Published Articles

E-Z Clean Chummer	PRODUCT REVIEW By J.B. Casper The Fisherman August, 1992
CANYON PRODUCTS FISH BAGS Soft Bags Keep Your Catch Fresh	CATCH THIS By Pete Barrett The Fisherman September 14, 1997
Boat Show Provides Look At New and Unusual Ideas	FISHING By Nick Karas Newsday January 15, 1985 (excerpt from)
Fitting Out Your Blue Water Chariot	FISH BOXES/FISH BAGS By John N. Raguso Salt Water Sportsman March, 17, 1988 (excerpt from)
Atlantic Shallows	By John N. Raguso Fins and Feathers March, 1988 (excerpt from)

 

PRODUCT REVIEW
By J.B. Casper
The Fisherman
August, 1992

E-Z Clean Chummer

Now that the shark season is in full swing and bait fishing for tuna is just starting to kick into gear, many anglers who ply the blue water for these gamesters are recalling not only the thrill of the hunt, but also the mess of the chumming chore. Have you ever tried to remove the fragrance of ripe bunker juice from your hands or unsightly menhaden oil stains from your brightwork? Sun dried chum can add extra time to your cleanup at day’s end, especially when you’re running late to meet the wife, girl friend or kids at the end of a long day.

Enter a marvelous invention by fisherman/tinkerer Arnie Howitt to save the day: the Canyon Products E- E-Z Clean Chummer, or just plain "chum bag" for short. Before we detail the benefits of this product, let’s set the stage by taking a short overview of the evolution of chumming to understand its challenges and liabilities.

The art of chumming for offshore pelagics can be divided into four distinct periods or phases, sort of like the evolution of the dinosaurs. At first there were those primitive types who would catch fresh bait and chop it up by hand to attract larger game. In the next period, those enlightened individuals who would find a better way, secured quantities of chum by grinding up their baitfish in industrial strength machinery, freezing it in a 3.5 gallon circular tins for subsequent use. Distribution into the saltwater medium would be achieved by mixing small quantities of frozen chum with sea water to create a bunker broth, finally doling it out by hand via a ladle at prescribed intervals. The third phase of this ritual advanced to the state where those who disdained orange/brown chum stains pockmarking their craft employed any of those ubiquitous white 3.5 or 5 gallon plastic spackle pails, which were emptied of all contents and drilled with a series of 1 to 2 inch exit holes. A whole tin of chum would then be inserted, the lid to the pail replaced and the entire package tied off to a cleat where the chum would come out automatically as a no-fuss finished product. The only problem with this latest wave of execution, is that either the hard plastic edge of the chum pail of the metal rim of the chum can itself would do heavy damage to the gel coat on the side of your boat where was tied off, should the current of wave action bring them together during the course of the day’s drift. The latest refinement in this never-ending process, or phase #4 is the E-Z Clean Chummer by Arnie Howitt’s Canyon Products Company.

Becoming the next step in the evolutionary ladder of current "state-of-the-art," this fold-away, roll-up durable nylon bag is just the ticket for all those offshore aficionados who are looking for the logical, affordable alternative to these age-old challenge of no-mess chumming, no matter what their species of preference. Equally adept at housing either a standard 3 or 3.5 gallon tin of chum sold at most Long Island and New Jersey bait stores; the 1 quart, 1/2 gallon or 1 gallon milk container contents of the do-it-yourself chummers; or the flats of chum usually sold down South, the E-Z Clean Chummer easily conforms its flexible shape to adjust to the source of the frozen block of chum, and will do a superb job at meting out a steady bunker beacon, while keeping the topside’s mess to a minimum. Measuring 22 inches in depth by 13 inches tin diameter, the Canyon chum bag is manufactured from a heavy-duty bright yellow, neoprene-coated nylon rip-stop material. The sides are constructed from 14 ounce fabric and the bottom from an even sturdier 18 oz nylon. There are approximately 120 one-inch diameter holes cut in the bag’s top section, and the unit that I have also has four holes of identical proportion cut in the bottom. A length of 1/4 inch braided nylon rope is threaded through a series of nickel plated brass grommets that are geometrically situated around the perimeter of the bag’s opening , which allows me to attach it either to my Seawolf’s midship or stern cleat, so all chumming components are allowed to perform their task in the desired environment; overboard and not underfoot.

