1. **Anchor Your Boat**: Select a suitable location typically 15ft-100ft of water and securely anchor your boat.
2. **Start Chumming**: Begin chumming the water to attract ballyhoo. Use a chum bag filled with fish parts, oats, or other attractants to create a steady stream of chum.
3. **Wait for Ballyhoo**: Be patient as the ballyhoo are drawn to the chum and gather behind your boat.
4. **Deploy the Net**: Once a sufficient number of ballyhoo have gathered, deploy your ballyhoo net into the water behind the boat. A cast net or hoop net works well for this.
5. **Pull Up the Net**: Carefully and smoothly pull up the net to catch the ballyhoo, ensuring you don’t scare them away or lose your catch.
6. **Handle Your Catch**: Separate the ballyhoo you want to keep alive from those you plan to freeze or use immediately. Place live ballyhoo in a well-aerated live well.
7. **Preserve the Rest**: Freeze the remaining ballyhoo for cut bait or use them for rigging mahi baits and trolling baits.
Using this method, you’ll have a reliable supply of ballyhoo for various types of fishing year round.
