Is Corn "Death to Fish"?? Please post what you know...

[ldf7]

I keep hearing that corn is "bad" for trout and other fish, but I don't know the facts from the wives tales. I'd like to know what is really true. Please post your thoughts... I have used corn in the past to catch rainbows, but I want to figure out if I am killing the fish I release? Thx in advance!!

[Big.Bear]

I keep hearing that corn is "bad" for trout and other fish, but I don't know the facts from the wives tales. I'd like to know what is really true. Please post your thoughts... I have used corn in the past to catch rainbows, but I want to figure out if I am killing the fish I release? Thx in advance!!


Is corn illegal to use because it plugs the fishes digestive system?

thats what I heard.

[gonefishn]

I would say if corn has a hard time digesting in the human body, probably can kill fish! Yes it is illegal bait!

[munyee4321]

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=24339&highlight=corn

take a look at this thread

[mulecrazy]

Show me one location that it says in the regs that corn is illegal. You can't use it with a bait ban I would imagine, but if bait is allowed corn is LEGAL. I went fishing with a buddy a couple weeks ago and he was told it was illegal. where do people get this crap?

[mulecrazy]

I would say if corn has a hard time digesting in the human body, probably can kill fish! Yes it is illegal bait!

here ya go, taken right from the online regs... hmmm, what is that I see first on the list....

Bait — the definition of bait (see Definitions) includes, but is not restricted to: corn, cheese, marshmallows, meat, maggots, meal worms, earthworms, wax worms, gammarus shrimp, leeches, terrestrial insects, the larvae, pupae or adults of aquatic insects (e.g., stonefly, mayfly, caddis fly), bait fish, parts of fish, fish eggs, scented baits, power baits and all additives that scent or flavour artificial baits and lures.

[chain2]

years ago at Gap Lake the CO did a on ice check with my brother and I. His name was J.Day if I recall. After all the lics and insurance.. ect checked. He came in to my tent to warm up. I asked, "Is corn legal to use as bait?" [because I had heard the same rumors and its nowhere to be found in the regs at that time.]
His responce was, "Why, do ya got any?" Then went on a lengthy speal about the NS river down stream the dam but after all that admited to not knowing?
I'm not a bait fishin guy anyway but always keen on knowing right vs wrong...

I have been checked by many a officer but that fellah was most puzzling to me...he spent about a hour with us and we discussed alot of different topics [lever + pump actions open and bolt actions closed?]and he left us wondering...what was his intentions...test what I know or misinform knowingly...sorry the corn question took me back...:D chain

[Sundancefisher]

here ya go, taken right from the online regs... hmmm, what is that I see first on the list....

Bait — the definition of bait (see Definitions) includes, but is not restricted to: corn, cheese, marshmallows, meat, maggots, meal worms, earthworms, wax worms, gammarus shrimp, leeches, terrestrial insects, the larvae, pupae or adults of aquatic insects (e.g., stonefly, mayfly, caddis fly), bait fish, parts of fish, fish eggs, scented baits, power baits and all additives that scent or flavour artificial baits and lures.

If bait is legal...corn can be used. That being said...corn is said to increase algae growth when used heavily and is often not well thought of for small lakes.

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/images/pages/qa/fish_regs/corn_chum.htm

Corn meal is great for clams though. When clamming on the coast, take a fresh bucket of sea water, place harvested clams in bucket...liberally apply corn meal to water, change water after a couple of hours, redo corn meal...cook and eat clams. Essentially clams filter out the corn meal, ingesting the corn meal displaces any sand in the digestive tract...yummmm.

[d bowhunter]

I keep hearing that corn is "bad" for trout and other fish, but I don't know the facts from the wives tales. I'd like to know what is really true. Please post your thoughts... I have used corn in the past to catch rainbows, but I want to figure out if I am killing the fish I release? Thx in advance!!

The problem with corn is on your smaller fish there intestines are smaller the corn is not small enough to pass through. Im a taxidermist I mount alot of fish there is alot of acid in the stomic of a fish, but corn does not seem to break down fast enough and I guess if a fish cant get rid of the old it cant take in any new food. There are so many baits out there I dont know y they dont put a stop to the use of corn.

