Crash course on Carp fishing

Anybody? What is the easiest cheapest way to fish for those. Im talking rigging and bait. I am going to use a 7 foot MH spinner with 14 pound mono.....but now what else do I use?


Im sick of looking at these big Fish in the reports section! :shock:

Jim:

two words - PRE BAIT!

Boil up some maze (about 5 gallons is good) and spend at least two consecutive days "teaching" the carp to feed in a certain area. You can 'train" the carp to look for food in an area and then when you ready to fish throw a few handfuls of maze and fish with sweet corn as bait - about 3-4 kernels is fine.

You will need:

1. fish finder rig for your weight;

2. Size #6 or #8 hooks (I use eagle claw bait holders);

3. enough weight to hold bottom (if there is current you want the weight to stay in place) heavy duty swivel and use a short leader like about 6" to hook;

4. Reel with a good drag system;

5. net - you need a net as you cannot lift a carp of any size out of the water with the line - there mouths are soft and the hook will just rip out.

6. Rod holder.


Cast to the feeding area and fish with either the baitrunner on or loose drag. Do not fish with the drag locked down as the carp can, and will, pull your rod into the water or snap the rod or line.

Once you hook one take your time they have lots of fight and you will loose the fish if you try to force it in.

What the hank is MAZE?

Jim said:

What the hank is MAZE?

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oops - I meant maize

Feed corn, get it at a local farm supply store. You can use eating corn (sweet corn) but that gets expensive and tends to attract all kinds of smaller fish and turtles.

The carp guys will boil the maize for a few hours with kool aid mixed in until it starts to get a little soft. If you ever get in a carp fishermen's fishing car it stinks like rotten corn :lol:

They carry it in 5 gallon buckets and have all kinds of delivery systems. Carp fishing can get as complicated as bass fishing, and has way more equipment involved

Hey Jim,

You asked for the easiest method with the least tackle. esquired is correct, and his instructions will get you more fish, but they are far from the simplest.

Quick and dirty..... go to the supermarket (discount markets are better) and get a couple gallon size cans of sweetcorn. Remember to bring a can opener. :roll: When you get to your spot, open one can, drain the water off and then start throwing handfuls of corn into an area about 5 - 10 ft in diameter, 10 to 15 feet out, in front of you.

Now, tie on a 6 lb floro leader about 10 feet in length and a #6 hook. Put a split shot about 12 - 18" above the hook (the least amount of weight needed to hold bottom where you are fishing) and (matter of personal choice here) add a small bobber far enough up the line to allow the weight to reach bottom without too much play between it and the bobber. Place one or two kernels of corn on your hook and toss it out into the middle of your chum area. Leave the bail open, prop the rod in a forked stick and wait. The carp will find your chum and eventually your hookbait. When one picks it up, they will take off like a cat with it's tail on fire and your bobber will disappear. Pick up the rod, close the bail and when the line gets tight, lift and hold on. Keep the drag loose and enjoy the fight.

After you release the fish, toss a couple more handfuls of corn into the chum area, rebait and do it again. I also like to add a handful or two of corn to the chum area every 15 - 20 minutes while I fish. If the fish find your chum and are actively feeding, they can suck up those 2 big cans of corn in no time at all. That's why carp anglers make up the maize and carry 5 gallon buckets to seed an area the night before they fish (sometimes every night for a week before they fish :shock: ). HTH

Great info! I am going to try this! Maybe even this weekend! Is the fluoro a must?

I do not think floro is a must, but I have never tried mono for carp. I do not think they are line shy so mono would work as a leader I think.

Thank Doc, I almost always fish after one of my carp friends baits the spot for me, on in an area where they are already feeding, so so I never thought to use the giant can of corn. I will try it

Floro is not a must. It will help in a heavily preasured spot or in the recent gin clear water conditions we've been having. But if you get a group of carp feeding over a chum spot and drop a hook on mono in the pile, I doubt they'd notice unless they bumped the line between the weight and the bobber.

You can also "stalk" carp in small to medium streams using this method without the bobber. If you spook a fish when you come up on it, you can chum the spot a bit and then stop back awhile later and drop your hookbait in. Lots of fun with light gear and smaller carp. But there can be some real pigs in these small creeks. Koi too !!!

All that info will work, but beware, the carp are slow to eat with the water temps dropping this time of year. So if you go out, and don't catch, it's just a bad time of year to get into them.

If I get time, I will take and post some pics of my rigs, along with my equipment also.

mr.fish said:

All that info will work, but beware, the carp are slow to eat with the water temps dropping this time of year. So if you go out, and don't catch, it's just a bad time of year to get into them.

If I get time, I will take and post some pics of my rigs, along with my equipment also.

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That would be great!

Sorry for the delay on the carp rig pics. I hope to have them all up on here wednesday or thursday night.