Catching carp with corn - practical tips

Catching carp with corn

This is one of the hardiest fish and can live anywhere. They are able to survive in a wide range of water temperatures and are highly resistant to pollutants and agricultural runoff. It can even live in brackish environments in coastal areas. Although it usually prefers large lakes, reservoirs and slow-moving rivers. However, ditches, canals and park ponds can support healthy carp populations. This makes the species a popular target for urban anglers.

When you decide to explore your local waters for carp, it's worth taking these general habitat characteristics into account:

• Warm water. In most bodies of water, the shallow water along the shoreline is often warmer than the main body of the lake or the main flow of the river. Therefore, even if the local river is their main habitat, they can still be found in side channels. Warm water ponds and lakes of the species often support populations.
• Muddy, silty water: It is rare to find carp in a clear environment. It is worth paying attention to muddy waters near the shores of lakes and reservoirs or in the side channels of large rivers.
• Vegetation. Thickets of bushes, grasses and weeds serve as the main habitat for insects, also crustaceans and minnows.

How to use corn as bait

Recipe for corn bait No. 1

To prepare you will need:

1. Canned corn (1 jar).
2. Vanilla (2 teaspoons).
3. Strawberry yogurt or fresh strawberries.
4. Dry mixture for carp (2 kg).

Mix all the ingredients into a homogeneous mass and form small balls from them. Use immediately.

Recipe for corn bait No. 2

To prepare you will need:

• Boiled corn.
• Sugar (per 1 kg of corn - 2 tablespoons of sugar).
• Flavor with any sweet smell.

1. Soak the corn for a day, then boil it in slightly sweetened water.
2. After the grains are cooked, add flavoring with sugar and the bait is ready.

You should feed carp with corn in this way:

1. The bait should be thrown into the reservoir a day before the intended catch.
2. The total weight of complementary food should be at least 7-9 kg so that the carp can stay in one place for a long time.
3. In the morning of the day of fishing and during the fishing process itself, it is also advisable to add complementary food in order to continue to keep the fish in the right place.

Features of carp behavior

The diet of carp varies depending on its species and habitat, but, as a rule, it is approximately the same. This includes plants, midges, crustaceans and other types of small flora and fauna. While one female can lay over 1,000,000 eggs in 12 months, their populations remain the same, this is due to how vulnerable their eggs and fry are to bacteria, fungi and predators.

They are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. Insects, beetles, grasshoppers, leeches, crayfish, freshwater mollusks, minnows, grass, cattails, cottonwood seeds and leaves are some of the common food items. They are known to successfully develop breeding populations in canal systems and rivers. This species has become invasive in many countries. The damage caused by an invasive species can be irreversible. They often contribute to the rapid spread of algae due to the fact that they do not fully digest their food, which rots when removed. A little known fact, goldfish and koi, common pets, are a type of carp.

Main benefits gained from the use of corn

Regardless of the form in which corn is used for fishing, its appearance, color and aroma always remain attractive to carp. You can purchase this bait in sufficient quantities at any grocery store (canned corn).

Corn grains stick well to the hook, and it is very difficult for small fish to knock them down. Since large hooks are used in the equipment, the likelihood that small crucian carp or roach will swallow the bait is reduced to zero, only carp and only large ones.

When fishing with canned corn, you don’t need to use flavorings; all you need to do is open a jar, take a few grains (3-5 pieces) and place them on the tip of a hook or hair.

If you prepare the bait (corn) yourself, you can easily obtain any desired degree of grain hardness.

The choice of bait should be made based on the fishing conditions, so medium-hard grain is more suitable for currents, and soft for calm water. The advantage of the latter is that it can be easily attached to a hook; it is recommended to attach hard grain only to hair.

Equipment for catching carp on corn

You can catch this fish using a standard spinning rod, converted into a donkey and suitable bait. Spinning drums are the most widely used type of drum. The basic method involves using a lure, then adjusting the resistance so that the line can push the reel with little or no resistance. Once it grabs the bait, it can swim away freely without detecting any tension on the line. The easiest way to do this is to use a spinning reel with a bait feed system.

