Carp love corn and doughballs (Flickr.com)
What To Look For
Muffin Mix (Steve Byrne)
While some carp aficionados swear by doughballs, the vast majority swear by corn kernels--straight out of the can. Nothing fancy, just put some corn on the hook and you're good to go. If you opt for doughballs, you can create your own recipe, or use blueberry muffin or corn muffin mix.
Common Pitfalls
Don't forget the can opener (Flickr.com)
Laugh if you want, but the most common pitfall of using canned corn is forgetting the can opener. It happens to almost all of us at one time or another, so don't be discouraged if you forget it. Stay away from frozen corn or creamed corn.
If you go with doughballs, make them firm enough to stay on the hook. Make gentle casts to keep the bait on the hook. Casts that are too quick or jerky will make your hook pull free from the doughball.
Where To Buy
Canned corn (Flickr.com)
Any supermarket will do for canned corn. If you decide to go with dough, you can buy blueberry muffin mix in most supermarkets. For extra-sticky dough, stop in at your local pizza shop and buy dough. The yeast makes this dough very durable. Add some flavor, and you have a great long-lasting bait.
Cost
Canned corn retails for about $1.50 per can as of September 2009. Don't be afraid to splurge for the good stuff. Carp love corn from the Green Giant.
A box of muffin mix retails for $1.80, while pizza dough in New York sells for $2.
Accessories
While there are no accessories for corn, doughball flavors are limited only by your imagination. Blueberry, strawberry and vanilla catch fish. Part of the fun of using doughballs is creating your own personal recipe.
