How to Make Chum Buckets

For the avid fisherperson or shark watcher, chum buckets are a necessity. However, purchasing prepared chum buckets can make your hobby an expensive habit. Once you make the initial investment in the tools necessary to make a chum bucket the cost to make your favorite bait becomes much more manageable. Always follow proper safety precautions when using a chum bucket to attract the monsters of the sea.

Things You'll Need

  • Fish
  • 4-gallon plastic bucket with lid
  • 5-gallon plastic bucket with lid
  • Meat grinder
  • Drill with 1/2 -inch bit
  • Large freezer
  • Nylon cable
  • Metal carabiner
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Grind the fish with the meat grinder. For best results, use fish that are local to the body of water you are fishing in.

    • 2

      Fill the 4-gallon bucket about three-quarters full. Cover the bucket with the lid and freeze overnight.

    • 3

      Drill holes around the perimeter of the 5-gallon bucket in a 4-inch grid.

    • 4

      Dump the frozen chum from the 4-gallon bucket into the 5-gallon bucket.

    • 5

      Attach the lid to the 5-gallon bucket. Drill a hole near the edge of the lid. Drill another hole in the bucket underneath the hole in the lid so you can hook the carabiner to the bucket.

    • 6

      Tie a 12-foot section of nylon cable to the carabiner using a lineman's loop knot (see Resources). Hook the carabiner to the bucket.