Getting straight to the point:
I "forgot" a fish or two in my cooler 2 weeks ago. Sitting out in the several days of triple digit heat waves that we had they had some time to cook up. When I went to get those suckers out it was bad! So I drained the water out before I emptied and the back of my truck still stinks today because of it.

So my question:
Could I get a load of shad, put them in a bucket, close it up and have the same chum that I get with soured grain? Would I get the same results?

Not sure, but it REAKS. I did that by accident. I had a frozen bag of shad, took them out one afternoon and put them in a bucket on the back patio in anticipation of the evening trip. The trip didn't work out, I went to work the next couple days never going back out in the yard. Luckily I had the bucket covered, but when I took that lid off I thought I was gonna loose it, nasty nasty black goey stuff. I dumped out in a nearby field asap, might have made good chum i guess.

PS: A good strong bleach soak will cure the smell.

Holzer, I'd go ahead and try it. Some people subscibe to the theory "the smellier the better" when it comes to catfish bait/chum. It's times like those you described that I'm gratefull for a decreased sense of smell.

Another benefit will be the "bonus chum" that you yourself will personally provide after dispensing the shad! (vomitus projectus)

I have a REAL understanding wife so i filled a 2 gallon bucket up with shad, let it sit out in the back yard for a couple of days and then froze it and then chummed with it.All was done with the lid fastened very securely until time to use it. No smell and none on me

did it work?

yeah it worked great and i put the frozen block in an onion sack so the goodies wouldnt float off

Ima plannin' on takin' a cheap grinder I bought at Bowie trade days, a sack of milo, and a bucket full o' shad and makin' up some nasty stuff. I've mixed up some pretty rotten stuff that made people upwind gag...if it makes me gag it's pretty dern good. If it makes me yack...then it'll be the best it can be...I expect this stuff to be the best of the best.

Freezing that smelly chum is a great idea. I have done it in the past and it works great. Make sure you let it ferment before you freeze it, of course.

the best thing I'v used is trolling with my wifes old dirty drawers. After shes had'en on for a week they're good and ripe and it seems to bring the big ones in from all over the lake

Tried the same here, and all I got was Carp! LOL, man, you made me laugh more than when we watched the Hogs eat my little brother!!

I started 5 gallons of milo about three weeks ago and in this heat it's plum rotten and the lids on but not tight.Could i use some plastic containers and freeze a couple quarts to see how it works ?.

Guess I'll give it a try sometime.
I'll have to build up my tolerance though. That last time was pretty rough

Stinkbate, your wife must have some sense of humor or she never checks this site!! If she read that post she'd be chummin with your body parts, lol. Thanks for the laugh!!!

I've got three 5 gallon buckets. Each is 1/2 full with sour grain. Bout a year and a half old now. I occasionally add some water or beer and stir. Couple of weeks ago I bought 10 lbs of shrimp here on TFF. Got them home, took the heads off, chopped them up and dropped them in one of the buckets and stirred. Wonder how it smells now?