Anyone use canned sweet corn for bait? How do you fish it? Under a float like you would worms or crickets?
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Anyone use canned sweet corn for bait? How do you fish it? Under a float like you would worms or crickets?
It's very underrated as a bait. I use it mostly for carp, but I got a ton of trout on it this summer. Bluegill and catfish love it, too.
It's the perfect size for gills. I usually put one or two kernels on a #12 or #14 fly hook. A small jig hook would work well, too.
I fish it under a float about 90% of the time. For carp, cats and trout, I fish it right on the bottom. For gills, I usually fish 6" to a foot off bottom. Occasionally, I will forego the float and just fish it with a weight on the bottom.
If someone (me) was going to fish off the bank somewhere for bream and didn't know how deep it was how would you start off fishing it? On the bottom with a leader? Or start off under a float and throw it out to a fishy looking spot and if no bites in 10 or so mins raise the float a foot or so?
I fish like this all the time. The first thing you have to do is plumb the depth. To do this, guess the depth of the water to start and adjust the depth of the float accordingly. For example, I pick a spot on the bank and (based on the slope of the bank), I guess the depth to be 5'. I then set my float (always a waggler) 5' from my hook. I add enough weight around the base of the float so that 1/2 to 1" of the float is sticking out of the water. I then clip another split shot onto my hook and cast the rig out. If the float disappears, I've got it set too shallow. If the shot on the hook does not register at all, I know it's set too deep. I then adjust the depth of the float in 6" or 1' increments till I find the EXACT depth. After I've found the exact depth, I cast around and look for any drop off's. I recently picked up one of the portable Hummingbird sonar units which are great to use on new waters. This helps a lot, but you still need to use the float method to fine tune the depth.Quote:
Originally Posted by smoothlures
After I've determined the depth and found any drop-off's, I chum to draw in the fish. Maggots are unbeatable for gills, but corn will work, too. The key phrase to remember when chumming is "little and often". Chumming is an art, not a science, and most people screw it up by throwing in too much bait. In warm weather, I'd probably chum 5-6 grains of corn every 5-10 minutes -- less in colder weather. Based on how the fish respond, chum more or less.
Hope that helps.
Great info, thanks a lot.
Carp seem to like it alot--never caught no perch with it,caught some catfish,but i think its mostly just premium sucker fish bait.
I dont want to hijack this guys post, but do people actually eat carp?
No one that I know of eats them. They're just fun and pretty easy to catch on light tackle cause of their average size.
They have them in some of the lakes and rivers around Washington. I've seen Asians keeping them, but most everyone else just throws them away or buries them for fertilizer. They are considered a trash fish and they're one of the few fish that it's legal to fish for in WA without a fishing license. It's legal to take them in any way that doesn't involve firearms, explosives, poison, or electricity, so people can spear, net, or bowfish for them. It used to be illegal to return a carp to the water, though I'm not sure if that's still the case.
I used corn for brim when i was younger maybe I should start using it again next time I go for brim. And people do eat carp have not tried it myself.
When I started taking my daughters out fishing I used corn b/c it was easy to use and always caught bream. I usually just tie a snelled hook #12 or smaller on the end of their line and cover the hook in corn. They gently cast (too hard and the corn flies!) to the spot and usually they get a hit. It's also fun for summer dock fishing b/c the fish pile up under the corn and a few kernels of chum like Disco said does wonders to turn the bite on. I like the fact that the corn is not too messy and it's a good way to get kids into fishing.
They were brought to Europe from Asia as food fish. Likewise, they were brought from Europe to the US for the same reason. As with any fish, the cleaner the water they come from, the better they taste.Quote:
Originally Posted by dmbutler47
I, however, do not eat them. (I don't eat anything I catch -- gills, crappie, etc.) I fish for them because they're big, they fight incredibly hard, and they get almost no pressure.
Yes, and it's CHEAP! Walmart sells 11 oz. cans for $0.50. That's enough for a couple of days of fishing.Quote:
Originally Posted by fishindaddyo
Quote:
Originally Posted by smoothlures
... using a slip sinker, and just cast it out and let it set on the bottom. Leave a couple of feet of slack in the line, and when you see the line tightening up ... set the hook :p
This is how I used to fish for Carp/Catfish (though, not with corn) and it worked pretty good.
If I was going to use a float ... I'd probably use a very small one, with no sinker, and a hook no bigger than a #6.
If your outfit will cast it -- you might even consider just a hook with 1-2 kernals of corn on it, and cast it as far as you can, then let it slowly sink.
I don't think I'd wait more than 3-4mins, before adjusting depth or changing the spot where I threw the bait.
I may have to give this "corn" a little "field testing", myself :p
.... luck2ya ... cp :cool:
Thanks for all the info. I think I'm gonna wait til this sleet and rain leaves and it warms up a bit and then give them a try.
Also, a lot of people seem to use small hooks. Growing up I would always use a #8 for worms, crickets, mayflies, ect. Does it matter for corn?