The rotating reels have two drag systems: the main drag to fight prey. Secondary drag, which allows the drum to be driven with little or no tension (free spool) without changing the primary drag.

Types of gear for carp fishing

Since this aquatic resident is easily frightened, it is necessary that the line be absolutely calm, without any tension. A spinning rod holder removes most of the risk of unnecessary movement. Holder rods come in all shapes and sizes, from the humble fork handle to the complex "rod".

Most medium-heavy fishing rods will work just fine. However, many often use specially designed gear for carp fishing. They are usually lighter. They are also more sensitive than rods of similar strength used for catfishing.

There are many types of fishing gear that will be required. Special alarms are an important element of fishing gear. They allow you to see and hear when a potential catch is biting. It is not uncommon for many to cover multiple lines at a time. Therefore, alarm clocks have volume and tone controls that can be adjusted. This allows you to find out which line is biting.

The choice of hooks for catching carp with corn is huge. Hooks can be in sizes from 4 to 12 numbers. The hook is the tip of a huge iceberg. This is the only accessory of all carp angler equipment that comes into direct contact with the fish and is responsible for hooking. Line, leader material, bait, fishing location, tension, bait, all of this affects the result, but not in the same way as the hook.

Rating of the best carp hooks suitable for hair rigs using corn as bait:

1. Gardner Mugga;
2. Hayabusa K-1 Teflon;
3. FOX Curve Medium;
4. Korda Longshank;
5. ESP Cryogen Curve Shanx;

Hair rig for carp fishing on corn

It will be useful for every carp angler to learn how to make a hair rig with your own hands:

1. We prepare the leash (aka “hair”). For this you will need fluorocarbon, braid, etc. Special material for leashes is also available in fishing stores. You can use it. The length you need is about 20-25 cm. The excess can then be cut off.

2. At one end of the “hair” we knit a loop necessary for attaching the stopper, which will then hold the bait. This can be done in different ways - using a figure eight or a regular strong knot.

3. Then we take a fairly thin silicone tube (thick enough so that it fits securely around the hook). It is also sold in fishing stores. Cut a piece about 3 mm long from it. You can do more - focus on the size of the hook.

4. We put a silicone tube on the shank of the hook. Let us remember that this is the straight part located between the hook and the head. In this case, the tube should take place opposite the hook tip.

5. Next, we pass the fishing line (or cord, braid, etc., whatever you chose for installation) through the silicone tube and the eye of the hook. And precisely at the end where there is no loop for the stopper. At the same time, we pay attention to the length of the leash - after all, the more fishing line you pass through the tube and eye of the hook, the shorter it will be.

6. Then we tie the free end of the fishing line (where there is no stopper) to the hook and/or to the main leash. You can also, for greater reliability, first wrap it around the forend several times.

Installation of hair equipment video

How to tie a hair rig for carp fishing video

Lure

Before choosing bait, carefully analyze the reservoir:

• water clarity;
• flow;
• water temperature;
• fauna, etc.

You can buy ready-made bait at a fishing store or make it yourself. Corn can be used as bait. Let's look at a classic bait for carp.

Ingredients:

• pearl barley;
• millet;
• peas.

Instructions:

1. Pour pearl barley, millet and peas into the pan.
2. Cook for 30–60 minutes.
3. If necessary, you can add flavors and colorings - vanilla, sugar, anise, garlic.
4. Add unrefined sunflower oil (1 spoon) and honey (2 spoons).
5. The bait should sit for 30 minutes.

Strategies and Tips

Remain very patient. You need to give the fish a chance to take the bait before attempting to set the hook, and it's a good idea to have a hook remover handy so you can easily remove the hook.

If you see geese or a couple of ducks in the water, you should try to take a place nearby. This fish is known for following ducks, especially in areas where they are fed by people. She loves free bread flour and they don't care how they get it.

Choose the right shade of hook - you will get better results when using a black hook, preferably a matte one. Using corn as bait, a yellow or gold hook will work just as well.

Braided lines have a smaller diameter than monofilaments of the same strength, allowing more to be loaded onto the spool. A smaller diameter also has less air resistance. It is important to note that regardless of the strength of the line, you can apply as much pressure as the rod's reel will allow. Complex types have many of the same characteristics of a braided line, but tend to perform better with less breaking force.

