What Is Wrong With Carp?

[MoCarp]

7 hours ago, FishnDave said:

Flyfishing folks have started targeting carp more and more often, and carp have become quite popular.  Books have been written about how to go about it, and what flies to use, etc.  Carp are omnivorous and opportunistic.  Put a fly in front of them, there's a good chance they'll eat it.  I've caught a fair number...its a LOT of fun!  My biggest Common Carp so far is 35", 22 lbs.

This one was 33", ~ 18.5 lbs

This Mirror Carp wasn't big, but had a pretty cool scale pattern:

Yeah we have lots of Flyfishermen going after them, a mulberry fly might be quite the ticket at times

[MOPanfisher]

No question they are a hoot to catch.  I have caught thm from ponds on a fly rod with IIRC a small grasshopper for bait after stalking them in the shallows.  Have caught them on a crappie rod (actually my biggest on rod/reel) and since crappie weren't biting and I had nothing better to do than fight him I did.  Guessed him at better than 15 lbs easy, on a 5 ft crappie rod and 4lb line, the drag got a lot of work that day.  I have shot them with a bow, snagged them, even shot a few out of a pond with a rifle.  I like carp and in a few more years when my mobility takes a dive I will pursue them again.  I will become the new much lamer version of Oneshot, unless he outlives me! Which is quite possible.

[FishnDave]

Yeah, under a ripe mulberry tree is almost too easy!  Lotsa fun!  And you never know...sometimes there's Grass Carp or Channel Cats or even Blue Cats waiting for mulberries to hit the water too.  They are good practice in learning how to fight big fish in undermatched gear, so you are better prepared for when you make a trip for saltwater fish like Redfish.  Instead of horsing them in, you learn that when a big fish wants to run...you let it.