Starting out Carp Fishing

[fisherman kid]

Im deciding to go try out carp fishing. it would be great if anyone could tell me what rod and baits and setups to use to catch carp most effectively.

 

[creek chub in your pocket]

tough time of the year to start carp fishing, just sayin

check out fishing stores for carp food.

my tactics are nothing like most peoples, but thats your best bet

a long rod that has some backbone, 7+ ft for sure and a reel that can handle a 20+ pound fish.

i use 30 lb braided with 10 pound floro tipits

hope that helps a bit

 

[AGMartin]

Here is what I do every time I go carp fishing.

1. Bring worms
2. Bring cork - I use the cork from wine bottles, cut them up into pieces the size of a half inch cubed.
3. I use an ugly stick 7', however just got a true carp rod 12' and cant wait to use that.
4. 15lb mono on a shimano 4000 reel
5. Gamakatsu Octopus size 1 hook
6. Get a hook on the line, slid a piece of cork on to the hook until it covers the eye of the hook.
7. Set your weights about 6 inches from the hook.
8. Grab a nice juicy worm...the whole thing...hook the worm through the hook 3 times on 1 half of the worm allowing the poor other half to dangle and try to get off the hook...yes the damn things actually can work themselves off the hook with a barb lol
9. To test if your home made pop-up works just drop the worm and weight into the water to see if the pop up is buoyant enough to keep the worm suspended in the water. If you are noticing that the worm is not suspending enough just cut a bigger piece of cork.
10. I cannot remember if someone on this forum gave the advice, but I never fish for carp if I a) cant see them or b) there are no top water indicators they are in the area. So do the leg work, get to an area and watch for bubbles, bows in water from them being so close to the top. I have been targeting rivers recently and believe they have "nests" haha. What I mean is that the carp tend to stay in one section of the river and specifically under trees or bush. Walk lightly along the river banks as they definitely can feel the vibrations and take off right away. I cant tell you how many times I have spooked them.
11. SET YOUR DRAG to very light, I've heard carp can take your whole rod into the water if you aren't paying attention.
12. Try casting near them, not at them as they can be spooked that way as well. LEAVE your bait out there as long as possible. The worm hanging 6 inches off the ground is like a tease and its unreal how effective it works. Carp cannot resistttttttt...and sometimes the cats..
13. Depending if you can see your worm in the water, you will start noticing your line going out as the carp has taken your bait, this is where its totally up to you. I tend to be anxious as hell and rip back to set the hook which works most of the time, but I run the risk of pulling the hook right out of their mouth which happened yesterday.

I have also used boilies from SAIL - which worked 2 times out of 20. With worms I am catching a carp almost every time I go.
However I do intend to make my own ground baits and try that technique out as well.
One time I was out for hours, the carp were there circling but no takes of the pop up worm. I packed up and headed to the car but noticed a nice beast slowly eating off the top of a weed bed not 30 feet from where I stood for 3 hours! I said to myself how am I going to get this guy...So I took off my weights, made sure the cork and worm are now floating and then tossed it about 2 feet from its face in the direction I thought he would go. He kept going the opposite...but on the 3rd time I saw I got its attention and BOOM he sucked it up like a noodle, line started going out and bam it was the most rewarding day ever.

As I said earlier, be patient, let the worm dangle like a free meal as long as possible. the fastest I had a take was under 5 minutes, the longest, 5 hours.

I hope this helps and good luck!

Cheers

 

[fisherman kid]

Here is what I do every time I go carp fishing.

1. Bring worms
2. Bring cork - I use the cork from wine bottles, cut them up into pieces the size of a half inch cubed.
3. I use an ugly stick 7', however just got a true carp rod 12' and cant wait to use that.
4. 15lb mono on a shimano 4000 reel
5. Gamakatsu Octopus size 1 hook
6. Get a hook on the line, slid a piece of cork on to the hook until it covers the eye of the hook.
7. Set your weights about 6 inches from the hook.
8. Grab a nice juicy worm...the whole thing...hook the worm through the hook 3 times on 1 half of the worm allowing the poor other half to dangle and try to get off the hook...yes the darn things actually can work themselves off the hook with a barb lol
9. To test if your home made pop-up works just drop the worm and weight into the water to see if the pop up is buoyant enough to keep the worm suspended in the water. If you are noticing that the worm is not suspending enough just cut a bigger piece of cork.
10. I cannot remember if someone on this forum gave the advice, but I never fish for carp if I a) cant see them or B) there are no top water indicators they are in the area. So do the leg work, get to an area and watch for bubbles, bows in water from them being so close to the top. I have been targeting rivers recently and believe they have "nests" haha. What I mean is that the carp tend to stay in one section of the river and specifically under trees or bush. Walk lightly along the river banks as they definitely can feel the vibrations and take off right away. I cant tell you how many times I have spooked them.
11. SET YOUR DRAG to very light, I've heard carp can take your whole rod into the water if you aren't paying attention.
12. Try casting near them, not at them as they can be spooked that way as well. LEAVE your bait out there as long as possible. The worm hanging 6 inches off the ground is like a tease and its unreal how effective it works. Carp cannot resistttttttt...and sometimes the cats..
13. Depending if you can see your worm in the water, you will start noticing your line going out as the carp has taken your bait, this is where its totally up to you. I tend to be anxious as hell and rip back to set the hook which works most of the time, but I run the risk of pulling the hook right out of their mouth which happened yesterday.

