How to Build a Chum Churn

Dead fish, fish guts, fish slime, and fish blood and oil, a mixture also known as chum, are irresistible to trophy-size game fish. But deploying your chum is a messy endeavor. The Chum Churn, a chum grinder made of PVC pipe and a metal blade obviated this problem. A homemade chum grinder similar in concept to the Chum Churn takes only a little bit of time and effort to put together and it has the potential to improve your fishing.

Things You'll Need

  • 36-inch-long piece of 4-inch-diameter PVC pipe threaded on both ends
  • 2 threaded caps for 4-inch diameter PVC pipe
  • PVC glue
  • Paintbrush
  • Power drill with 3/4-inch drill bit
  • Small knife
  • 48-inch-long piece of 2-inch-diameter PVC pipe
  • Hacksaw
  • Metal 'D' ring
  • Epoxy
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Instructions

    • 1

      Paint PVC glue around one threaded end of the 4-inch-diameter PVC pipe. Screw one of the PVC caps over the glue-covered end and allow the adhesive to dry.

    • 2

      Drill a series of holes in the 4-inch-diameter PVC pipe about 1 inch apart starting near the capped end of the tube and running 12 to 15 inches up the length of the tube. Drill the holes ascending each face of the tube so that there are multiple rows going along the tube. These are holes through which your chum will pour into the water.

    • 3

      Drill a hole slightly larger than 2 inches in diameter in the remaining threaded 4-inch PVC cap. The 2-inch PVC will need to pass through this hole to act as your chum grinder, so test it out a few times to make sure it slides through easily. Scrape the sides of the hole with the small knife if the fit is too tight.

    • 4

      Cut a series of small 'Vs' in the bottom of one end of the 2-inch diameter PVC pipe with the hacksaw, leaving a ring of small teeth. These teeth will grind your chum.

    • 5

      Screw the cap with the hole in the middle onto the end of the 4-inch PVC pipe and push the piece of 2-inch PVC tubing through the hole. Make sure the 'teeth' of your grinder are directed into the larger tube and the smooth end of the 2-inch pipe is projecting outward as a handle -- this is the end you will grip and jam into the larger tube to make mush from your chum material.

    • 6

      Epoxy the metal 'D' ring to the side of the 4-inch-diameter PVC tube just below the top (i.e. non-glued) cap. This 'D' ring is what you will use to tie a line to your new chum churn, connecting it to your fishing craft.