| Should it be illegal to use corn as bait or chum when fishing for Carp in any state? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Someone I know got stopped by a Game Warden in New England recently because they were using corn as Carp bait. The Warden didn't penalize them with anything, he just simply told them to pack up their stuff and leave and asked them if they knew that it's illegal to use corn to fish for Carp. I've done a lot of research over the past few years about the affects corn has on Carp and have seen plenty of evidence that it doesn't hurt the species, while I've also seen little evidence that it does hurt the species. For these reasons I have posted this poll to get the publics opinion on the question. Please only answer the poll if you have done a good amount of research on the affects of the matter!
Thanx,
Carpmaster
Thanx,
Carpmaster
well.. im not gonna lie i do use it.. and it works great... for bait, and chum.... "does it hurt the fish".... i think yes... only cause of ONE simple fact... think about when we.. "humans" eat corn.. we s*** corn.. and we are alot bigger then fish.. haha.. so im pretty sure "fish" have a pretty hard time shittin that out...hahah.... i dont know let me know what u think
Personally I think carp are a great fish, even if they do muddy up the water that I fish in for bass and crappie. While I'm not against using corn as bait, I am against using corn as chum. At least when you use it as bait, you generally catch the fish. While chumming does work with corn many fish that you do not catch eat that corn and can cause problems for them. That's just my 2 cents.
I don't believe that fish in general will only seek out and eat only corn and nothing else, so I don't think it will harm a fish in the long run. A lot of controlled studies are performed to achieve the results that they want to find by over feeding fish only one type of food source (corn). This is what may harm the fish and support their findings.
See below article I found online.............
Why the use of corn is illegal for fishing in some states
by Rex Trulove
•
Created on: June 26, 2010 Last Updated: June 29, 2010
It certainly isn't illegal to use corn for fishing in all areas. However, it definitely is illegal to use corn for fishing in others. The sometimes stiff fines levied is a hard way to learn it for anyone believing that it is legal to use corn everywhere.
Many people may wonder why in the world it would be illegal to fish with corn. It doesn't take a fish biologist to be able to figure it out, however. Understand the traits and habits of different fish give a solid clue to answer the question.
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Some fish hunt by the sense of smell, while active predators tend to hunt using their eyesight. For instance, a bullhead catfish will eat nearly anything that was once living. They have poor eyesight, and hunt almost exclusively by smelling the food. Because of this, they will eat decaying flesh, vegetation, and just about any other food source they can smell.
Because of this, nature has allowed the catfish to have a digestive system that can get nutrients for this kind of food. A catfish can digest a small amount of corn, though it doesn't get a great deal of nourishment from it.
Consider sight feeders, though. Sight feeders include bass, crappie, trout, and salmon. Each of these fish is an active predator. They live life in the "fast lane", if you will. They will normally dart and dash after prey. That doesn't mean that they won't eat a lifeless worm, but it does mean that they have a much faster metabolism.
In turn, this means that their intake of protein needs to be substantially higher than with less active fish, if they are to survive. This is one of the major reasons the use of corn isn't allowed in so many places. Quite a few of these active fish will eat corn, but though it does have protein, the quantities are low. The fish doesn't get the protein it needs, and can die because of it.
According to Tim Hayden, a retired fish biologist, a study was done regarding this, in the state of Oregon, in conjunction with the Oregon State Universitybiology department. Fingerling trout were fed corn, two hours before being fed the normal protein rich food. As Tim put it:
"The fish gorged on the corn. By the time the normal food was given, they were full, and little of the good food was eaten. The result of the study was a 100% mortality rate."
This shouldn't be lost on the fisherman. Most discover, sooner or later, that after fish have been allowed to eat their fill, such as during a night with a full moon, it is exceptionally difficult to get them to go after a fly, lure, or bait. This really shouldn't be surprising to anyone. Once you are totally full, you probably aren't ready to sit down to the best meal that can be made, either.
The problem is that corn doesn't have the protein to allow many fish to survive, though they may fill their bellies on it. They die, because they don't have the food they need to survive. The same is true of almost any animal, including humans. If a person totally loves French fries, to the point that the fries are all the person eats, they are going to have problems because of lack of nourishment.
This is one of the main reasons that the use of corn is forbidden in so many places, for fishing. In some, chumming is against the law, but the use of corn is a greater threat to the fish. They can end up starving to death, with a full belly.
