My small fishing boat has built-in fishboxes that drain overboard through macerator pumps. The macerators chop particles of fish so they do not clog up the drain pipes. Before leaving the dock for a day of fishing, I place one or two frozen chum blocks in one of my boxes and add a bucket of seawater and a little menhaden oil. By the time I get to my first fishing spot, some of the chum block has melted and is ready to be pumped overboard. I flip the pump switch to start a nice, even chum line without handling a ladle or getting chum all over the side of the boat. If I get lucky, I fill the other fishboxes. If I get really lucky, I run the pump until the chum is gone, dump a bucket of water in the box to flush it, then fill it with ice and load up the fish. The chum works great while slow-trolling, drifting or at anchor.
– Ted Lariviere, North East, Maryland
