Does Corn Kill Trout??

[The Ole Man]

I've always heard that canned ,whole kernel corn,used for trout bait, swells up in a trouts gut and kills them. Same as birds that eat rice thrown at a wedding. Is this a myth? Does any one know??

[Woolly Bugger]

The corn is already hydrated, won't swell up any more. I think that fish death associated with corn is due to deep hooking, rough handling, ie dereking the fish out-o-stream My $.02

[Tommy Hunter]

Almost 95% of the trout I have caught and stocked in my pond were caught on corn. They never seem to have any foul effects because of it. Some have grown to enormous proportions. I believe WB is right about deep hooking and rough handling being the cause of most deaths caused by corn (or other bait) fishing. I don't feed my fish corn, I have heard that they can't digest corn well if at all, but again I do not know if that is so. I won't take the chance with my fish. Sounds like this question would be better for Bill Couch.

Tommy

[CHUNKER]

OLE MAN,
I have caught trout that were so full of corn that it looked like they was going to bust,and have cleaned a few that had undigested corn on the way to the big trout toilet. Heard that corn provides no nutritional value for trout,but corn in itself will not kill them... fact or fiction? What's the real word Bill?

[NightOwl]

corn can be fatel to a trout when it is served along side them with a nice additional side of rice or other veggies. hehe

[SHAWN]

Trout by nature are carnivors. I think Hooker could probably explain this better but here it goes. As with many fruit type plants, corn depends on animals to spread the seeds. Corn is not digested like other foods which is (excuse this) why it can be seen the day after you eat in whole form. If a trout eats enough of the corn, I believe it can be fatal. All I can say is that I don't think corn has any benifit for trout. On the other hand, I don't think there is room for worry unless the trout are eating lots of it. Hooker, please correct any flaws in this post.
Shawn

[Hooker]

Shawn,
You're close. Corn is cellulose which is difficult for animals to digest. In fact the job of converting cellulose to usable protein for the food chain is generally done at the single cellular level by protozoans.
Humans have a digestive system that is moderate in length, and we still rely on bacteria that live in our gut to help us digest corn. However, cellulose is tough for the human body to handle, and if you check your brown buddies after eating some corn, you'll frequently see kernals riding around the bowl with them.
Trout have an even shorter digestive system than we do, and their system is designed for strictly protein. It can not do anything with corn. The pellets trout are fed in the hatchery are made from protein, and contrary to rumor, trout are not fed corn in the hatchery.
Trout will try about anything that comes floating down the river that looks like food, and if you (gulp) periodically clean trout, you will sometimes find an assortment of bazaar objects in the stomach like sticks, rocks, and cigarette butts.
That's all I know about it.

Hooker

[NightOwl]

Brown trout, you say ........that was a bit gross. However let me say that at least it didn't erupt into a full fledged shopping trip to the market. {{ what? }} think it's my bed time or somethin.....

[Bill Couch]

T.O.M.,
I agree, trout probably don't die for ingesting corn. It passes through them just like the rocks, sticks, and undigestible parts of insects they eat. I am not sure, but I do "think" some of the starch in corn is digested, even though their digestive system is geared toward proteins and fats.

Bill C