Ok where are all the Carp Anglers. Is Stonecrusher here.
Lifemember and Bushwacker SMF

alright they finale got their place in glory and where are they.

CALLING ALL CARPERS, CALLING ALL CARPERS, WERE ARE YA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

well i'm here and yes its about time we got this added.

i asked a nough times why we did not have one.

 now we need to start on with bait receipt, tactics,equipment,how to, how not to,all the good stuff

                               moose.

                        

            hi to all carp fishermen

Hey Wellsley,

Why do people avoid fishin for carp? I don't know anything about carp fishin, but,   They have size and strength. They seem elusive at times.  From what I understand they aren't easy to get to bite. I see them everywhere I go, but can't seem to get them on the hook.( I never really tried just for them though) You would think that would make them a challenge.  I hooked one once by accident with a nite crawler and he took me and my kayak for a ride! I know from reading that they are considered destrutive and are blamed for doing alot of damage to areas.   If that's the case,why not fish for them then? Just don't release them back in the water.  I get the same reaction when I tell people that I caught a some Pickerel.  ( I think Pickerel are fun to watch lunge at my lures )These two species seem to have a negative image amongst most anglers. I recently have been told of a recipie to make bait to try for these "gentle" giants. But when I tell some fisherman about targeting these fish, they look down through their noses at me.

Dan "Stealthfisher" Doc NAFC LIFE MEMBER I FISH, THEREFORE I AM <*(((>>>< ><<<)))*>

I think most people fish for food or at least thats the way it used to be.

So I  think carp got a bad rapp. But they are growing in popularity. I use to fish for them when  I was a kid with dough balls. Then a few years ago I met up with stonecrusher on the Hudson river. We caught a couple over 20 lbs, which is currantly the largest fresh water fish I have caught. They aren't as explosive as big northern's or muskies but a 20 lb plus carp can be a handful. There is alot of good info out there to be posted. We just need those experts to start posting it.

Lifemember and Bushwacker SMF

Thanks Wellsley,  This spring and summer I intend to try my hand at targeting some carp.  A friend told me to mix some cornmeal with a little syrup and vanilla. He even adds in some cotton to hold it together. He also uses corn. I'll keep my eye out for any posts.

 The ladies seems to like carp! I want to know the recipie for catching this!!!

Dan "Stealthfisher" Doc NAFC LIFE MEMBER I FISH, THEREFORE I AM <*(((>>>< ><<<)))*>

The lady or the carp.
Lifemember and Bushwacker SMF http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u194/wellsleyny/NAFC_Life_Member1.jpg

LAST TIME I WAS "CARP" FISHIN' WAS ON THE MO. RVR. IN NEBRASKA, "WINNEBAGO" RES, WE WERE USING, 1)."OATMEAL W/BIG RED" SOFT DRINK. 2). ALSO,MIXED W/"WHEATIES" CERL. MADE IN2 LITTLE BALLS. THEY R A "DIFFICULT" FISH 2 CATCH! L8r. James,"VATO LOCO"<;({})><

NAFCLM;5-'05 So-Tx-Chptr.Co-Chair. SAN ANTONIO,TX. USAF Reg. Vet. SAC: 321st Cmbt. Spprt. Grp. Grand Forks AFB, ND. DOS:29 OCT.'74.TEXAS BUSHWAKER DEPUTY SHERIFF.

Thanks San sr, I'll try makin the Big red  oatmeal balls.

 

         

Dan "Stealthfisher" Doc NAFC LIFE MEMBER I FISH, THEREFORE I AM <*(((>>>< ><<<)))*>

So, wellsley, you want me to spend all my time posting, or do you want me to put my leg (and assorted other body parts) back together so I can hook you up to a 30? Finally, a separate section for the carp guys. See what eating all your vegetables as a kid gets you? Now the question, do we start arguing over bait, tactics, or whether or not carp are even gamefish (I gotta vote yes on the gamefish standing, but I have a personal stake in that)? Stealth, mix in some fruit flavored Jell-O, a classic bait, holds together longer. I got bait recipes, I got tactics, I got fish stories, I gotta make up for a lost season last year. Now if I just had a river running above 35 degrees, I might get somewhere. And just for Wells, I still have the bigger landing net ........
There is no greater fisherman than "the guy here yesterday."

Stonechrusher

So glad to see You back.  I was afraid, You might be gone for good. Will be looking for some good fish storys from You, this year. 

                                                               Samuel J.

Now, now. You should know I'm like flies at a barbecue. Just when you think you got rid of them all, someone opens another Tupperware container of Aunt Eunice's infamous bean dip and VOILA !
There is no greater fisherman than "the guy here yesterday."

I for one am very pleased to see Carp getting the recognition it deerves. I have seen posts in reference to Carp on the old BB, which were rather disturbing, talking trsh about that great game fish.

