Bottom fish are preyed upon by the larger fish, so they usually don t range too far from their hiding spots. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times of the day. Midday is slow. Cloudy or overcast days are best. Bright, sunny days are the least productive.
Days following nights with full moons are usually slow because fish have feeding all night.
CHUM Chum is ground-up fish that can be purchased in frozen blocksat bait and tackle shops. The idea is to anchor up-current from the fish, put a block of chum in a net bag, and hang it over the side of the boat. As the chum melts, fish oil and small bits of ground fish drift back and attract bottom-dwelling fish. Chumming is a very effective technique for catching bottom fish, but the position in which the boat is anchored is critical. If anchored wrong, the chum line will pass to one side or the other and, since the fish will not be able to smell, taste, or see it, chances of catching anything will be drastically reduced.