Palu ahi, make dog, etc chum bag and Penn 12vsx

[AlohaDan]

Was talking to Alan about the new Penn 12 with spectra (he has 500 yds I believe) and use with palu ahi

For those unfamilar with the technique checkout pages 27-31

http://www.wpcouncil.org/pelagic/Documents/FinalHandlineBackgroundDocumentCouncil3808.pdf

Besides the technique the Hawaiian history is pretty interesting in itself.

If you prefer a rod and reel over a hand line the Penn seems like an ideal reel for this technique with the use of non stretch spectra. I've used a 16vsx (just caught my first Marlin on it    ) with the square fold over bag, but haven't been able to trigger the slip knot over 20 fathoms due to strech in the mono top shot. (Note I'm also having some problems using an open cone without a wrap, but a different problem I'm working on. )

Targets are fish congregations like at FADs (fish aggrevation devices , nee buoys) at 30-50 fathoms for tuna for example.

Not sure if the technique has West Coast applications, but would like to hear from those with a competing chumbag technique.

[alantani]

long report. did a quick scan.  it's an interesting technique.  it would be interesting to run a chum bag from the boats out of san diego.  i'm concerned that it might attract sharks first......   

[Bryan Young]

It would have to be in international waters. I believe chumming is illegal in California as I had to learn all new fishing techniques 

[Makule]

I'm always amused when people (even "historians") make the very common mistake of referring to the technique as "make dog", and some people actually think that it has something to do with a dog (in Hawaiian, the term, "make" means dead, so some mistakenly think it has something to do with a dead dog).  In truth, the phrase is actually Japanese and is "maki dogu" (pronounced mah key doe goo).  "Maki" means, "to wrap", or something that is wrapped.  "Dogu" roughly means gear/tackle.  The name was given because the chum was wrapped in a cloth bag, along with the weighted and baited hook. 

The use became popular because the ahi were often very deep and would not come up to the surface since the chum (being light) wouldn't drift down far enough.  Although the bait was put on a weighted line, it was felt that having chum at depth was much more effective than having just one bait for attracting fish.  Gradually, the baited chum would be raised higher and higher until the ahi were at a more comfortable working depth.

The images contained in the report were interesting as I saw some people that I knew.  The places are still the same (in some photos) such as the Wailoa Estuary and the Suisan auction house (although it's no longer used for auctions it's still there).

[onemako]

In FL we actually have some city and county laws that prohibit fishing for sharks from some piers and on land. Other areas they dont care. Some dont allow chumming too close inshore as to draw sharks in. If your in a boat and out just a little way alls fair. I think it is mainly a thing to keep the visitors from getting scared when you drag one up on the beach.

[smnaguwa]

Hawaii fishing books by Jim Rizzuto and Mike Sakamoto are also good references on palu.

Makule, did you know the Yamashita's of Papaikou? -former kamaaina

[Makule]

Makule, did you know the Yamashita's of Papaikou? -former kamaaina

Possibly.  What's the first name?

[Dominick]

I'm always amused when people (even "historians") make the very common mistake of referring to the technique as "make dog", and some people actually think that it has something to do with a dog (in Hawaiian, the term, "make" means dead, so some mistakenly think it has something to do with a dead dog).  In truth, the phrase is actually Japanese and is "maki dogu" (pronounced mah key doe goo).  "Maki" means, "to wrap", or something that is wrapped.  "Dogu" roughly means gear/tackle.  The name was given because the chum was wrapped in a cloth bag, along with the weighted and baited hook. 

The use became popular because the ahi were often very deep and would not come up to the surface since the chum (being light) wouldn't drift down far enough.  Although the bait was put on a weighted line, it was felt that having chum at depth was much more effective than having just one bait for attracting fish.  Gradually, the baited chum would be raised higher and higher until the ahi were at a more comfortable working depth.

The images contained in the report were interesting as I saw some people that I knew.  The places are still the same (in some photos) such as the Wailoa Estuary and the Suisan auction house (although it's no longer used for auctions it's still there).

Makule:  I love this stuff.  Keep it up.  Dominick

[misanthrope]

That chumming method is ingenious!

Some methods used for Halibut, Salmon Shark, etc. here are:

1. Newspaper baggies (long ones). Attach closed end of bag to fishing line using a strong rubber band. Fill the bag with your choice of chum and leave enough room at the open end to twist the end of the bag closed or staple the bag shut. Drop the line down and as the bag goes deeper, the pressure will open the bag up and spew chum all the way down.

2. Bait balls attached to the anchor. This is going to give us a bad name, but it works.  Take your sport caught pink salmon(yes, it's legal here to use sport caught pink and chum salmon as bait in salt water in my area), steak it, toss in blender and fill 2.5 gallon bucket. Add water, stir. Take a length of rope, put a knot at the end or a few knots and set the knots into the bucket with the bitter end hanging out of the bucket. Try to keep it centered as best you can (you can use your racks in your deep freezer to hang the line if you want) Set in chest freezer and let freeze. When you're ready to use it, toss the bucket in the boat(bait ball will separate from bucket enroute to your secret hole), tie a loop into the bitter end that hands out of the bucket and using a long line clip or tie directly onto the anchor, drop anchor if it's shallow enough and let the bait ball melt.

3. Chumming with mesh. Steak your chum (in our case, pink salmon), toss them into a mesh laundry bag or duck decoy bag, tie bag off to rope, attach weight to bottom of bag and lower into the water at whatever depth you choose.

The only fish I don't hand line for up here in AK are large halibut and sharks. I still use rods, but the arthritis in my right hand makes it hard to reel so I use my right hand as my rod.

MVM Poplar YoYo, 50yds of 40# clear Ande mono since I'm only targeting salmon right now (was using 20# Trilene Big Game but it had to much stretch), 150# cheapo snap swivel/swivel, 200# braid sporting a Buzz Bomb with 2/0 Gamakatsu treble. The bead makes me believe I'll catch a fish one of these days.

[Robert Janssen]

3. Chumming with mesh. Steak your chum... toss them into a mesh laundry bag or duck decoy bag...

...Or a big onion sack. Large, relatively strong, and usually free from your local grocery store. And when you're done, you can just throw the stinky thing away.

And if you like you can mix the chum with some sawdust to get an bigger chum cloud with floaties.

Maybe everybody knew that already.

.

[seaeagle2]

I get a lot of funny looks when I say this, but for shrimp bait, I take the bait pellets, and put them in panty hose.  Then I take frozen ground up mackerel and cut it into pieces and put it in panty hose, works great, basically a three foot mesh bag, put in a handfull of pellets, tie it off.