[jrs]

Read the other thread. Mostly an old wives tale based on a study that says corn fed trout grow slower (they only fed them corn, you'd grow slower too). If corn killed fish there would be very few survivors in the majority of Alberta's stocked lakes.

[gonefishn]

I think your reading from some old regulations book.
To be honest i Doesn't really matter to me. I don't use corn anyways! BUT yes there's a lot of misleading info out there, I cant be 100% its illegal

[munyee4321]

I think your reading from some old regulations book.
To be honest i Doesn't really matter to me. I don't use corn anyways! BUT yes there's a lot of misleading info out there, I cant be 100% its illegal

Sorry Gonefishn... but mulecrazy regulations quote came right outta the 2008/09 regs

[mulecrazy]

I think your reading from some old regulations book.
To be honest i Doesn't really matter to me. I don't use corn anyways! BUT yes there's a lot of misleading info out there, I cant be 100% its illegal

Holy Crap man, Have you actually read an alberta regs book. click on the alberta outdoorsmen home page, scroll to the bottom and click on the regs book link. read away

[DustDee]

I cant be 100% its illegal

Anybody know what this translates to in English?

[Tredeb]

As mentioned, if anyone would bother to read their regs, this thread would still be on topic. Corn is specifically quoted in the regs as bait.

Seems clear to me, the regs call corn "bait" therefore, I can use corn for "bait"

As to the original topic, it makes sense that it may cause a restriction, but this is the first I have heard of it. I know may fish eat crayfish and that would seem harder to digest than corn.

[Cal]

Lol I once had a bunch of guys tell me that using pork rind was illegal, pretty sure it isnt cause you can buy colored pork rind chunks shaped like frogs in fishing shops. the fishing regs dont say anything about restricting pork rinds or beef heart or any of the other things that some people presume to be illegal. Heres a tip, if a fisherman tells you somthing and it sounds like a bunch of BS and the regs dont back him up just assume its a bunch of BS.

[nicemustang]

The problem with corn is on your smaller fish there intestines are smaller the corn is not small enough to pass through. Im a taxidermist I mount alot of fish there is alot of acid in the stomic of a fish, but corn does not seem to break down fast enough and I guess if a fish cant get rid of the old it cant take in any new food. There are so many baits out there I dont know y they dont put a stop to the use of corn.

This would explain why the trout in the pothole lakes stop biting for months during Jan - Mar and then comes back. Maybe it takes that long to digest the corn they get, i know a lot of people use corn for rainbows although I never have. There are alternatives that catch better anyway, that are nice a soft and mushy.

[gunsnreels]

eol

[mulecrazy]

This would explain why the trout in the pothole lakes stop biting for months during Jan - Mar and then comes back. Maybe it takes that long to digest the corn they get, i know a lot of people use corn for rainbows although I never have. There are alternatives that catch better anyway, that are nice a soft and mushy.

So the few guys that actually use corn and catch and release maybe 100 fish in the lake somehow turn off the other 1000's in the lake? not friggen likely. We had our dugout at the farm stocked when I was a kid. I would use corn from time to time. It never ever stopped them from biting. Heck I would often throw the 1/2 can worth of corn I had left into the pond for them to eat. IT DOES NOT KILL THEM!!!!!!!

[nicemustang]

Well I didn't say it killed them but if a lot of people go out and try to fish with corn and they don't catch them, they might be full waiting for digestion. I've caught fish from chain or whinchell full of corn that their stomachs were almost exploding...surprised the even bite. But MAYBE, it has something to do with it is all I'm saying.

[Cal]

Lol nearly exploding eh? This would be one of those instances where I put in to efect the tip I gave out earlyer.

[nicemustang]

LOL, you mean BS?? Fair enough...I don't have proof it was just a suggestion. But everyone has to agree to some extend...corn is hard to digest for anything that eats it. Humans, dogs, fish, etc. Hard to digest doesn't mean killing. I simply don't use it as there are better alternatives and once you find them, you don't need corn.

[ldf7]

wow! thanks everyone for your posts! there is always opinions, but I am trying to learn the facts. I'll stick away from corn if it messes up their digestion.

have good fishing - i'm heading out tomorrow! cheers!