 

This particular species has been a delicacy for generations in Europe and Asia. The anglers in Europe spend at least as much money on specialized Carp gear as Bass anglers do in the U.S., making it one of the most popular game fish on the European continent.

 

I just hope that this threat may educate and convince some people that this fish species is not the "trash fish" they claim it to be. It still ticks me off to think about one post on the old BB, where a youngster said that he puts a screwdriver through every Carp's head he catches, and just throws them on the bank to die. Such behavior, in any case, is not sportmans like and puts a bad rep on our sport.

 

Here's my fav. Carp recipe, left from my Carp days back in Germany: Mix oats with some vanilla and water, just enough moisture to allow the oats to stick together. Form balls, 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter. Place on tin foil in a dry palce until the balls are dry. Threat the bait on a treble hook and fish under a float, just off the bottom. The carp will inhale the bait, spit it out if they feel any resistance. Let them take the bait before setting the hook.   

Kai; Life Member; South-Texas Chapter Chairman; 2337 Posts on old Forum/BB; Atascosa, Texas (just ouside San Antonio)

I never leave home without corn, either a bucket of boiled and flavored feed corn or at least a cheap can of sweet corn (just in case, don't always go out for carp). Even if I don't use it as my bait, I throw out a bunch as "chum" to draw them in and get them in the mood. I've been using the Euro-style gear for carp, cats, and pike for a long time now, and I'm a big fan of the boilies (make my own, in fact).
There is no greater fisherman than "the guy here yesterday."

Thanks Stonecrusher and Kai. I'll put your tips to good use as soon as I can. Good luck and Good Carpin.
Dan "Stealthfisher" Doc NAFC LIFE MEMBER I FISH, THEREFORE I AM <*(((>>>< ><<<)))*>

Well howdy there stonecrusher hows the ankle, you running laps yet. I expect the master to start posting on how to fish for carp. You may not write an article but you can teach a bunch of rookies on how to catch carp. (smile). Now about these boilies how do you make them or do you have a secret recipe.

Lifemember and Bushwacker SMF http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u194/wellsleyny/NAFC_Life_Member1.jpg

Well, the running laps, while tempting, isn't something I'm going to be doing, unless the reels are screaming. Got a "relatively" clean bill of health from the orthopedist, the more walking the better he likes it, but if I plan on doing any rambling along shorelines where I'm not sure of the footing I have to wear the bracing, there just isn't enough left of my ankle to hold together under a lot of stress. The boilies are pretty simple to make, nearly a bread dough. Matter of fact, come to think of it, here's a quick one I saw discussed on another carp forum...... fresh bread crumbs (no crust) you make in a blender or food processor. An egg or two, depending on how much of the bread crumbs you make. Any flavor you want to add (or none, there were a lot of reports from guys who went plain and caught). Toss in a handful or so of cornmeal to give it a little more body. Mix well until you have a firm ball to work with (you can add flour to stiffen it up a little if you have to). Shape into little balls around 3/4 inch or so, toss into boiling water for a minute and a half, maybe two minutes, take out and let dry for a few hours. Toss into a Ziplock bag and refrigerate, or if it's going to be more than a couple days into the freezer. Done. It's got everything a carp likes, and the boiling gives enough of a skin on them they stay on your line longer than just wadding on a ball of damp bread (which also works as a carp bait, there's just something about baked goods that they just can't resist). From there things can start to get as exotic as you could ever want.Believe me, I have the weird ingredients stacked on a shelf to prove it.
There is no greater fisherman than "the guy here yesterday."

For some real fun Flyfish for carp I've only caught a few small ones on a fly 2-3 lb but they put up quite  a fight. Ive seen stories about guys flyfishing for carp on shallow bays in lake Michicagan. They were catching 20# plus they were using saltwater fly rigs the type used for Tarpon. Can't wait to tie into one of that size

Someone has got to ask, how do you all feel about hunting Carp with a Bow?

Its kind of a big thing out here in Washington State.

YellowBear NAFC. AMI. NWWF.

That would depend entirely on what gets done with the carp after it's skewered.
There is no greater fisherman than "the guy here yesterday."

Thanks for the boilies recipe Stonecrusher. Now how do you use it? Do you sling shot the boilies around the area? Then cast out with one on a hook amongest thee others.

PS: I thought maybe why we hadn't see here in awhile was them nurses got a hold on ya and wouldn't let go.  lol

Lifemember and Bushwacker SMF http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u194/wellsleyny/NAFC_Life_Member1.jpg

I use two different ways when I fish the boilies, but they amount to generally the same thing. If I have a big batch of them, I just slingshot out a good bunch with some of them but smaller, then use one bigger one or a couple smaller ones for bait, but the easiest way is to put out a good scattering of the boiled field corn before I even set up the rods, then a few loose boilies and my baits once I get organized. Lets me experiment with flavors a little easier that way. And yes, as ridiculous as it may sound, I se a slingshot to get the free stuff out into the water (ever try throwing a handful of boiled field corn more than 20 ft?). Good way to keep younger ones amused, too, I've found.
There is no greater fisherman than "the guy here yesterday."

