Nov used to be all about chum

[Gobble Doc]

I sure wish the chum fishing in the Skagit was like it used to be.  I remember just getting the fever to go chum fishing the closer that it got to Thanksgiving.  What a major bummer. 

[singleshot12]

You can thank your local native american and the caviar industry for that 

[Gobble Doc]

It really stinks.

I found this pic from 2002.  It was an epic battle for me on a bug rod. 

[singleshot12]

That's a big dog!  Yep 02 the Skagit, Stilly and other rivers were teaming with Chum and now  ...maybe some day it will come back.

[1morebuck]

I'm not much of a Chum fan, but thats a good looking ol' buck!

[Ripper]

Chums are fun to catch. I might just get over to hood canal this year. I used to go up to the skagit all the time. I love that river, it's real shame whats happened to it the last 10 years. We can only hope that someday it will get back to what it once was. It's going to take a lot of people opening up their eye's and realize what they have done. Someday.................................

[singleshot12]

  and don't forget the Stilly!  It's a shame we have to drive all the way over to Hood Canal to fish chum with the masses now.

[fish vacuum]

WDFW gave the chums to the commercials. The way they let 'em net in Skagit Bay, Port Susan, and Port Gardner over the last few years, it's no mystery why there are so few left.
It used to be normal to have chum carcasses all over the bank while winter steelheading. Now I might see one or two on the beach for each run that I walk into.

[Ripper]

Agreed singleshot, there used to be masses of chum in the Stilly. It is strange to think that I'm acttually going to drive all the way to Hoodsport for Chums! 10 or even 5 years ago for that matter the thought wouldn't have crossed my mind. That should be an indicator to the powers that be what we sportsman will do to scratch our fishing itch, and the money we are willing to spend. The commercials don't even begin to pump the dollors we do into the local economy. And shouldn't that be our goal, to stimulate the local economy? I'd better stop, I can feel my pulse increase and I'm starting to steam!