While the Division of Wildlife Resources is considering adding bait options to the allowable list, biologists say they need to consider carefully. Currently, Utah is the only state in the West that does not allow corn to be used as fishing bait. But why? According to DWR fishery coordinator Randy Oplinger, the hesitation is simply a concern of having corn littering the waters and shores of Utah. “We don’t want to see empty corn cans and discarded corn lining the banks of waters in the state,” says Oplinger. The other concern is that corn will be used for chumming, tossing it into the water to attract fish. “Chumming is illegal at every water in Utah except Lake Powell,” says Oplinger. “Corn is an easy bait to chum with.” Despite their concern, the DWR is beginning a two-year pilot study allowing corn as bait at selected waters in Utah. The move was prompted by a survey response from over 3,200 anglers in Utah in which 70 percent of those surveyed said they would support the use of corn as legal bait in Utah. Flaming Gorge is one of eight waters in Utah that will allow corn as bait during the pilot study. For more information, visit
www.wildlife.utah.gov
.
