Corn Corn Corn

zombiekiller

I know corn is a proven Bait. I keep getting caught with no worms/maggots on a sunday on the royal canal and i just cant catch with corn,not even a bite. I seen a few perch so i threw 2 pieces of corn in and watched them swim around it but that was it so in case i was spooking them i went back to my rod came back down and the corn and perch were still there. Then i stopped at a river on the way home because the first fish i ever caught when i was 13 was a trout on corn. I threw my corn into a deep pool while hiding behind bushes then casted one or twice more in the same pool but nothin. While reeling in i got caught in the bank so went down to unsnag it a three nice size fish shot out of the pool where my bait was.

Any ideas

croo

I fish the royal too, in the mullingar area, and I've found corn is an excellent bait. I'm catching better roach and tench... though there are fewer. and no small perch which is a plus for me. I've been experimenting with flavoring with syrup to sweeten the corn. It hasn't seemed to put the fish off but, for me at least, I've not found any great increase in interest. perhaps there are other flavours people can suggest. The bait does need to be on the bottom and static. I've tried feeders and float. .. both caught for me but I lean towards the float.

zombiekiller

Dont even talk to about tench thats next on my list. I haven fished extensilvy with corn. i know it works just not yet for me. If i threw a weed rake in and groundbaited would it have to be the next day to fish. As i dont drive and its a bit away

Bio Mech

zombiekiller wrote: »

Dont even talk to about tench thats next on my list. I haven fished extensilvy with corn. i know it works just not yet for me. If i threw a weed rake in and groundbaited would it have to be the next day to fish. As i dont drive and its a bit away

Corn can be a bit hit and miss on the canals I find. I usually have some but don't have a huge amount of faith in it. I would use it in part of my prebait mix and then fish do sometimes switch on to it but it wouldn't be my first line bait.

I would generally be using maggots, casters, worm, hemp, bread punch ahead of corn. I would even be using frozen dead maggots ahead of corn. If you groundbait with dead maggots in the mix you can fish dead maggots over the top (if you are stuck for live ones). You could also set up a compost heap or wormfarm if you have space and then you will always have a supply.

jimbev

try luncheon meat cut with a bread punch can prove great at times

zombiekiller

well as i only stopped for an hour it was just hook bait and loose corn thrown in. can you explain freezin maggotsnand nhow long to casters last or would they have to be frozen too.

Bio Mech

zombiekiller wrote: »

well as i only stopped for an hour it was just hook bait and loose corn thrown in. can you explain freezin maggotsnand nhow long to casters last or would they have to be frozen too.

I just freeze them in a Ziploc bag. Remove all the air from the bag seal and pop in the freezer

Maggots and caster will last for up to a week or more in a fridge. Depending on temperature. I always have a box in the fridge. When they start to turn to casters I riddle them and separate the casters or freeze the maggots. The frozen maggots go in my prebait mx or on the hook if stuck.

The canal is not always great for a short session. It often needs time for fish to move in. If you have a quick hour spare the river might be a better bet on stick float. Lovely way of fishing.

niallon

When I started back on the canal this year I was only making half a**ed attempts about two evenings a week so had no maggots or worms, just corn for convenience. Caught fish alright but only two or three Rudd in a few hours fishing.

Got more serious around April or May and started picking up maggots, reds only as I keep hearing people swear by the preference of Tench for red baits.

Since then I've had most success on a cocktail of one piece of corn and a single glazed red maggot, all Tench bar one this year caught on that combo. When I have the time, I steep the corn the night before on some warm water and honey, don't know if the flavour/scent makes much of a difference but I find it hardens the corn a bit more to stay on the hook and usually stops the Rudd up top nibbling it to bits before it hits the bottom.

I use any groundbait with a name for Tench and leave corn out of the mix, only maggots. I'd throw the odd small handful of corn in around the float if the fishing is slow. Also found, like clockwork on the Grand Canal where I fish, once 10pm rolls around, switch to corn only. Missed out on Bream for two nights before twigging this one, they won't touch the reds for love or money!

All that said, I've been having average to good fishing this season so wouldn't be swearing all of this as gospel!

croo

I've had most success on a cocktail of one piece of corn and a single glazed red maggot

I've not tried that but I will now.

I steep the corn the night before on some warm water and honey

I was just using golden syrup no water - I will try that too.

Missed out on Bream for two nights

I've been trying for bream this year (tench last year) ... I've found nice rudd & tench come on between the point when the sun leaves the sky (about 8pm) to dusk (10pm currently). But then I pack up and leave... should I be staying if I want to catch bream? (Sorry to hijack your thread a little zombiekiller).

niallon

croo wrote: »

I've not tried that but I will now.

I was just using golden syrup no water - I will try that too.

I've been trying for bream this year (tench last year) ... I've found nice rudd & tench come on between the point when the sun leaves the sky (about 8pm) to dusk (10pm currently). But then I pack up and leave... should I be staying if I want to catch bream? (Sorry to hijack your thread a little zombiekiller).

I've caught Bream anytime from 6pm onwards this year but found them more active after 10pm, could be any number of reasons for this though, maybe I'm only getting the groundbait mix right four hours later :-P

Also the spot I fish is five minutes from home so I can stay late as I like without a trek home. That and there's little more exciting than watching a night light twitch in the water!

Be careful of rats though, Grand seems to be absolutely infested with them this year

zombiekiller

croo wrote: »

(Sorry to hijack your thread a little zombiekiller).

I love it, takin it all in. I asked earlier in the thread can you throw a rake in your swim and fish straight away there or have to wait maybe that nite or next day.

niallon

zombiekiller wrote: »

I love it, takin it all in. I asked earlier in the thread can you throw a rake in your swim and fish straight away there or have to wait maybe that nite or next day.

Anytime I raked I fished in the same session, that was due to laziness more than anything but it produced fish. Problem with raking this time of year and with this weather is that the canal is so filled with weed that anglers are going to look for spots that have been raked if they haven't one of their own, you'll come back that evening/next day and your spot will be gone!

uch

I'd Rake a swim as soon as you arrive at the Canal, then mix your crumb, then setup your gear, by the time you are ready to fish all will be good, also don't put in too much crumb after raking, as Raking itself stirs up the natural food in the canal for the fish. Always work to the logic that you can put more crumb in, But you can't take it back out again.