| Just curious,Are the rotten chum really that good to smoke??.I know clean ones are but some of the fish i see people killing these days,Even my dog wouldnt eat one.
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Brad I have heard that they are good still for smoking. its just walking out of somewhere with one that may get some weird looks from other anglers. My opinion stick with chrome fish.
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I have had First Nations , cold-smoked Chum Salmon and considering the fact that they often smoke up a 100 or so at a time which leaves little room for paying attention to the details (which means if you have way fewer fish and pay more attention to the particulars of your brine, time smoked, etc, it'll be way better), it was fairly good. Not advocating going out and wacking a boot all the time, but if you get a descent fish and you know your brines, you shouldn't have any problems.
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Brad Dont even bother wasting your time if you want that sludge to even be held in your hand without falling apart you have to have it in the smoker for a few days and when you finally take the shoe leather out it tastes about as good as chewing on cotton. People leave the boots alone to spawn!!!!!!
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I have caugh chum, mostly the big males that look sorta old but have sea lice on them, does this mean there pretty fresh.
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From my personnal experience, and I am no expert, Chum seems to be coloring very fast as soon as they encounter water with a lighter salt content. I kept 2 chums this year and although they were colored, the flesh is beautiful and tight. Patrice
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I have smoked chum salmon many times.And I find if you get an early season fish and smoke it will turn out really good.I usually use a wet brine so I dont know if this makes a difference or not.I also smoke and dry it for about 12 hours or so.
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Why would you guys want to keep a boot{coloured} chum when you can catch chrome coho on the vedder. Or are you guys just bonking them for there roe?
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I will admit that I want to catch a chum doe for her roe, but I also want her for the smoker. However, I will not keep anything I won't eat, such as an old boot. I have yet to keep a chum in all my experiences, because they haven't been fresh enough. I hope I'm not too late this year. I may been targeting one on the weekend - could someone tell me a good method (ie. wool combo, etc.) to get me a fresh one?
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I was down on the Stave the other day working, and I saw a guy fishing at the top of a shallow rapid. He was fishing with a brass spinner with a red bead and hooked a Chum almost every second cast. Each fish that I saw was hooked in the mouth. Saw a couple of fairly clean fish too! Good luck.
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Brad, The ulgy's are turely the best for smoking, rem. people a fish is alright to eat up until it die's. Also rem. that a Chum and Pink turn to there spawing form before they get into the fresh water. As they take about 2weeks to look like boots. All I can say is try one that is how you learn about this great sport of Fishing.
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Flies will probably get you the freshest chum as it is usually only the fresh chum that bother to chase a fly. Yellow works well for me.
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As the rule goes what you dont see you dont know. Few years back I was at the Weaver creek facility with First Nation people sorting Chums for harvesting. The answer they give me for the use of these ripe fish are 1) for their Roe 2) Smoke Salmon( Smoked kippered salmon for the supermarkets). This is also true at the Vedder hatchery as I'm told. Some info Regards
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I tried a FRESH chum a few years ago from the Chehalis (doe with sea lice = <48 hrs. from the ocean) in the smoker. I used a wet brine overnight, then fired up the smoker, using alder wood chips for flavor, and cooked 'er up. What I got was after 24 hrs of smoking? A soggy, wet, smokey and sawdusty tastin salmon!! I'll NEVER kill another chum salmon ( mayber for the roe, but not likely)unless I want ONE HELLUVA FIGHT!! 'Specially' on a fly rod!
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