How to catch carp with corn [Best Bait for Carp Fishing]

One of the best carp baits is corn. This article explains exactly how to catch carp with corn. We discuss: How to prepare dried corn for carp fishing? What rigs to use with corn? How to chum with corn? The advantages of using corn as carp bait and the downsides to using corn. Everything you need to know about fishing for carp with corn.

Why is corn such a good carp fishing bait?

I think it’s mainly down to the bright coloration. A handful of corn on the lakebed is instantly seen by any passing fish. And as carp are very inquisitive species they will almost always take a closer look and often start feeding.

We have found corn to be a particularly good bait on waters that see very little angling pressure. Each time we go fishing in the USA we will always use corn to catch carp, as has an instant feeding response from carp which have rarely seen anglers bait before.

Corn is also very soft and easily digestible for the carp. Although fish don’t get a whole load of nutrients from eating corn it does pass through their digestive system very quickly, which means you don’t need to worry about overfeeding the fish.

The last reason for corn being an all-time favorite bait for many anglers is because it is so cheap. Most supermarkets will sell corn in tins or kilogram bags, the larger bags are definitely the cheaper option.

However, if you’re willing to put a little bit more effort into the preparation of the bait you can buy dried corn to catch carp. This is normally available in 25-kilogram sacks and it is incredibly cheap.

If you choose to use dried corn it is important that you prepare it properly so it’s safe for the carp to eat.

How to prepare dried corn (maize) for carp fishing

Fill a container with your chosen amount of corn. Cover with water and let it soak for 24 hours.

Pour your water and soaked corn into a boiler. A larger boiler is ideal to boil large quantities of bait, although your kitchen saucepan will do.

Boil for one hour or until the corn has soaked through with water and breaks apart. Drain off the water and it’s ready to use for fishing.

How to tie a corn rig for carp fishing

Now let’s look at a simple corn rig. To tie this rig you will need the following items: some coated braids, a size 8 or 6 Y gate X hook, a baiting needle a stripper tool, a pair of scissors, bait stops, and lastly, you will need a hook bass.

Real corn will do fine but if crayfish or turtles are a problem in your lake then fake corn is a must.

Take around 12 inches of braid off the spool. Next, you need to strip two inches of the coating back.

Tie a smaller overhand loop knot in the stripped-back subsection to create your hair loop.

Thread your chosen hook bait onto a baiting needle, in this case, I’m using two pieces of fake corn. Thread your corn off the needle and onto the hair and secure it in place with the bait stop.

Take the other end of the braid and thread it through the back of the eye of your hook. Now set the length of your hair, I normally leave a small gap between the hook and the bait for a little bit of natural movement.

Now wrap the braid around the shank of the hook about ten times before threading the braid back through the eye and pulling it down tight.

At the other end of the braid tie an overhand loop knot. You can now attach your hooklink section to your chosen led setup by pushing the loop through the swivel and putting your hook and bait through that same loop.

Now pull down tight and you have a simple corn rig ready to cast out.

A great way to add a little attraction to the hook baits is to attach a small PVA bag of loose offerings. A bag of small pellets or crushed boilies works perfectly.

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How to lose feed corn for carp fishing

Now let’s take a look at how to lose feed corn. If you’re fishing very close in you can simply throw it out by hand. However, if you’re planning to fish further out in the lake you need the help of a few other bits of kit.

A strong catapult with a large pouch is good for basing up at a medium distance and if you’re planning to fish further than 40 yards it is necessary to use spawn.

We will often start a session by feeding five to ten handfuls or spawns of corn and after this initial baiting will always top the swim-up after every fish we catch.

However, if the lake you’re fishing holds nuisance fish, especially bream and tench it’s worth making up a little bit more often to ensure there’s always some bait they’re ready for when the carp come into your swim.

When I arrived at the water I’ll first walk around the lake and bait up some spots. My personal favorite way to do this is by baiting up margin spots by hand, fishing clothing is always so exciting as you can keep an eye on the bait and often watch the fish feeding.

Once three or four spots are baited I’ll simply keep an eye out on the areas until I see signs of fish feeding. This may include bubbling tail patterns fish jumping or if the water is clear you might even be able to watch the fish feeding on your bait.

Once you have an idea of where the fish are it’s time to drop your rig in. Normally when that fish feeding on your bait bites doesn’t take long at all.

Corn has caught us more fish than any other bait and it’s even helped us catch some of our biggest carp.

I hope you found this article useful. Thanks for reading we’ll see you again soon. Happy Fishing!