When ice fishing for Whitefish, Cisco (freshwater herring), Lake trout,and even Rainbow trout, “chumming” the hole is a common practice. Chumming is also use for many other species that involves cut bait, etc. for all types of fishing, but it is very different for these species through the ice. Remember to check with local fishing regulations to see if this is allowed and/or any rules governing this practice.

The idea is to put “cooked” pasta, elbow macaroni is a favourite, cut-up fine spaghetti will work, “cooked” rice, white only, down the hole to attract the whitefish, Cisco, and yes it will even work for lake trout and rainbow. The cooked pasta and rice will generally sink down the hole, but depending on the depth you are fishing at, you might want to get it to the bottom faster. You can do this by placing the pasta/rice in a saturated, small paper bag, weight it down with a rock, tie some line around it, let it sink to the bottom, wait a minute for the paper of fully saturate, give the line a yank, breakingthe bag, and leaving your chum on the lake bed.

The fish will be attracted to the “white” of the pasta/rice. Best baits to use include wax worms, maggots, meal worms, wigglers, grubs, and yes of course, when all else fails,”pass the macaroni, pass the rice, pass the noodles……”

Kraig Edwards
President
FishingNorthernOntario.com

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