By Capt. Judy Helmey
During the old days of chumming, lots of fishermen used glitter in their chum, but we sure didn’t talk about it. Why? It was a serious fish-catching secret, and it works as well now as it ever did.
Of course, back then we hadn’t heard of microplastics. We didn’t equate those tiny flashy flakes with pollution. Traditional glitter is made with aluminum and plastic, which is a really bad thing to be throwing in the water. Thankfully, today there is biodegradable glitter made of plant cellulose. This more environmentally friendly product enables us to keep using our old tricks without doing harm to the ocean.
When you add biodegradable glitter to your chum, the oils coat every single small piece of glitter. When it hits the water, each piece of glitter becomes fish attractant. As it slowly spreads through the water column, it catches sunlight and reflects it. The oil onboard each small piece of glitter leaves a trail that only a hungry smart fish would care to follow.
You might ask how do I know that glittering chum works? Well, when you start getting hits and landing fish, open the fish box and take a look. You know how glitter is. It gets everywhere and sticks to everything. Well, your fish box and the fish in it will be coated in glitter. Trust me.
Capt. Judy Helmey runs Miss Judy Charters off the coast of Georgia. Check them out at www.missjudycharters.com.