DIY: Chum Pot

A chum bucket is anything that spills out small amounts of blood and chopped up chum into the water behind a boat. The purpose of this is to attract species such as shark or barracuda. As the chum and blood enter the water through the bucket, these species begin to swarm towards the easy food source. Make your own chum bucket and head out for blue water to land the big one.

Things You'll Need

  • Large plastic bucket with lid (known as #5 buckets)
  • Power drill with 3/4-inch bits
  • Marine rope
  • 2 to 3 lbs. of loose sand
  • Chum of your choice
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Instructions

    • 1

      Set the #5 bucket on a flat work surface or into a bench vise. These buckets are usually available at hardware stores. Drill out random 1/2- to 3/4-inch holes around the upper two-thirds of the bucket. As a rule of thumb, keep two-thirds of the bucket intact and drill the rest with a swiss cheese-looking set of holes.

    • 2

      Pour the sand into the bottom of the bucket, up to the first hole. This is for weight on the bucket when dropped into the water.

    • 3

      Tie the marine rope to the bucket handle using a double figure eight or double-square knot (see Resources). Tie the other end to a boat cleat near the rear of the boat.

    • 4

      Hold the bucket over the side of the boat and fill with the chum and blood. Place the cap on the bucket and toss it overboard to allow the blood and chum to seep through the holes and into the water as the boat trolls forward.