I have also used boilies from SAIL - which worked 2 times out of 20. With worms I am catching a carp almost every time I go.
However I do intend to make my own ground baits and try that technique out as well.
One time I was out for hours, the carp were there circling but no takes of the pop up worm. I packed up and headed to the car but noticed a nice beast slowly eating off the top of a weed bed not 30 feet from where I stood for 3 hours! I said to myself how am I going to get this guy...So I took off my weights, made sure the cork and worm are now floating and then tossed it about 2 feet from its face in the direction I thought he would go. He kept going the opposite...but on the 3rd time I saw I got its attention and BOOM he sucked it up like a noodle, line started going out and bam it was the most rewarding day ever.

As I said earlier, be patient, let the worm dangle like a free meal as long as possible. the fastest I had a take was under 5 minutes, the longest, 5 hours.

I hope this helps and good luck!

Cheers

Thanks AGMartin a lot!
I will be sure to try out some of this stuff

 

[AGMartin]

Anytime!

YouTube:

Mark Pitchers The Challenge - not only entertaining but very informative for carp fishing many different ways.

And

The Totally Awesome Fishing show TAFishing - hilarious father and son show

 

[Alfiegee]

Thanks AGMartin a lot!
I will be sure to try out some of this stuff

Thanks AGMartin, here too. I have never targetted Carp, but there are literally tonnes here in Hamilton. You mentioned your technique gets some Cats too, bonus, that is what I usually target in the harbour and Cootes here. Not sure where I will get wine corks? ( beer drinker, lol.) But will think of something and try your method and see what happens. I have caught many Carp over the years as incidental catches and totally enjoy the fight and shere power of the fish. I once hooked one on Trout opener on a Mepps Black Fury in murky water near a river mouth and my friend and I thought I had the mother of all Steelhead hooked til I got it to the surface 20 minutes later and saw it was a 25 lb Carp.

Alfie.

 

[instapump416]

I use a 7ft Medium/fast rod for everything and I do pretty well with it for carp.

I like to keep it simple with a sinker and a #4-6 circle hook.

Get a can of corn and start chumming a small area where you see carp feeding. Thread some corn onto your hook and cast it where you've chummed. Make sure that you've chummed in an area with a flat bottom with no weeds. Now the waiting game begins, also loosen up your drag on your reel. If you keep it tight, there's a high chance the carp will pull your rod into the water.

Give it a shot and good luck.

 

[ChromeAddict]

I use a 7ft Medium/fast rod for everything and I do pretty well with it for carp.

I like to keep it simple with a sinker and a #4-6 circle hook.

Get a can of corn and start chumming a small area where you see carp feeding. Thread some corn onto your hook and cast it where you've chummed. Make sure that you've chummed in an area with a flat bottom with no weeds. Now the waiting game begins, also loosen up your drag on your reel. If you keep it tight, there's a high chance the carp will pull your rod into the water.

Give it a shot and good luck.

This happened to me on Tuesday (at that spot you mentioned), luckily I grabbed the rod handle in time.

 

[instapump416]

Haha... My friend got me into using a tether with a clip that I can connect to my rod and the other end to my backpack.

I think the fun part of carp fishing is when they try to steal your rod

 

[WhirlpoolCarp]

Have any of you thought about using a bolt rig? You can then set your drag very light. They basically hook themselves when they run. All you do is pick up your rod and adjust the drag.
I use a bait runner with two drag settings for this. It works wonders at the whirlpool.

Matt

 

[MuskieBait]

Haha... My friend got me into using a tether with a clip that I can connect to my rod and the other end to my backpack.

I think the fun part of carp fishing is when they try to steal your rod

You're welcome