Use artificial bait. Using the right artificial bait can make fishing easier. Artificial worms and maggots usually work best.

Corn works great. The color, special texture and taste characteristics are very good. Sweets from a can can work much more effectively than from the cob, probably due to the differences in taste and sodium that is added to the canned one.

Carp is sometimes not always easy to catch, and you can’t do without some tricks. The information presented above will benefit all fishermen and make the fishing process easier.

Recipe for bait with corn for carp

When preparing corn for fishing, there are no clearly defined boundaries in the recipe. Each fisherman has his own signature recipe and opinion on how to make the most of the capabilities of this type of bait. But still, the main stages of preparation are common to everyone.

For cooking, follow these rules:

1. We prepare the grains. The grain separated from the corn cobs is washed and soaked overnight in hot water. The soaking time can be increased, but it should not be reduced.
2. Let's cook.
   Before adding corn to cook, fresh water must be sweetened. You can use sugar syrup or honey for this. It takes about 40-50 minutes to reach readiness.
3. We drain the water into a separate container, and pour the grains into a regular three-liter jar. Sweeten the sweet corn broth again, add a pack of dry yeast and a few tablespoons of beet molasses.
4. Fill the grain with the resulting solution so that the water level is 10 cm higher.
5. Close the jar and give the yeast time to ferment properly. It is worth considering that corn increases in size when infused, which means it is worth leaving 1/3 of the container volume unfilled.
6. After three days, we drain the water; it is no longer needed. Pour the grains into a convenient plastic container. Now you can go after your catch.

If you just need to boil the corn, then:

• dry grains are soaked for a day in clean water;
• when cooking, they are kept in boiling water for about half an hour, the water must be sweetened;
• Corn is stored in the syrup in which it was boiled.

Corn prepared in this way resembles the ready-made canned product from the store.

Which corn grains are suitable for planting?

You can use different corn for different baiting methods. So, only boiled is used for hair installation. The purchased one is too soft and will fall off at the first sharp cast. Otherwise, there are no strict rules; any corn can be placed on a regular hook, depending on the preferences of the fisherman. Below we will talk about the species and how they affect the bite.

Canned sweet

You can buy this at any grocery store. If you need to take corn in a can, then you should take it with the “sweet” mark on the label. The smell can attract crucian carp, carp and other fish. The most common and frequently encountered brands are “Bonduelle” and “Vernet”. But for fishing, any option, even the cheapest one, is suitable. Most fishermen believe that regular store-bought sweets are in no way inferior in quality to branded store-bought ones.

Canned food is convenient to use because the corn in them is ready for use immediately after purchase and does not require any additional processing. One of its disadvantages is that it does not sit well on the hook and can sometimes fly off it.

You can also make sweets at home. To do this, it is first left in water for two to three days. After this, the swollen grains are boiled for about thirty minutes; sugar, honey or other sweeteners are added during the cooking process. When cooking, you can check the degree of readiness by placing the corn on a hook and checking how it holds on it. When cooked, you can add vanillin or other flavorings to it. At the end, leave to infuse for a day. During this time, lactic acid is formed, which will also attract the attention of the fish.

Canned

Steamed

This type can be prepared in different ways. The first method: the grains are soaked in warm water for a day. The water is changed periodically (at least five times). The soaked grains are placed in a thermos, filling it one quarter full. At this point you can add flavoring. After this, the thermos is filled with boiling water and closed for 4 hours. The steamed corn is ready. If you don’t overexpose it, it will stick well to the sting.

The second method takes less time. First, the grains are boiled in boiling water for about ten minutes. After this, the water is drained from the pan, and the grains are poured into a thermos. Boiling water is poured into a thermos and left in this form until fishing begins. With this method, the grains are very hard and sit well on the hook. When fishing with such a bait, a very small part of the sting is exposed, so that it is easier for the fish to bite through the bait.