I always match my hook to the bait. One or two grains are all you need, and a #12 or #14 hook will handle that just fine. I use those hooks for everything from gills up to double-figure carp. If you're not used to using them that size, move down gradually.Quote:
Originally Posted by smoothlures
I always get asked "Don't they swallow that little hook?" No, not if you've got the right setup. The key is the float. Most people use insensitive floats that don't show bites quickly enough (if at all.) Also, I mash the barbs down and use a disgorger to remove deep hooks. It's much better than a hemostat or pliers.
Alright, I'll give 'em a shot. What brand/model do you use?
I usually go with Bass Pro hooks. They're chemically sharpened, and they're cheaper than Tiemco, Mustad, etc. For gills, I'd go with a dry fly hook. For bigger fish, a nymph hook is usually better since it will be stronger.Quote:
Originally Posted by smoothlures
Alright, I may get down to the BPS at Myrtle Beach this weekend. Thanks again.
While you're there, pick up some Orvis Super Strong tippet in 5X and 6X sizes for a leader. I always tie a 6-8" length of tippet to the end of my line. You will get more bites than if you used plain 4-6 lb mono tied directly to the hook.Quote:
Originally Posted by smoothlures
Thanks for the tip. I may pick up another rod, too. Got a favorite bream rod to cast jigs/use corn, worms, crickets, ect on that's inexpensive?
I like to get the long shank snelled hooks b/c for me they're easier to get out. Disco- you're right about the can of corn and cost/fish value. 1 day and 20-30 fish later you may have used half the can. Then go home and refridge the rest and use it the next day. Is spring here yet?
For float fishing, I use 12-14 foot English and Italian rods. Unfortunately, none are available in the US. The closest substitute is Cabela's 13' live bait rod.Quote:
Originally Posted by smoothlures
Bass Pro's 8.5' float n' fly rod in their Microlite range is a good one. They go for $39.99, but they frequently put them on sale for $29.99. The 9' or 10' Wally Marshall rods might also work well. Don't go longer than 10' on the WM rods, though. The actions are too soft on the longer rods.
For tossing jigs, the shorter Microlites are very good for the price. The cheaper St. Croix's are also nice.
Alright, I'll let you know if I pick one up. I could go tonight, but with the roads as wet/icy as they are, I don't see any point.
Tip for using corn: rinse the corn thoroughly in fresh water before fishing. That washes off the sticky liquid it comes in. If you don't do that, your hands get sticky, and it gets all over your rod and reel.
Another cheap and effective bait is Spam or hot dogs cut up to fit your hook. Gills love it.
I use corn to catch Trout here in PA.I like it when the serious flyfisherman look at you in disgust when they see you using and catching fish with corn.
Check out the Berkley Cherrywood rods ;) and watch for sales (WallyWorld usually has a bunch of them, and they do run clearances on them) I think you can usually find them for < $20.Quote:
Originally Posted by smoothlures
I don't have any, but my fishing buddy uses them (almost exclusively) and he holds his own with me (and my more expensive rods) when we fish together.
You'd probably want at least a 6.5ft rod, and a med action. The length would allow you to cast farther, and with lighter stuff, plus take up a greater percentage of slack on the hookset .... and since they're already a fairly light action rod, you'd probably find a "lite action" to be too whippy.
Pair one with a 500-1000 series size reel, and some 4lb test, and you've got yourself a decent and inexpensive gill/crappie outfit.
... cp :cool:
Thanks CP.
Depending on the weather I may or may not go to BPS today, but I may add another Ugly Stick to the collection. I just realized I have a Pfleuger Trion that's only a few months old on a rod that broke it's tip, with 6 pound test Sufix Siege on it. The Trion's a very nice reel, so I don't see any point in getting a new one.
Thanks though.
a lot of times, if we find the big bags of generic popping corn (just the hard kernels), we'll sprinkle the hard kernels all aroudn the area we are going to fish (the dock space)...
really used to make a big difference -but watch out for those carp!
Chumming is illegal in a lot of places... its illegal in the entire state of California I know that.
Glad to see all the postings about using corn for bait. My wife won't bait her own hook OR take a fish off...I'm gonna take some corn and at least knock one of those off my plate! Looking forward to spring if that stinking salvinia plant doesn't take over my fishin hole!
I do. I love those big boys!Quote:
Originally Posted by wannagofishin
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff213
chumming....are you serious?!?!? I wouldn't consider putting corn kernels in a dock slip chumming....
I've used canned corned for bluegills only cause where I was at had no bait and tackle shops that I knew of... works great when I'm trout fishing, caught plenty of carp on corn and catfish too.
but most of the time I end up eating it all haha
I have never used corn for bream. I caught my share of trout on it though. On one bream trip, I had some salad shrimp left over from a trout trip the day before. The bream tore them up. And, they stayed on the hook better too. Since then I have experimented with coloring them with food color and adding some minced garlic. I didn't see any difference than just using them as they come.
DP
Shrimp is another awesome bait. It works in fresh or saltwater. We've had a few threads on it here. Bread is great, too. Just pinch a small piece on the hook, and it will take most freshwater fish.Quote:
Originally Posted by DRPEPPER
You really don't even need to go to a bait shop. With corn, hot dogs, bread, and shrimp, you could catch plenty of fish.