding them in my local tackle shop.i will keep an eye out for them.They will probably stock them around january!/forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

I have tried the cork balls and they do work well but i seem to always get one fish on them and the rest will ignore them after i have caught one ,almost like the one i catch goes back and says " that fool just dragged me out the water by my mouth and didnt even have the cheek to give me real food"