Steamed grains

Fermented boiled

The grains are soaked in water for a day. After they have settled, the water is drained and the corn is thoroughly washed. Water and sugar are poured into the pan in the proportion of 1 tablespoon to a liter of water. The grains are boiled in sweet water for about an hour. The water is drained from the pan, the grains are poured into a container with a narrow neck. A flavoring agent (honey, vanillin, coriander or any other of your choice) is added to the grains and the container is filled with cold water. To make fermentation go better, you can add a teaspoon of yeast. Access to air can be blocked by pouring a small amount of oil into the container. There is no need to close the container itself. The resulting mixture remains in a warm place for three to four days. Fermented boiled corn is ready. After this, it can be packaged and stored in the refrigerator. In this form it will retain its properties for about a month.

Fermented grains

Artificial

The artificial look imitates real plant grains, but, unlike them, is made of plastic. It may come straight out of the factory with a smell. If the artificial corn is odorless, the fisherman can choose the smell he wants on the spot using flavoring agents. Plastic grains hold well and have positive buoyancy. They are convenient to use on overgrown reservoirs with a muddy bottom.

Artificial bait can be used on a hair rig as a float that will lift the rest of the bait. This one can be used several times. Some manufacturers promise that the scent can last up to six hours.

Worth a try. sometimes helps

Branded

Can be found in specialized fishing stores. Sold in a large selection of scents and colors. It adheres to the tip very well and does not fly off during a sharp cast. This type is preferred by those fishermen who do not want to spend a lot of time preparing homemade bait.

Branded

Recommendations for choosing a place for carp fishing

For successful carp fishing, it is very important to find a good and comfortable place. We bring to your attention the main methods of “reconnaissance”.

• You can often see fish swimming near the surface of the water, and then jumping, in general, as if “playing”. Sometimes a similar phenomenon can be observed even in many areas of the reservoir. So, at such moments the carp is not very willing to bite - it is still having fun. But it’s worth the wait, so let’s remember the place.
• Visually, fish can be seen in shallow water (especially with a sandy bottom). There, carp clean themselves of parasites (by tumbling). In this case, he is also busy and does not think about food. The surest way to find out about the time and place of zhora is to see the bubbles. This means that the carp is right now diligently digging through the muddy bottom in search of food. So let's help him in this matter!
• Take a close look at backwaters (i.e., secluded places with little current). Trees near the water give carp not only cool shade, but also various delicacies (for example, in the form of insects torn from branches).
• On hot summer days, the fish hides in the depths, waiting for the heat to subside until the evening. Another way of its “survival” is to hide in reeds or other water-coastal vegetation. Fishing in such (difficult to reach) places, of course, can pose a risk of snags, but it significantly increases the chances of success.
• It is also worth taking into account such points as the appearance of several competitors on the shore (i.e. other fishermen) or noisy vacationers. In order to correctly calculate where the fish will go from their noise, you can simply watch the wind. Carp always “walk” in the direction of the current (that is, where the wave is going).

How to hook corn onto a crucian carp

When catching crucian carp using corn, it is still better to hide the hook tip in the bait. This needs to be done for several reasons. Firstly, crucian carp is not as large as carp and its mouth is much smaller, so crucian carp will not be able to “vacuum” the bait like carp, it can prick itself while trying the bait and, as a result, simply lose interest in it.

Secondly, the mouth of a crucian carp is not as fleshy as a carp’s, so even if a crucian carp swallows a hook with an open sting, it will have every chance of spitting it back out, which again reduces the likelihood of successfully hooking a fish.

And thirdly, it was noticed that crucian carp bite worse on bait with a bare hook, while carp don’t care. That is why there will be ways in which the sting is hidden. Such mounting options are suitable not only for catching crucian carp, but also for catching fish such as silver bream, roach, rudd, tench, etc.

Method number 1. The corn grain is placed under the very top on its wide side and the sting is brought out through. Then the grain is pulled along the fore-end almost to the eye, unfolds and the sting is hidden on the side opposite to the puncture.

Method No. 1

Method number 2. The second method can be used in several variations, the essence of which is that you need to put one grain of corn on the hook and be sure to hide the sting. To do this, you can either simply insert the tip of the hook into the upper part of the corn and do not remove the tip completely from below, but leave it at the lower soft edge of the grain. Since the lower part of the grain is not covered by the skin, it is, as it were, cut off in this part, the sting when biting will easily come out of the body of the grain and with a high degree of probability will successfully hook the fish that has bitten.

