When striped bass are around but scattered, chumming lets you bring them to you. By putting a steady scent trail in the water, you pull fish up-current to the boat, then feed them a cut bait drifting naturally in the slick. It is patient, effective fishing that consistently produces, including some very big bass.
Setting the slick
The heart of it is a steady, consistent slick of ground menhaden (bunker), often from a chum pot or a slowly thawing chum log, supplemented with cut chunks. Anchor (or hold) up-current of structure or a channel edge so the slick washes down to the fish, and keep it going, an on-and-off slick lets fish drift away.
Fishing the baits
Drift cut baits (chunks of bunker or mackerel) back into the slick at varied distances, on a fish-finder rig so a fish can pick up the bait and move off without feeling resistance. Use inline circle hooks (required for striped bass bait): do not swing to set, let the fish take and turn, then come tight and let the hook find the corner of the jaw.
Tip Keep the slick steady and let the baits drift drag-free. Bass follow the scent up-current expecting to find loose chunks tumbling in the flow, so a bait that sits unnaturally or a slick that sputters out breaks the spell.