Sources:
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Oregon State University
Special mention: Richard Hayden, retired
Oregon State fish hatchery, Ft. Klamath, Oregon
See below article I found online.............
Why the use of corn is illegal for fishing in some states
by Rex Trulove
•
Created on: June 26, 2010 Last Updated: June 29, 2010
It certainly isn't illegal to use corn for fishing in all areas. However, it definitely is illegal to use corn for fishing in others. The sometimes stiff fines levied is a hard way to learn it for anyone believing that it is legal to use corn everywhere.
Many people may wonder why in the world it would be illegal to fish with corn. It doesn't take a fish biologist to be able to figure it out, however. Understand the traits and habits of different fish give a solid clue to answer the question.
Ad Info
Some fish hunt by the sense of smell, while active predators tend to hunt using their eyesight. For instance, a bullhead catfish will eat nearly anything that was once living. They have poor eyesight, and hunt almost exclusively by smelling the food. Because of this, they will eat decaying flesh, vegetation, and just about any other food source they can smell.
Because of this, nature has allowed the catfish to have a digestive system that can get nutrients for this kind of food. A catfish can digest a small amount of corn, though it doesn't get a great deal of nourishment from it.
Consider sight feeders, though. Sight feeders include bass, crappie, trout, and salmon. Each of these fish is an active predator. They live life in the "fast lane", if you will. They will normally dart and dash after prey. That doesn't mean that they won't eat a lifeless worm, but it does mean that they have a much faster metabolism.
In turn, this means that their intake of protein needs to be substantially higher than with less active fish, if they are to survive. This is one of the major reasons the use of corn isn't allowed in so many places. Quite a few of these active fish will eat corn, but though it does have protein, the quantities are low. The fish doesn't get the protein it needs, and can die because of it.
According to Tim Hayden, a retired fish biologist, a study was done regarding this, in the state of Oregon, in conjunction with the Oregon State Universitybiology department. Fingerling trout were fed corn, two hours before being fed the normal protein rich food. As Tim put it:
"The fish gorged on the corn. By the time the normal food was given, they were full, and little of the good food was eaten. The result of the study was a 100% mortality rate."
This shouldn't be lost on the fisherman. Most discover, sooner or later, that after fish have been allowed to eat their fill, such as during a night with a full moon, it is exceptionally difficult to get them to go after a fly, lure, or bait. This really shouldn't be surprising to anyone. Once you are totally full, you probably aren't ready to sit down to the best meal that can be made, either.
The problem is that corn doesn't have the protein to allow many fish to survive, though they may fill their bellies on it. They die, because they don't have the food they need to survive. The same is true of almost any animal, including humans. If a person totally loves French fries, to the point that the fries are all the person eats, they are going to have problems because of lack of nourishment.
This is one of the main reasons that the use of corn is forbidden in so many places, for fishing. In some, chumming is against the law, but the use of corn is a greater threat to the fish. They can end up starving to death, with a full belly.
Sources:
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Oregon State University
Special mention: Richard Hayden, retired
Oregon State fish hatchery, Ft. Klamath, Oregon
I don't particularly target carp . They are good and bad for the waters we fish . I don't like to see things suffer so for that I would have to say , use something else . I feel like using plastics for Bass and other Gamefish is becoming problematic for fish as well . These materials do no break down over time , and the fish cannot properly digest food . This is why I dont push an old tattered worm , I will just put a new one on , or change lures . when u see a long skinny fish , chances are it's sick or cloggeed up with Soft Plastics . Either way it doesn't have long to live .
Just have respect for the Environment , Take ur Birds nests , Discarded Line , Garbage , Lure packaging . Fish aren't the only things affected by Carelessness and Laziness .
CATCH AND RELEASE ALL BASS
Just have respect for the Environment , Take ur Birds nests , Discarded Line , Garbage , Lure packaging . Fish aren't the only things affected by Carelessness and Laziness .
CATCH AND RELEASE ALL BASS
I use corn as a hook bait for carp and have great success.... as I have seen mixed reports in regards to corn "hurting" fish... most of the info I have found states that corn will not hurt the fish population.... in regards to carp "hurting" our waterways.... well, thats not really the case. They are an amazing fish to catch... the fight they put up is incredible... not to many lakes and rivers in south jersey where you can regularly catch fish from 5 to 30 pounds!! I fish for bass and pickerel as well... and love the fact that those fish can feed ravishly on carp fry.... they provide a great food source fo all gamefish.... someday... people will realize the value of carp as a gamefish and include it in that group