From all I've read here it seems to me that if I threw out about a 1 lb coffee can of range cubes in about 4 shallow flats, less than 10', and marked my chum spots with a balloon tied to a rock. Then start fishing spot #1, etc, with a live/cut shad head on a hook about 2' below a cork...I'd likely find catfish on some of the chum spots. I'd appreciate feedback from more experienced cat fishermen. Thanks!

I would try this in some flooded timber or some place that has some structure IMO.

To answer your question.. It might work. If you chum where there are no fish, you likely won't catch many. Don't try to bring fish where they don't want to be. You need to chum near structure such as timber, a brush pile, point, hump, creek channel, etc. Use a dip bait (Secret 7) or punch bait (Sure Shot) if you plan on fishing over chum. It will be much more effective than shad. If your cork is set at 2 feet deep and your chum is 10 feet deep on the bottom, your bait is not close enough. Keep your bait near the bottom where the fish are feeding. Hope your balloons don't pop.

Be sure to use or try Mr. Whiskers. To me outfishes the above mentioned baits everytime. They are not consistantly made it seems to me where as Mr. Whiskers is the same 98% of the time. And still handmade by Tom Whitlock (AKA Mr. Whiskers) himself at 72yrs. young and still guiding almost everyday. You don't here of folks catching a 100 fish a day much but he does and does not bait holes at all. He just has tremendous bait and knows his stuff. Look at his website. mrwhiskerscatfishbait.com and check out some of the pics. I am in one of them and also a personal friend. But would not use the bait if it did not work.

+1 Bobby

Sure shot is made consistently everytime by Benny Roberts at his home in Decatur Tx. with ingredients he finds himself and Secret-7 is by far the best dip bait I have ever used.Kid Chuckles not trying to be rude but you should know about other baits like Sure Shot that are handmade also before you say they are not consistently made. I have used Mr. Whiskers and have caught alot of fish from it and it is a good punchbait,any one of these baits would work well if there are fish on that spot that's why Mr. Whiskers guide does so well he knows where the fish are and Sure Shot and Secret 7 would produce just as many fish guaranteed. Oh and throw in some Big Marv's punchbait also.

+2
I agree that there has to be some sort of attraction to the general area before chum will work unless you chum it regularly (daily) for a long period of time. You will still need to get your bait closer to the chum. I personally like to have my bait 4-6" above the chum. A 20oz coke bottle would work better than your balloon and you can put something like notebook paper or bright colored construction paper inside to make it more visible. I like to tie toilet paper on the tree that I chum near. It is biodegradable and will be gone with the first good wind or rain.
Good luck

Bobby, I really appreciate your advice. I think to be more specific, I would really like to go after blue cats and I have two local lakes that have a lot of blues. I have read a lot of Tiny's tips and that's where I got the idea that live/cut shad was the bait of choice. I have also read that range cubes will draw cats. I've bought a throw net and I can catch shad. I could drift fish and change live/cut shad heads often. Wouldn't this leave a scent trail that would work for me? I know a rock ledge that holds cats as I've caught them on plastic worms while bass fishing. On the other lake I've caught some blues also on worms whike bass fishing. I caught these in the upper end of the lake where there is a shallow creek channel and lots of standing timber. I would just like to target the blues instead od just getting lucky.

If you're going after blues then don't waste your time and money fishing over chum. Baited spots will produce mainly channel cats and a few blues at times. Shad is not the right bait for channel cats over baited holes. You need to follow the shad to pattern the blue cats. Tiny has some great information on his site and posted in the sticky thread above. Lots of folks catch fish by drift fishng. Not my preferred way to fish, but it does work. I'd rather locate the fish, anchor up and wear them out. You can also cut the learning curve down quite a bit by hiring a catfish guide on your lake. You'd be amazed on how much you can learn in just a few hours on the lake with a good guide.

Bobby da man!

Thanks again Bobby. I'd prefer to anchor as well...that's where the idea for chumming a hole came in. I don't have confidence that I can locate the blue's...sure don't think I can spot them on my flasher. I think I can control only maybe two lines at a time drifting or I can pull the fresh cut shad around with my trolling motor. I think I want to leave a scent trail for them to follow and not saturate the area by circling around spreading the scent confusing them with too much scattered scent. I'm retired and launch in the dark every morning. Just looking for a way to improve my odds. There are no guides in my little rural west tx town and most week days I may be the only boat on the water.

Find the timber, piers, or other structures from 4 to 11 ft. of water this time of year. Don't use a full coffee can full in one location. Throw out a couple hand fulls and then move on to another likely spot and do the same. You should be able to chum three spots with a one pound coffee can of chum.
After you throw in the last chum, go back to the first location and start fishing. If you have no luck in ten minutes or so, move to the second. Repeat until you find a spot they are biting. I prefer chicken liver cut in squares with treble hooks. Carry a hook remover with you and lots of extra hooks. Like the others said, this is for channel cats. I doubt you will chum many blues up.

I like to use sour wheat and cast it out with a dust pan it gives a wider area for them to feed and stay around longer in 15 foot on the flats along creek channels. Mark it with a marker bouy use 2-3 shots of wheat and fish about 1 foot above it. Danny Kings blood has done the best for me.

Lots of ways to do this, and those that are posted all seem good. Since the lake I fish in most the time is quite warm this time of year, I prefer to fish water above the depth of the thermocline. Catfisher makes a great point, fish a foot or so above the bottom; never let it all the way to the bottom. I use a cork on my line to accomplish this, but you can put a small weight on a foot or so below the hook. There is a skill to using the punch baits and I have not mastered it. However, if the fish are there they will take liver, punch bait, shrimp, etc. I would think the punch baits would help draw the fish in due to the smell.

great advice here except i never use dip/punch bait always cut or live shad or worms or liver doin the trick for me