The E-Z Chummer is also simple to use, even for the first-timer who is not schooled in some of the former phases of the art of chumming. Just take your tin of frozen chum and allow it to sit in a straight-vertical position on the deck. Next, invert the chum bag, slipping the opening of the E-Z Chummer over the can’s exposed lid and slide it all the way down and over the can of chum, totally encompassing it. The final step is to flip the bag over so that the tin of chum is resting upside down in the Chummer, and tie the 1/4 inch line off on a cleat and get down to the business of catching fish. A helpful hint is to punch 20 to 30 holes in the frozen can with a screwdriver of old bait knife so that water will enter the frozen block of chum from all conceivable angles and give you a good slick throughout all the stages of your drift. We normally lift the unit out of the water after the initial half-hour, removing the can from the frozen chum ball, thereby producing a concentrated bunker beacon that will last for 2 1/2 - 3 hours in 68 degree water. If you are using slabs of chum, simply break the block in half and slip each into the E-Z Chummer, whose flexible shape will conform perfectly to handle this chore.

At the end of the day, just drop the chum bag into a bucket of soapy water for a minute or two and that’s all that is to cleaning it up for the next foray into the briney. The tough, durable exterior of this unit will not strain or retain any odor of its former cargo. About the only complaint I have about the E-Z Chummer is that after almost two full seasons of use, the 1/4 inch nylon tie line has discolored slightly from swimming in the chum filled oily water; but hey, nothing’s perfect, right? All kidding aside, this it THE right tool for the job of chumming, and its nominal price of $20 to $25 dollars should make it a mandatory item in the arsenal of every boat that plies the offshore circuit in pursuit of big game.

Manufactured by:
Canyon Products
25 New York Avenue
Huntington, NY 11743
(631) 549-1155

CATCH THIS
By Pete Barrett
The Fisherman
September 14, 1997

CANYON PRODUCTS FISH BAGS
Soft Bags Keep Your Catch Fresh

After battling a big tuna or a mako shark, anyone who ventures offshore for these hefty fish must figure out a good way to protect the catch after it is boated. As good as today’s fishing machines are, few of them have in-deck fish boxes big enough to hold a 200-pound bigeye or 10 foot mako shark. Even the largest of above deck coolers can barley hold a catch of more than a few yellowfin or large school bluefin tuna.

Years ago when I ran a 25 Mako to the shark grounds and out to the canyons, I used blankets soaked with seawater from the saltwater washdown system to keep tuna fresh on the ride home – a difficult chore in the 80-degree August sun. Even striped bass fishing required the use of big Rubbermaid cooler up on the foredeck to hold trophy size fish caught on a live bunker or trolled on a bunker spoon.

Fish storage is not just a problem for small-boat fishermen. Many of today’s "big" boats have plenty of features and amenities in the salon cabin, but lack a fish box big enough to hold a serious canyon catch of tuna.

Canyon Products of Huntington, Long Island has the ultimate solution – for large boats and small – in their comprehensive line of soft, insulated cooler bags. These fish bags hold lots of fish and they will keep them so cold your fingers will hurt from the chill when you filet the catch back at the dock.

VERSATILE, DURABLE BAGS. The bags are made in two parts, both from neoprene coated, heavy gauge nylon. The Outer lining has two layers. The stitching is doubled for maximum strength and the nylon threads will not rot. A large nylon zipper is sewn around three sides of the outer bag, making opening closing a quick-zip. The inner bag is a rubberized liner with over-sized, heat sealed edges and seams and comes with an unconditional on-year warranty. A nylon strap at the top end closes the bags after fish are slid in place. A drain plug at the bottom end makes draining the fish gurry at the end of the day and easy chore. Since the bags are soft, they roll up for handy storage when not in use and Canyon products provides nylon or elastic straps to keep the bags rolled up neatly when in storage.

MANY SIZES FOR MANY FISH. There are eight different bags that will hold all sizes of fish from bluefish and stripers to bigeye and bluefin. Most of the various size bags come in a typical rectangular shape, but there are also elongated bags for wahoo, kingfish, and shark. The B22 Yellowfin Bag measures 40 by 60 inches. And the larger B20 Bigeye bag is 40 x 84 inches. The B18 and B16 models are called marlin bags but are typically used to store swordfish, sharks and that occasional blue marlin meant for a tournament weigh-in.

Smaller bags serve as flexible "coolers" and will hold lots of inshore species like stripers, blues, channel bass, cobia, cod, pollock and drum. The B14 measures 30 by 65 inches, and the B12 Small Boat Bag sizes out at 30 by 50 inches. The elongated B25 Wahoo bag is also good for small sharks, kingfish, and striped bass and it measures 20 by 60 inches. The B26, the Soft Coller bag, serves as a soda, food and fish filet bag and measures 20 by 25 inches.

