Carp vacation destinations

[MoCarp]

People would be surprised to know there are more than a couple places where people pay big money to carp fish. Areas complete with guides and community support for the fishery

Baldwinsville New York on the Saint Lawrence river.

 

[MoCarp]

The Connecticut River Connecticut

 

 

[MoCarp]

Dale Hollow reservoir Tennessee

 

 

[MoCarp]

Once the white river chain supported huge carp they rivaled anywhere, not anymore! BFing pressure, Specifically during the Spawn has made the catch of a 30 rare and a 50 impossible. Sadly only to have fish dumped in a ditch, boat ramp, trash can or dumpster

more people fish for common carp in the USA than muskies, even Trout! The wide distribution of Common Carp allows this to be. Many states do not list commons as invasive, liberalized regulations to allow better European style fishing, multiple rods in chumming once no no’s now legal in states where it was once banned.

even strict regulations on length and bag limits even dedicated trophy Areas.

[Quillback]

I fish Beaver lake by the dam end quite a bit.  it might not be a primo carp destination for size, but there are plenty swimming around in the 5-10 lb. range.  Indian Creek campground has some camping spots right on the water, with a nice grass bank to set up on and a big shelf of water to fish.  If a person did the chumming thing you'd have some great opportunity to catch carp, heck you could probably get some without chumming.  It's not for me, but if someone wanted to do a combined camping and carp fishing trip locally, that would be my suggestion.

[dpitt]

 I do a little guiding for  KCFlatsCO  https://www.kcflatsco.com/. Mitch Meyer is one of the owners. He's a young man that got turned on to fly fishing playing in the minor leagues in  Montana and Wisconsin.    He was a full time guide for Minturn Anglers in Colorado, then life called and he came back to KC to raise a family.    He guides for CARP at Hillsdale and Clinton KS  polling a skiff.(Hog Island with a polling tower) .   So, it's sight fishing, a blast to do, and very good experience for bone fishing, and other saltwater species.    You gain experience seeing fish, then casting to them.  Carp make multiple runs and fight, it's fun. 

 

 

[tjm]

@dpittwhat carp  flies would you suggest for a place like Beaver as described above?

Think there is any possibility of developing paying tournament fishing for carp similar to bass? or is too much skill involved?  

[MoCarp]

6 hours ago, tjm said:

@dpittwhat carp  flies would you suggest for a place like Beaver as described above?

Think there is any possibility of developing paying tournament fishing for carp similar to bass? or is too much skill involved?  

As far as carp flys, quite a few FB groups on fly fishing for carp, Beaver lake like most our lakes lack extensive flats, bluff or cliff faces are good places to start, pods of carp 7-12# cruise those areas picking up insects, stalking and intercepting pods with out spooking is the key….lots of backing and a quality forged hook are important.

 

as far as carp competitions there are a number of the across the states…Connecticut, NY and Texas have had some major events, a few years ago a guy won $250k at one…like many things Covid-19 put a damper on things.

we had a couple events locally a few years ago, an organized effort to trash our event was carried out…we had chummed pretty heavy for 3 weeks befor our first event, and a bowfishing group shot it up the weekend before ours…the took out 2 dumpsters full.

we still caught plenty of fish, but size was way down…before the shoot down fish averaged mid teens, big fish pushing 30+…a few weeks before the game warden informed me he had weighed a fish a couple guys caught while trout fishing they thought it might be a new state record was a bit shy it was in the mid 40s!

our big fish for the tournament  was only 15# most fish ran 8# range…before the BFer got a hold of it it was easier to catch a 12 than an 8#er…..

I was told the BFing community was concerned if the event was successful it would create another Town lake (Texas) complete with bag and length limits…couldn’t have that….

it would have too, the best carp anglers would have put the big girls on the bank….that was 20 years ago

its things like this that have caused the saltiness between European style anglers and BFers.

if you find quality fishing best not share details too loosely ….

[MoCarp]

This was a fish shot out of the pothole area pretty sure it the same fish we have caught and release several times over a decade each time a bit bigger, 

 

[MoCarp]

18 hours ago, Quillback said:

I fish Beaver lake by the dam end quite a bit.  it might not be a primo carp destination for size, but there are plenty swimming around in the 5-10 lb. range.  Indian Creek campground has some camping spots right on the water, with a nice grass bank to set up on and a big shelf of water to fish.  If a person did the chumming thing you'd have some great opportunity to catch carp, heck you could probably get some without chumming.  It's not for me, but if someone wanted to do a combined camping and carp fishing trip locally, that would be my suggestion.

I know few guys that hit beaver….buy a bag of range cubes and chum up a spot, find an area 12-15 foot and fish at night…if you have the prep time whole oats soaked with a hand full of sugar for 2 days in a 5gal bucket or boil up corn chops in a turkey fryer with a hand full of red pepper flakes….it will get gloopy and you can form soft ball sized chunks great chum…a hair rigged plastic pop up corn dipped in flavor will catch you plenty…

brian wingard, and Luke Nichols are carp you tubers with lots of videos to help