When it comes to effective fishing baits, there is barely a species around that hasn’t been caught on sweetcorn, so you will want to know how to use it. The good news is that this cheap and effective bait is really easy to use. Today we’re looking at the best fishing sweetcorn techniques and offer some top tips to help you catch.
The Best fishing Sweetcorn technique is simply hooking a single kernel of corn. Push the hook’s point through the rounded top end, curl it around and push the shank until the hook bend emerges from the bottom of the corn. The bulk of the hook should be inside and the point outside.
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What Fish Will Take Sweetcorn?
The good news is that most fish will fall to sweetcorn. As an added advantage, it tends to discourage smaller nuisance fish. Here are some of the fish that you could catch if you fish with sweetcorn: –
- Carp
- Tench
- Large Roach
- Bream
- Barbel
- Chub
You may have to adapt your tactics. Depending on how heavily fished it is, the best sweetcorn fishing techniques may not be the same for each venue.
Read on to find out how the most effective techniques
Sweetcorn Fishing Techniques | How Do You Bait a Hook with Sweetcorn?
Corn is easy to hook and really versatile. Here are the best ways to hook sweetcorn for effective bait presentation: –
Single Hook Method | One Grain, Three Techniques
There are quite a few ways to hook a single kernel of corn. Generally, there are three techniques to choose from.
1) Hook point through the top – This method we described above. Taking a size 16 -18 hook, Insert the point down into the domed ‘top’ of the corn to one side. Thread the hook bend around, and once it is about to emerge from the other side of the dome, push the shank down until the bend pops out of the ‘open’ flat end of the corn. Rotate the hook so the point and bend are on the outside of the corn.
This is one of the best sweetcorn fishing techniques if you are casting any sort of distance.
2) Hook into the bottom of the corn – Take your hook point and insert it into the open flat end of the corn. Work the hook around until it is entirely covered by the outer husk of the corn. With a little practice, you’ll be able to leave the hook point barely exposed.
This is the best sweetcorn fishing technique if the fish are wary of anything that looks even slightly unnatural.
3) Side hooking sweetcorn – If the presentation isn’t critical and you just need a rock-solid anchor for casting, this could be a great sweetcorn fishing technique. Simply insert the hook point into the flat side of the corn and work it through the opposite side.
Double Corn
While it is nice to catch any fish, you may only want to target the bigger species, such as carp and tench. If you are plagued by big roach or skimmers, this is one of the best sweetcorn fishing techniques.
You’ll need to use a bigger hook. We find a size 14 is ideal. You will also be fairly limited for space. To ensure that either piece of corn doesn’t come flying off, we recommend that you hook both pieces through the domed top end.
Hair Rigged Sweetcorn
Hair rigs have often been a deadly technique, especially for filter feeders like carp. If you’ve put down a decent bed of corn as ground bait, the fish will be heads down, sucking in and spitting out grains.
Want to see what it looks like when carp are feeding on corn? Check out this short video.
The beauty of hair rigs, aside from them being deadly for carp, is that you are no longer constrained by hook size. You could thread even three or four kernels of corn onto your hair, making a nice juicy corn kebab which will really stand out against singular grains.
Pop-Up Corn
Here’s a top tip if you are fishing over softer or muddier swims.
Pop up, sweetcorn.
This would be particularly effective for carp when fished over contrasting ground bait.
How do you make the corn pop up and float?
Easy.
Freeze it the night before.
As corn freezes, the water within expands, creating little air pockets. This adds buoyancy to your corn and will help it stay up off the bottom. If you aren’t getting quite enough float, there is another solution…
Imitation Sweetcorn | When and Why You’d Use it.
There are loads of advantages to using imitation sweetcorn.
Here are some great reasons why it could be the best choice for fishing: –
1) Imitation corn has no shelf life – Unlike the stuff provided by Green Giant, imitation corn is entirely synthetic. As a result, it keeps forever. It’s a good option to have stowed in the bottom of your box and doesn’t require any special storage to keep it in good condition.
2) Artificial corn is cleaner and easier – By now, you’ve probably discovered that the juice in the can gets really sticky. With imitation corn for fishing, this isn’t a problem. Oh, and you don’t need to mess about with a can opener either.
3) Synthetic corn is reusable – Unlike regular corn, if you haven’t got a bite, you can simply unthread artificial corn and stick it straight back in your bait box for next time.
4) It is easier to find unusual colours – Every man and his dog is throwing out yellow (or red) corn. Go for something different. Luminous green, purple or even blue corn will all work
5) Imitation fishing corn casts better – Being all rubbery artificial corn is better for casting, especially at a distance, as it is much more durable
6) Artificial corn floats consistently – While our above freezing technique works well, it isn’t as consistent as the artificial bait.
Colouring and Flavouring Sweetcorn
The best sweetcorn fishing techniques will have on word that makes them successful.
Variety.
To do that effectively, you can impart either colour or flavour into your corn to make the fish drop their guard. Here’s how to do it: –
- Take a bait box or large bowl and add your corn (tinned tends to work best)
- Add around 1 tablespoon of flavouring or colouring (or both) and give it a gentle mix.
- Let it rest for at least 4 hours (overnight is better)
Don’t drain the water! That, too, is packed full of sweetness and corn flavour. Either include it in your bowl or, if making ground bait or boilies, it makes for a great flavour additive all on its own!
The Best Sweetcorn Fishing Techniques | Final Thoughts
Fishing with corn isn’t rocket science. The best fishing sweetcorn techniques are actually pretty easy. Don’t be scared of variety. Feel free to experiment with flavours and colours. And, above all else, ensure your corn is hooked effectively for both casting and easy hooking. Provided you follow these tips, you should be good to go. Looking for some effective carp recipes? Check this article out!