[Jester]

I use corn for bait but only if I can spray it with WD-40..:wave:

[Chris K]

I have caught trout at Carson full of sunflower seed shells. I think that would be worse off for their stomachs than corn. I think a lot of the misconceptions is with fish that are absolutely full and gorged on corn from someone dumping what's left of their bait into the water at the end of their day. I could understand how a fish that is absolutely stuffed full of it could have some problems, but one that ate a piece or two from hitting a hook really should suffer no ill effects. Chris K

[Bighorn madness]

Is corn illegal to use because it plugs the fishes digestive system?

thats what I heard.
x2 I have heard the same thing .


I know it dosent work well in my digestive system:ashamed:

[seahawkfisher]

kokanee love white corn
cheers

[catnthehat]

This would explain why the trout in the pothole lakes stop biting for months during Jan - Mar and then comes back. Maybe it takes that long to digest the corn they get, i know a lot of people use corn for rainbows although I never have. There are alternatives that catch better anyway, that are nice a soft and mushy.

A fishes digestive system and whether or not it has a full stomah has nothing to do with the way it feeds.
I've cougt walleye with half digested whitefish sticking out of thier mouths!
They bite from an instinctive reaction, not because they are hungry....
Cat

[slingshot]

I wonder if the males get the F---ts and the females get the V---ts from that corn youall are talking about.
On another note any one get a conservation survey online from our Provincial boys asking what we spent this year and where we hunted and what we liked?

[Big.Bear]

I use corn for bait but only if I can spray it with WD-40..:wave:

that must be before you use the dynamite..correct??

LMAO:evilgrin:

[GummyMonster]

This topic was brought up recently, so I dragged up this. Good info on here.
I have read that a lot of our american neighbors chum big time (when legal). I have read where 5 + GALLONS of corn, rice, oats etc is dumped down a hole in some deeper lakes to attract and hold fish in an area . They say some of these bays literally smell like corn chowder after the ice goes out.
It's used for a variety of fish and you would think such widespread use would kill every corn eating fish in the water if it was real harmful.
I have found no solid info on this yet(didn't look that hard though).
My thought would be that a few pieces as bait wouldn't be too harmful.
Good luck with whatever bait you use,
:DKen:evilgrin:

[GummyMonster]

Found this answer - www.fish.state.pa.us/images/pages/qa/fish_regs/corn_chum.htm

:DKen:D

[WayneChristie]

since its illegal to chum here, the few niblets that you would be using arent enough to do any harm anyways. and even if the trout steals it off your hook, they would likely spit it out anyways. Ive seen fake corn by Gulp Im pretty sure, probably work even better and not controversial. I find their maggots work great for perch and trout in the same waters.

[Fisherpeak]

Chicken skin!:DBest bait ever.

[nevercatchmuch]

I'm quite sure pieces of rubber jig, and power bait which is made of who knows what (not for human consumption lol) aren't so great for the fish either.

Seems to me if you want to practice catch and release, you can increase the chances by staying away from bait and using artificial flies.

[chad66]

I keep hearing that corn is "bad" for trout and other fish, but I don't know the facts from the wives tales. I'd like to know what is really true. Please post your thoughts... I have used corn in the past to catch rainbows, but I want to figure out if I am killing the fish I release? Thx in advance!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wood1
Another myth. Corn is hard for trout to digest, hard for humans to digest also. Hatcheries have studied this, and no mortalities were observed. Growth rates were shown to be about 50% lower vs trout fed pellets. It is not harmful to the fish. For those that will call B.S, look it up on the net or I can post the studies and results. I have also "heard" that porcupines throw their quills and wolves regularly chase people down and eat them.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chad66

I concur. I attended the Fresh Water Fisheries Conference in Saskatoon, I believe it was 1988. One of the scientific papers presented at the conference tested the theory that corn was harmful to Rainbow Trout. (Salmo gairdeneri now classified as Oncorhynchus mykiss ). The study took place in a hatchery and it was found that corn did not adversely affect the health of the trout.

If memory serves me correctly, the control group was fed pellets only, and the test group was fed corn only. There was no significant difference in mortality rates, though corn fed fish were slightly smaller. One would expect this as the pellets provided a more nutritionally balanced food source compared to corn.

[jpietrzak1979]

Hint: if it was death to fish it would not be a listed acceptable bait in the regs.