HOW DO THEY WORK. I have to admit I was skeptical when I bought my first bag many years ago, but after one fishing trip, it was obvious this is the way to go for added fish storage. Tuna and sharks are gutted, and the heads removed, then stuffed into the inner bag along with several bags of cubed ice. The outer insulated bag keeps everything chilled so well that I’ve returned from overnight canyon trips and have still had unmelted ice in the bag after 20 hours! I add a small amount of seawater to the inner bag and the resulting salt brine is freezing cold.

To keep the deck clear, the bags have a loop at the top end that can be roped to the leg of a tower, hardtop or rocket launcher so the bag is partly vertical. I usually slip my bag under the footrest of the fight chair and can easily slide six of more 50 to 80 pound yellowfin into the B20 bigeye bag.

CLEAN UP IS A BREEZE. The bags are easy to clean. I unzip the outer bag and lay it flat, then w3ash it with a soapy mitt and hose it off. The bat is hooked to a big nail on a dock piling so the water can drain off as it dries. The inner bag is first washed on the outside with the mitt, then turned inside out to be hosed and soaped down A soft deck brush helps dislodge fish scales of slime. The inner bag is also hung on a piling, then turned right-side out to be hung again so the inside dries. My bag gets completely dry with this method and is so clean that I can store the bag inside the cabin under a seat. There’s no odor and no mildew. The bag can also be stored in a bilge, or in a storage hatch.

DO THEY LAST? I bought my first bag, a Yellowfin B22 model, back in 1983 and used it up until 1995 when it finally got so scuffed and battered that it just gave up. That’s a long time. At the end of each season, I’d give both bags a good end of season cleaning and scrubbing, then dry them out carefully. Before rolling them up for storage, both bags would get a generous dose of Armorall and the zippers would get a spray with a silicone lubricant. I bought a Bigeye Bag two years ago and I expect to get another 12 years of use out of the new bag.

MORE INFORMATION. Fish bags are one of the unsung heroes of saltwater fishing, but they are a necessary part of the sport. It is essential that you show the ultimate respect for a fish that gave up its life for you, to keep it chilled, clean and ready for an appropriate meal at the dinner table. Canyon Products’ Fish bags will keep your catch fresh and dinner table ready.

Write Canyon Products 25 New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743 for more information, or call (631) 549-1155 to request a catalog and the name of the nearest dealer.

After a tuna is collared to remove the head and guts, the soft Canyon Products bag will keep it chilled for some good eating back home.

Boat Show Provides Look At New and Unusual Ideas

Body bags for fish. The idea kind of startled me at first and seemed a bit macabre. Well, at least they aren't black, I thought as I took a closer look. "One big-eye will more than pay for it," said Arnold Howitt. "And if you get a giant tuna, you don't have to cut off the tail. Just put the fish in the bag on a diagonal and the inner bag has draw strings that snugly pull the open end shut around the tail.

I guess it was his own interest in fishing that turned upholstery-maker Howitt into a body-bag builder for fish. What to do with fish you catch isn't a problem when you aren't far from port, have a large cooler, the fish are small and ice is plentiful. But what happens when you are far offshore and land a 200 pound big-eye tuna or 400 pound mako shark? If you can't cool it, you can't eat it when it gets back to the dock.

Howitt, of Forean Kustom Upholstery in Huntington, foresaw the problem and designed his Canyon Coolers. They are fish bags made of Neoprene-coated nylon, with sealed-cell foam adn Dacron insulation. Fill them with fish and ice, and the emat is immediately chilled. Fish come in varied sizers so Howitt's bags range from 30 x 50 inches to 5 x 8 feet and can handle giant tuna or marlin. They range in cost from $129 to $349.

Fitting Out Your Blue Water Chariot

What good is spending the bucks on your boat, fuel and bait to catch a load of tuna and have them "pre-cooked" before you arrive back at dockside? My preference is to have the boat come with its own built-in insulated coolers, but like the rest of the fishing world, I'll carry along a Gott 172 or Igloo 151/162 if optimism prevails. The only problem with these large plastic boxes is that they take up a bunch of deck space and they're in the way and underfoot, either loaded with the day's catch or when empty. Coming up with a viable alternative, Arnie Howitt of Canyon Products in Halesite, Long Island has been turning out a marvelous array of insulated fish bags that roll up when not in use and roll out to keep your catch cool whether you'r a daytripper or an overnight canyon junkie. Even when storing the goods, the bags don't take up much room, since they can hang vertically from heavy duty straps. Arnie also manufactures a roll-up vinyl chum bag that is just the ticket for slipping in a 3 1/2 gallon can of bunker bash and not marring your chariot's gel coat; but more on this in an upcoming product review.