It really comes down to making do with what you've got when it comes to the decision to keep and smoke a chum this time of year. Me, I caught more than enough chrome blackmouth, springers, and sockeye to vacpac and fill my and my relatives freezers, started smoking chrome fall kings and silvers in August, and quit keeping fish the last week of September when I filled the rest of everyone's freezer space with smoked chromers. Do I need chum? No.

Now my bud who has no boat or particular skill at heavy duty predatory angling has been meat fishing for chum for the smoker. I even tried some of it, and since you could probably smoke the inside of your shoe and it would taste ok, his was edible, though pale and dry compared to the stuff I turned out. But that's the main thing, the quality of the fish going in the smoker is the main ingredient in turning out quality smoked fish.