My dad used to always tell me that if corn was legal to use for trout than we'd double our catch. Looks like the DWR is going to propose legalizing corn for bait on some select waters. Cant wait to try out my dads theory.
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This topic pops up occasionally. Is there any source you could link? I'd be interested in why they might consider reversing a long-standing policy. I don't claim to know whether it is a reasonable policy or not, but if they suspend it, why would they not do so for all waters where bait is legal?
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Date: August 25, 2016
To: Regional Advisory Council Member and Wildlife Board
From: Craig Walker, Warmwater Sport Fisheries Program Coordinator Randy Oplinger, Coldwater Sport Fisheries Program Coordinator
SUBJECT: 2017-2018 Fishing Regulation Proposals
Statewide Rule Changes
Permit the use of corn as bait at Cutler Reservoir, Electric Lake, Fish Lake, Flaming
Gorge, Lake Powell, Stateline Reservoir, Strawberry Reservoir, and Utah Lake
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i tried using corn at flaming gorge this year while fishing for kokanee. I found no advantage of corn over berkly gulp maggots , so it's not a cure all for poor fishing technique .Some people do however still remember chumming with corn which does produce fish but can hurt the fishery .
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Why wait (artificial)?
There's little jars of artificial bait that looks exactly like corn and marked down to sell at clearance prices at Scheels. Given my bargain hunting nature, I bought other bargains, but not that one. It just seems that if I want to imitate something, I'll imitate minnows, bugs, larvae, fish eggs, etcetera.
Corn's attraction might be it's cheap enough for chumming where legal. But, to pay the same price for just a single piece to be on a hook of something artificial just to be legal when I can instead choose a shape that appears to be what the fish are actively eating seems to me to defy the otherwise low cost of corn advantage particularly when there is still no chumming allowed.
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In stocked waters most likely I would think. They use pellets at the fish hatcheries to feed the trout, which is made up of starch, like corn.
Its' like chocolate milk for me, as a kid I loved it and always will.
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I have used corn straight up out of the can for the last two years for kokanee on Flaming Gorge and have killed them even when others have said it is slow. Love corn.
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Corn is great bait for carp as well. I would most likely use it to catch carp if its use is approved. One of my favorite tricks is turning a piece of bread into channel cats. I'd like to try that with corn as well (bread to catch carp, cut up the carp for bait, catch big channel cats!)
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If you look at the water's listed, they may have stocked trout, but they are primarily warm water fisheries with big carp populations. The change in the regs is mainly to allow the use of corn for carp. Corn is by far one of the best carp baits around. It is used in Europe and England for trophy carp fishing. Flaming Gorge has some huge carp, carp that will hit a jig or crank. Some of them are in the 20lb class and if you fish them on light line, 1,2,4, 6lb, you will have a fight of your life. Not sure why Fish Lake , Strawberry, and Electric are there. They may be trying to see what the negative effect might be if any !! Seem like a good move to me !!
Those waters listed are mostly Kokanee lakes and the DWR recognizes that corn is a great bait for kokanees so they are possibly willing to let us use corn on selected waters with kokanees and some warm waters with carp. At least that is how I'm seeing it.
Mike
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Corn is a natural fish food. Works great in the snake.
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Yep I noticed that as well. I get Strawberry since there are Kokanee. I know people have used corn to catch trout where legal as well. I thought all the only species in Electric Lake are cutts and tigers. Yeah I suppose there are forage species as well but maybe you are right and they are trying to see what would happen by using corn on those bodies of water...if it passes. [
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I for one hope it does. I have a buddy from high school who fishes for monster carp and buffalo in Texas. He has seen some of our pictures of carp from Utah Lake and the Jordan River and was astounded when we said we caught them on bread. He mainly uses corn and boilies to catch those 20lb and up class fish. Could be fun...
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Looks like Strawberry will be removed from this proposal and Deer Creek will be added.
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I agree gmwahl that the idea probably is to allow use of corn for kokes and carp. I think it's a great idea to allow it. I would certainly use the shoepeg corn for koke trolling, and it would be fun to use it to catch carp at Utah Lake for catfish bait. What about Yuba? Yuba is also a good place to catch lots of carp with rod and reel.
Even if Utah Lake is the only place they allow it, I'll be happy enough.
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carp love corn! caught tons of them using corn back in Illinois. I have caught a handful on gulp corn as well , when they turn their nose up at a night crawler corn would usually get them- really effective in rivers where the scent would travel downstream
caught the one if this pic on corn
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Corn as bait
Earlier this year, DWR biologists posted a fishing survey at the agency’s website. “Would you support the use of corn as legal bait in Utah?” is one of the questions the survey asked. A total of 3,210 people answered the question. Seventy percent of them said yes.
Randy Oplinger, cold water sport fisheries coordinator for the DWR, says corn is a cheap and easy bait to use. “I think that’s one of the main reasons anglers would like the chance to use it as bait in Utah,” he says.
But doesn’t corn harm fish that ingest it? “That’s something many anglers have believed for years,” Oplinger says. “Study after study has shown that isn’t the case; fish can easily ingest and process corn. It doesn’t pose a threat to fish.”
So, if corn doesn’t hurt fish, and it’s an inexpensive and easy bait to use, why isn’t it allowed in Utah? Oplinger says biologists have two concerns.
“Chumming (tossing bait into the water to attract fish) is illegal at every water in Utah except Lake Powell,” he says. “Corn is an easy bait to chum with.”
Biologists are also concerned about more litter at fishing waters in Utah. “We don’t want to see empty corn cans and discarded corn lining the banks of waters in the state,” he says.
Despite their concerns, biologists are willing to give corn a try. They’re recommending a two-year pilot study at selected waters in Utah. The waters that have been selected have kokanee salmon or common carp in them. “Corn is an effective bait for both species,” Oplinger says.
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[quote wagdog]
I thought all the only species in Electric Lake are cutts and tigers.
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Electric Lake also has kokanee.
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Good to know. Thanks Kent!
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I remember as a young kid trolling with Corn on Flathead Lake in Montana....man we caught alot of salmon.
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Nice post. I was going to ask if someone knew if that was true about corn because I honestly didn't.
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