Carp, a beginner’s guide

[Phil Lilley]

I suspect many of you started out fishing the same way I did. As a kid, I would chase any fish that bit. Crappie, bluegill, trout, bass, suckers it didn't matter. The object of the game was to have fun and to catch something, anything really. In time, the urge to catch big fish, a five-pound bass, an 18-inch rainbow, a fat and sassy channel cat, as long as it was bigger than average it put a smile on my face. Unfortunately somewhere along the way, most of us learn to turn our noses up at some fish while prizing others. It's sad really. Why not get excited over a 10 lb carp?

Maybe some rebellious streak, or possibly I'm just an overgrown kid (probably both), but I do still get a thrill catching a big fish, any fish. I especially like fishing for carp, because even average size carp are far bigger than most freshwater species and truly big carp of twenty or even thirty pounds are possible. I could try to convince each of you of the fighting power of these fish or of their value as a sport-fish, but I've found the quickest way to convert a non-carper into an avid carp obsessed maniac is to simply put the rod in the non-believers hands when that first carp intent on emptying your reel and reaching the other side of the lake!

Few Fish anywhere can rip line off a reel faster than even an average size carp.

While carp fishing has evolved, mostly overseas, into a very specialized pursuit complete with its own set of specialty tackle, you can catch carp with the gear you most likely already own. If you've got a 5 to 7 ft fishing rod with a spinning, bait casting, or spin-cast reel spooled with 8 to 12 lb test line; you've got what it takes to catch that first carp.

Unlike many of the fish we chase, carp are more grazers than out and out predators. Think more along the lines of a deer than a mountain lion. Often they are content to efficiently mooch along the bottom separating out food items from inedible sticks and rocks. Assisting carp with this type of feeding are four short barbels used to taste/smell new food items. Additionally carp possess teeth not in the mouth but in the throat, which are used to grind up hard food items like mussels, small clams, and various plant materials. Because a carp is virtually surrounded by food, it may be less likely to home in on your bait. Clearly a strategy suited for predators like bass or crappie, is not very effective with these foraging carp.

To maximize our chances of catching a carp, we need to both find the fish and bring them to us. Finding the fish is a game of its own. For now, keep an eye peeled for any jumping or rolling fish. Also look for bubbles that appear to be moving slowly along. Often carp will stir up the bottom and give their presence away with rising bubbles or even clouds of silt. Carp are creatures of habit. Keep your eyes open and take note of where you see activity. Given similar conditions you are likely to find the carp there again in the future.

Our Club Members in Missouri have had good luck at Stockton, Table rock, Bull shoals even lake Taneycomo, but most Ozark reservoirs hold catch able carp populations. Early Mornings and Night seem to be best for big fish.

I've caught carp in water from 1 ft to 30 ft deep. Unless I see carp in an area, I will try to fish on the bottom between 5 and 15 ft deep. You might try getting up wind and floating several free small pieces of white bread over surface feeding fish. Sometimes they will take notice of surface baits. Imagine being able to watch a 20 lb fish swim up and suck in your bait!

If you've found the fish and want to keep them in the area, or attract them, try chumming. The best starter chum I can think of is plain old sweet corn from the grocery store. Better yet, buy the gallon size cans from the discount center if you can. It is difficult to chum too much. A single ten-pound fish can really hover up the bait in a hurry. Just imagine how fast a whole school of fish can eat. Getting the corn out the fishing area requires creativity. Tossing by hand, using a slingshot, lashing a throwing scoop to the end of a broomstick, all are at least partially effective. Swimming, boating, or float tubing are also good ways to get the bait out. Chumming both attracts the fish and creates a competitive feeding situation, like tossing seed to pigeons. Carp competing with each other are less cautious and more easily caught.

Ok, let's say you've found a likely spot and chummed it up a bit. Now you are ready to rig up and bait up. The key to remember here, is that a small rig can always catch a big fish, but a big rig is not likely to catch small or even medium sized fish. Despite their large size, carp have relatively small mouths and tend to feed on small food items like baby clams, seeds, insects and the like. So, lets start off using a strong hook anywhere from size 4 through 8. Since a carp bite will likely be much softer than say a slashing bass, extra sharp hooks are required.

The Eagle Claw lazer sharp bait holders are a step in the right direction. For bait, I strongly recommend canned corn. Right out of the can or flavored with anything from sugar and kool-aide to peppermint, sweet corn is almost magical carp bait. Other baits to try include soft dough baits, worms, and bread. Due to the suck and blow-feeding pattern of many carp, I have the most confidence in an exposed hook point. Rig-wise, carp can be very sensitive to resistance. For this reason, I recommend using a sliding casting sinker of 1/4 to 1/2 ounce. With a sliding rig and light bite indicator (discussed below) you should be able to see the carp bite before the carp notices the resistance and spits out the bait.

