The best tips to catch more fish using sweetcorn

One of the true unsung heroes of the bait world, sweetcorn is an offering that will catch almost every species of fish, yet it remains cheap to buy and very easy to use.

Whether you are a match angler, chase specimens, or just want to find a cost-effective summer bait, it should definitely be on your menu. There are plenty of little tips and tricks that can be employed to improve your catches with the ‘yellow peril’. So let’s take a look at how to get more from this great bait...

Straight from the tin

Most of the time I use sweetcorn straight from the tin. These days, we can buy sweetcorn ready flavoured and coloured from tackle shops, saving us from having to do it ourselves. But I would say the most important factor in favour of buying sweetcorn prepared by a bait company is the consistency. The grains are likely to be more uniform in shape and size, and also slightly tougher, making for a better hookbait.

While bulk bags of supermarket frozen corn are cheap, they often lack the saltiness of tinned baits, and the grains can be a lot softer because of the freezing process, so bear this in mind. When using corn straight from the tin I choose the grains to go on the hook based upon how I am fishing. For the pole and float I tend to use slightly dumpier baits that enable the hook to be partially buried inside.

For the Method feeder, a hair-rigged grain that includes the base of the bait is ideal, as this will be much tougher and withstand the cast better. With heavy feeders and long casts, a combination of a grain of real corn, buffered with a piece of plastic corn, is a great choice. The buoyant plastic bait also helps to offset the weight of the hook.

CORN IS A CLASSIC BAIT FOR TENCH, HERE ARE SOME GREAT TIPS TO HELP YOU CATCH THEM...

How to feed sweetcorn

It might sound surprising, but there aren’t many situations where I like to feed lots of corn. Little and often is generally the best mantra when it comes to this bait, with a dozen grains introduced after every bite. This helps to cut down on overfeeding, as too much bright bait on the bottom can put fish on edge.

If you want to feed heavily with corn, then it is worth considering dyeing it a darker colour to better blend in. Corn is often used as part of a spod mix for carp, and this is another situation where I think less is better. A tin of corn to a gallon of hemp and other small particles ensures that the corn remains the focal point and doesn’t detract too much from the hookbait.

When fishing for smaller species, such as specimen roach and crucians, it can be easy to overfeed with sweetcorn. Often, I will just use corn as a hookbait, while feeding micro pellets, hemp, or groundbait instead. This is a great tactic when fishing the Method, as the bright hookbait stands out against a green or black groundbait.

THE BEST SPECIMEN RODS WILL HELP YOU LAND ANY BIGGER FISH YOU HOOK USING SWEETCORN.

Blitz it up!

A tactic that really brings out the full attraction of corn is blitzing the bait in a blender before use. This is, for sure, a messy job, but one that brings a whole new dimension to this bait. I freeze any sweetcorn leftovers at the end of a session and use this softened bait in the blender. A quick blitz breaks down the grains into small particles that will attract fish without the risk of overfeeding them.

You can use this ‘soup’ neat, cupping it in when fishing the pole, although I prefer to add it to Method groundbaits and pastes. This really unlocks the power of sweetcorn, adding a huge amount of natural attraction to any bait. From rudd to carp, no fish can resist the power of sweetcorn.

HEAD TO ONE OF THESE VENUES AND CATCH A VARIETY OF FISH ON CORN...