The second option differs only in that the sting is still completely removed from the bottom of the corn and penetrates just a little or simply adheres to the narrow side wall of the grain from the outside.

Method No. 2

Corn equipment

How to put corn on a hook? Planting one grain involves the use of hooks measuring 15-20 units.

In the arsenal of an amateur fisherman, there are several ways to attach cereals to a hook:

1. The point of the hook pierces the middle of the end side of the grain. A variety of fasteners allows you to maintain the integrity of the bait by tightly fixing the bait on the hook.
2. The hook tip pierces the grain exactly in the middle of the front side. The grain sits tightly on the hook, the fish is unable to pick the bait. For better hooking, it is recommended to expose the edge of the sting.
3. The hook's tip pierces the skin of the thickened part of the grain. The bait hangs completely, and the hook remains open 65-75%. Experts recommend using this type of bait for catching large fish (more than 1 kg); the “fry” can easily steal the delicacy.

Several grains

Placing several grains is aimed at catching large specimens (over 1.5 kg). The bait is a sequence of several tightly threaded corn, a kind of garland. Experts recommend choosing flat grains that are easily pierced in the middle part.

Through the middle of the grain, grains (no more than 6-8 pieces) are placed on the hook, the skin of the last link slightly covers the tip. The treat is evenly distributed over the clasp area. Planting cereals in the form of a garland makes the bait natural, which attracts fish.

Sandwich

How to plant corn correctly: equipment. A sandwich is a combined bait that combines components of animal and plant origin. The bait is used at the peak of passive biting in order to interest the fish. The contrasting combination of colors and smells attracts the attention of an underwater hunter. In conditions of a muddy bottom, the equipment becomes noticeable; in dark water, the fish follows the smell. The nutritional value of the bait is effective during periods of seasonal gluttony.

Corn and maggot sandwich:

• Maggots are placed on the hook; the amount of animal bait depends on the size of the chosen pocket. It is important to insert the larva through the head (the head part is larger than the tail). It is easy to determine the “head” of a maggot; in the thickened part of the body there are horizontally located points resembling eyes.
• The maggots are pushed towards the shank of the hook. Corn grains are placed on the pocket (the number of grains depends on the size of the hook). The sting should only penetrate the skin of the thickened part of the corn.

Corn and maggots are distributed in such a way that the baits do not overlap each other.

Corn and worm sandwich:

• the sting is passed through the center of the grain to ensure a tight attachment of the bait. The number of grains depends on the selected hook size.
• a worm is attached to the hook: the sting is threaded through the head and tail of the bait. The resulting loop will ensure secure attachment of the bait.

Hair editing

Hair montage is a trick of a smart fish that senses the presence of a metal hook. A delicacy hanging on a leash does not arouse suspicion among underwater inhabitants, and the appellant does not fly off during casting. It is used exclusively for catching large fish; the fry will only gnaw on the corn, unable to tear it off the hook.

Materials and components:

• hook (sizes vary depending on the desired trophy);
• leash (line, cable, braid);
• transparent silicone tube (prevents the leash from bending);
• mounting needle;
• plastic stoppers (ensure the immobility of the granules).

How to properly place corn on a hook?

Installation work:

• a piece of leash 0.2-0.3 meters long is cut off;
• a loop is made at the end of the leash for further placement of plastic stoppers;
• the loop made is passed through the eye of the hook from the inside;
• using a mounting needle, a silicone tube is placed on the shank of the hook to prevent the leader from breaking;
• the leash is attached to the fishing line using a previously made knot;
• using a mounting needle, the bait is attached to a leash (the bait consists of 2-4 grains of boiled corn);
• Plastic stoppers are installed to secure the structure.

The “hair mount” bait can be purchased in specialized stores; the fisherman will only have to plant the grains.

Corn-based bait has proven itself among domestic fishermen. Combining rigging methods allows you to catch a trophy during the period of passive biting. In order to deceive the fish, you should combine fastening methods and grain sizes.

Source: orybalke.com