Carp fishing can be a waiting game. It really pays to fashion some sort of rod holder. The traditional forked stick can work well with one modification. Instead of propping the rod tip in the air, try placing two forked sticks in the ground about 3 ft apart. Then position the rod horizontally across the two sticks Position the sticks so that the rod points directly at the bait. Once you have cast out and placed the rod on the sticks, slowly reel as much slack as you can out of the line. Pull a little bit of slack from the reel, and hang a light bite indicator like a small bobber on the line between the first and second rod guides. Finally back the drag way off so that a running fish can't pull your rod in the water before you have a chance to grab it.

When a carp begins to play with your bait, you will be alerted by the bite indicator starting to jiggle, fall, or rise. This is the moment you have been waiting for! When the dance turns into a slow steady pull or drop take up the slack, secure the spool, and set the hook. Remember to slowly re-apply the drag or you will soon find you are out of line! A carp's first run can truly be a knee wobbling experience. Just keep up the pressure and the fish will eventually turn, maybe. Don't try to horse the fish in. Fish this large require a lift up and wind down strategy. When the fish is not running, slowly lift the rod tip, then slowly wind in the line gained while gently dipping the rod tip lower and keeping a tight line, repeat, until the fish tires and is played in close to the shore. A long handled net is a real fish saver since there is no way you can lift a fish of this size with the rod. If you happen to have one, I'd recommend using the rubber meshed boat nets like those used for walleye or pike as they will cause less damage to the fish and they are tough enough to flex deep and envelope your newest trophy capture. Consider carp like bonefish or tarpon, while a blast to catch they do not have to be eaten. However small carp from clean waters are very good when properly prepared.

If you do plan on releasing your newest capture, please consider holding the fish horizontally. Lipping, gilling, eyeballing, or gaffing these heavy fighting machines can easily damage them. A fish friendly and accurate way to weigh your prize is to keep the fish in the net. Then hook the scale onto the net rather than directly into the fish. You can later subtract the weight of the net from the total to yield the fish's weight, or not...

Well, I hope you are now on your way to targeting and catching your first carp on rod and reel. If you happen to contract carp fever, please don't hold that against me. Carp fishing can become a true addiction. But don't worry, you are not alone.

Brian "Carpaholic" Nordberg

http://carpanglersgroup.com

[LostMyWife]

Phil

I have been fishing for carp all my life. I have never used corn as bait. I can't wait to try it.

Does the chumming attract catfish as well?

[snagged in outlet 3]

Yes it does LMW. I usually catch a few cats everytime out. I have a great carp spot here in St. Charles on the river. I've written a couple reports here on OA about it.

SIO3

[MoCarp]

cats are attracted to chumming as well, try whole oats soaked a day or 2

[Zach Bearden]

What about fly fishing for them??? I tried it one time and accidentally snagged one on an 8wt and I got pulled half way down the river before he pulled out. But I was wondering what flys and all that stuff... Thanks guys...

[MoCarp]

anything that looks like cottonseed duff when they are dropping

also a purple wooly bugger under mulberry trees

site fishing over a chum bed with a "corn" fly will get your arm ripped out, if you used sweet corn I can put you on some fish near Forsyth

YOU MAY CATCH A STRAY TROUT OR TWO lol

[Zach Bearden]

Umm I live in Oklahoma... But I do have permission to fish a pond and all it has in it is Grass Carp and I wanted to try and fly fish for these critters. Thanks MoCarp

[LostMyWife]

What am I soaking the oats in?

[Kicknbass]

What am I soaking the oats in?

The Lake.

[LostMyWife]

The Lake.

Is that you Terry? Did you change your user name?

I don't think I am having a "duh" moment here. I assumed that he was talking about soakingit in something that would absorb into the oats to attrack the fish.

Umm I live in Oklahoma... But I do have permission to fish a pond and all it has in it is Grass Carp and I wanted to try and fly fish for these critters. Thanks MoCarp

Zach, many lake owners place grass carp in the lake. Be sure that you talk to the owner about catching his grass carp.

I live on a smallish lake in IL. We placed grass carp in the lake to eat the Brittle Niad grass that was taking over the lake. We put these "hawgs" in certain coves to clean them out. We had problems with various residents netting the grass carp and moving them to their cove to get rid of the grass. Bottom line is that we post articles in our paper to residents so that they do not harvest the grass carp.

Just a thought.

LMW