Tutorial on Euro Style Fishing Gear

[MoCarp]

Fish after netting are usually placed on padded  unhooking mats --for 3 reasons-- 

1) to protect the fish 
2) to calm the fish, they flip around less on a mat 
3) many mats double as a weighing sling just loop the handle in the hook of the scale and subtract the weight of the mat--

many times big fish of all species are damaged putting the hook of the scale in a fishes gills

there are several styles of mats.

[MoCarp]

One of the backbones of euro style fishing--is chumming--since you do not have the luxury of moving around looking for feeding fish usually on a paid "peg" you rent like a campsite----chumming is used to bring fish in and keep them in the area feeding 

Here is a catapult what the English call a baiting slingshot

[MoCarp]

spods tied to the line and cast out--the nose floats up and the bait falls out--better when you need to chum at distance 
 

[MoCarp]

Remote control bait boat, complete with GPS, Sonar electronics and drop cameras!

--chum is placed in the dropper hopper piloted out to place the chum bed 

even haul out your hook bait & drop it independent of the bait drops
 

[MoCarp]

As you can see the Euro fishing thing is as sophisticated as you want to make it-- It offers challenges to even the most seasoned angler

large carp are hard to catch... if you try it a few times you will quickly get addicted to the powerful runs carp are known for.

Few fish can rival even a 10 pound common carp for line stripping run after line stripping run--you just can't imagine the fight of a fish of 20 pounds till you feel it! 

Eating smaller carp is an option, doing so may even help produce bigger carp,--letting those big fish go helps grow those true giants.... many times you will recatch the same big fish again & again over several years--usually a little bigger each time. One reason so much is taken in releasing the fish in top condition

 The current Texas State record was caught at least twice before its state busting weight, each time just a little bigger...

 

[Johnsfolly]

MoCarp

Very informative. I watched a lot of rough fishing shows while living in Northern Ireland. Didn't fish for them while I was there. I did get a chance at some decent common carp in the pond at my work. The carp were removed and we dredged that pond a couple of years ago. I've posted about trips with my daughter on that pond. When the carp were in the pond they were very skittish and would spook if you cast near them with any weight more than 1/16 oz sinker. I have only caught and landed just two. Each hit a redworm on a small Aberdeen hook, a small split shot all on 4# line. Each time I snuck up behind the fish milling in the shallows. Cast a foot in front of them and watched the fish follow the bait to the botttom. Once hooked both fish ran me all over that small pond. I would back reel to keep constant but light pressure on those fish with that light line. I only landed the two carp. The first was over 9 lbs. The largest was 12 lb 13 oz. Still my largest carp to date. Since then I left carp fishing and focused for many years on bass, trout, and panfish. With the last couple of years I have been more focused on multispecies fishing trips and rough fish are high on that list of targetted species. So I have been planning on some carp trips this year both in Missouri and also have a couple of spots in Maryland. Hope to post successful reports from those trips and possibly using some techniques that you described in this thread.

[MoCarp]

When pressed most people will admit the best battle with a fish was a carp. usually when they thought that it was the bass or trout of a lifetime! Most times I get to feel that fight every time I fish.....

Most of us can tell stories of lost rods, yanked overboard by a carp...it is amazing how strong those 1st couple of runs are....

I was told once by a MDC person that they stocked carp on purpose in some urban lakes. Imagine THAT!