# Fishing with corn (maize) is illegal. Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 19, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fishing-with-corn-maize-is-illegal-why/300128 "2005-04-19T20:58:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fishing-with-corn-maize-is-illegal-why/300128/21 "2005-04-20T23:33:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Start with dried corn, and boil it with strawberry jam and lots of sugar. Carp are vegetarians, and they allegedly like sweet and red. I used to go fishing on the canal when I was younger. One time, I was at a spot a few metres from an old man. He was using redworms (I think) as bait. He pulled a fish out literally every ten minutes, whereas I didn’t catch anything (possibly indicative of something else other than choice of bait :-P). I’ve heard that in a lot of fishing competitions, red bait is banned because some fish find it so irresistable. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fishing-with-corn-maize-is-illegal-why/300128/22 "2005-04-20T23:34:11Z")
You could always try some of these: [Berkley Gulp! Corn](http://www.berkley-fishing.com/Products/PreDetail.cfm?PassPrevious=1476&PassCategoryStructureId=1486&PassLevel=2) or [Corn scented bait nuggets](http://www.berkley-fishing.com/products/PreDetail.cfm?PassPrevious=1109&PassCategoryStructureId=1122&PassLevel=3) or [Exude corn niblets](http://www.mepps.com/mistertwister/library/lures/productinfo.asp?ID=500&Origin=Lures&Uniq=3648) While not corn, they’re probably the next closest thing if you can’t use the real thing. ---
**Author:** ![Fritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Fritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fishing-with-corn-maize-is-illegal-why/300128/23 "2005-04-20T23:42:49Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > I’m just hoping for a fish locator that tells me whether the fish are laughing at me. 😉 Take it from me, they’re laughing at you. Not to worry, they laugh at me too. ---
**Author:** ![Sequent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Sequent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sequent)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fishing-with-corn-maize-is-illegal-why/300128/24 "2005-04-20T23:55:55Z")
Yeah, yeah, yeah…the other herb to which I alluded is legal on several unincorporated, uninhabited stretches of sand in the Pacific…like [this place](http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/lq.html). So there. Sorry, I’m just feeling a little persecuted on this, the 20th day of the 4th month of the year. But I’m feeling much better now. ---
**Author:** ![Scarface\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Scarface\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarface_Z)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fishing-with-corn-maize-is-illegal-why/300128/25 "2005-04-21T01:42:21Z")
> [@KeithP](#): > > So, what kind of corn is best to fish with? Creamed corn? Yellow? White? Indian? What about cornbread? When fish eat corn and poop does it reconstruct itself and come out in whole kernels like in people? I’ve always heard of canned corn being used. However, this and other techniques may just be regional traditions. Note: Corn also works for eels, and I hates the eels. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fishing-with-corn-maize-is-illegal-why/300128.md?page=1)