Need help with maize

[Guest bakerloo]

I wonder if you lot could help me. Whats the best way to fish maize? Up to now i have used it as a carpet feed, about 1/2 a pint mixed with hemp losely around a hookbait of 1 or two 12mm yellow pop-ups, or 2-3 grains of flavoured maize. Do i continue to feed the swim periodically or leave it? I am personally a convert of the 'Less is more' style, so i don't like to pile it in unless i'm getting some sign that the fish are interested. Is this wrong because up to now i've blanked out totally on maize, which on the water that i fish i'm told can be quite productive during the summer months. Therefore, is this the right method for this bait/time of year/water(That I fish)/rig?

[Guest thecarpangler]

What are you flavouring the maize with?

 

I add sugar in the warmer weather and add molasses or honey.

 

When the lakes are colder, I add salt before boiling and add something like Soy sauce for flavouring.

 

You seem to be loosefeeding OK, but it does depend on the lake you are fishing.

 

Obviously the most important part is location.

[Guest RobStubbs]

I would most deffinately not keep topping up a bait like maize, especially at this time of year. The exceptions would be a pick up or indications that the bait had been mopped up (such as you can see it's gone). I might even be inclined to fish over less bait (just a handful) or fish maize over sweetcorn.

 

Rob.

[Guest bakerloo]

I usually flavour the maize hookbait with golden syrup.

In preparing any maize i just soak for three days in cold water and add any flavour to that water at the start. I usually flavour the maize hookbait with golden syrup, this i do in the same way. I would be interested to know peoples opinions on weither to boil or not to boil.

[Guest waterman1013]

In the early seventies I bought a 56lb. bag of maize from the local mill and left it to soak.

 

It soaked for three years and never did get soft enough to get a hook into it (I hadn't heard of hairs then!). But after three years the steep was brilliant as an additive to tench ground bait.

 

After five years we threw the maize away, a long way away!!

 

I think we should probably have bought fresh maize and not dried feed.

 

Mike

[Guest bushwacker]

Personally I usually use the maize as my hook bait,& feed sweet corn. The maize is a little bit more up to casting a few times more than the sweet corn. I`ve never tryed to flavour it,but am told that it does take a flavour well, I don`t know for sure about that though.I soak it for at least 3 days

& then cook for 30 mins,it doesn`t get any softer though.

bushwacker

[Guest Ferret1959]

Whats the differance between sweet corn and maize?

 

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Dave

mailto:dave@tjsangling.co.ukdave@tjsangling.co.uk

http://www.tjsangling.co.uk

[Guest Bruno Broughton]

Most of the maize we buy as dry seeds (in the US = 'corn') is fodder maize/corn, used for feeding livestock. It has relatively little natural sweetness - to us - but it makes a great bait.

 

I usually boil it for 45 minutes-1 hour, in a large cauldron with a lid on. When the grains have cooled, you should just be able to pass a baiting needle through each one. If they split on cooking, you've overdone it.

 

You can cook it with sugar or sweeetners, but, in the former case, you can get burnt residue in the bottom of the pot unless the maize is stirred regularly. 1lb of sugar to 5lb dry maize seems good, but be aware that you'll get very ssticky when baiting up or handling it. Alternatively (my favourite), use Protaste or another liquid sweetner.

 

I usually flavour with either tutti frutti or strawberry flavour, adding this once the maize is cooked and is cooling. I just pour in the flavour, without measuring, stir and then taste, but I guess I am adding about 3ml/lb.

 

Sweetcorn is the smaller, sweeter maize varieties grown for human consumption. It is then (pressure) cooked to soften it.

 

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Bruno

 

[This message has been edited by Bruno Broughton (edited 07 February 2002).]

[Guest Ferret1959]

Cheers Bruno.

 

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Dave

mailto:dave@tjsangling.co.ukdave@tjsangling.co.uk

http://www.tjsangling.co.uk

[Guest bushwacker]

Originally posted by Ferret1959:

Whats the differance between sweet corn and maize?

 

 

Jolly Green Giant don`t can maize.