I got another question of a local matter. How deep is the hudson river? Are there maps that show the depths from say catskill to Albany? Sorry thats two questions.
Lifemember and Bushwacker SMF http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u194/wellsleyny/NAFC_Life_Member1.jpg

Free ones are a tough row to hoe. I wound up making my own (for a couple different local reservoirs) that never have had maps by laying a transparent version of a recent topo map over a regular version of an older one I found at the USGS website. Not exact, but better than guessing, and quite revealing as it turned out. If I remember (can't find the one i have for the section you and I have fished) it's about 12 foot at the outside edge of where I can cast, not taking into the variations in tide, the age of the maps I was looking at, and my foggy memory. The DEC site has a bunch of REALLY generic lake maps on it, but I found if you can take the ones that are actually old impoundments and find one of the older USGS surveyor's maps of the same area, you can improve on them 100% in just a couple of minutes.
There is no greater fisherman than "the guy here yesterday."

Now what about hook type and size? Catfisherman  use circle hooks and some put their bait on treble hooks. Yet I've never heard anyone fishing for carp with treble hooks.
Lifemember and Bushwacker SMF http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u194/wellsleyny/NAFC_Life_Member1.jpg

I don't know if any of you have seen the most recent NAFC TV show.  Dr. Hal Schramm did a little piece about the "flying" silver carp.  I don't know enough about how this species was introduced, or am not agreeing or disagreeing with the potenial damage these fish can create. But, this seems to be how the Carp is always portrayed. Invasive, Eco Threatening, and even Dangerous.  I have read in different fishing publications about how these fish are a danger because of their tendency of being big jumpers.   One article talked about the danger to small children while jumping. What better way to put a stigma on an animal than to say it is a "Danger to Children!".  On this last NAFC episode it shows a clip of literaly hundreds of these fish in a small area, and what looks like Fish and Game Guys netting these carp.  Is that clip a Normal  days occurence?? Or was that during a Spawning phase when these fish come together in concentrated areas. It sort of insinuates that this is the way these fish are all year long. Maybe they are. But I doubt it.  Once again I'm no biologist. Just a Fisherman.

 

   

Dan "Stealthfisher" Doc NAFC LIFE MEMBER I FISH, THEREFORE I AM <*(((>>>< ><<<)))*>

Around here,(Wichita, Ks), you can buy a fly tied to look like a cottonwood seed. At the right time of year, they are said to be quite effective. I haven't tried one yet but it seems resonable.  GOOD FISHING GL

 

If these fish ever get into the water you fish.  You will want them all dead.  We have tousands of them in both Kentucky, and barkely lakes.  They are dangerous!  I have only had one land in My boat.  But have had many close calls.  They grow fast, and can reach 60 pounds.  A ten pound fish hitting You at 40 mph, can do some damage. If you are in a bass boat, at 60 mph, they can break Your bones.  Any time You get near a school, they panic, and jump in every direction.  They do not look like any other carp.  Their eyes are set so low in their heads. That it looks like their heads are upside down.  Around here, they are called big head carp.  If they have not yet, gotten into the Great lakes, they soon will.  Then every one will know about them.  If You fish the big southern rivers.  Be afraid, be very afraid. 

Life member since 04/05/1989. Samuel J.

Hey Wells, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner ( so many distractions, so little attention span ). I've seen a few guys use trebles for their doughballs, mostly old school types who still think you need 60 lb. mono to land a ten pound fish and seem to have the opinion that big fish are damn near indestructible. Myself, I avoid using trebles for any sort of bait fishing, including cats. Having said that, hooks are mostly a personal choice as far as I'm concerned (how many have been landed with old rusty Eagle Claws over the years, after all), but I recommend smaller than what is considered "normal" as long as they are 1) forged for strength and 2) as sharp as my insulin needles. I've gone as large as #2 for my bigger boilies and as small as #8. Depends on the hook style as well. I've had very good results with Circles for carp (as well as cats) as long as I can manage to remember they are about two sizes smaller than a regular hook marked with the same size ( I have a package of #10 Circles that are full up if you add just a single kernel of corn to them I'm tempted to try out, might be good for suckers in a trout pool I know .........hmmmmm). A point I am open to new opinion on would be whether or not having an offset point is of any real use in a circle hook. I have tried both styles for carping and noticed an actual decrease in hookups with the offset circles unless you count how much more often I seem to stick my own fingers with them.
On the silver carp posts, if I recall they were another in a long, long string of fish imported mostly for the ornamental trade ( but also for aqua-cultural experimentation ) released into the wild by no one really knows who for whatever reason it is these people use to justify adding yet another non-native species to the growing list of exotic invasives. I don't see much hope for complete eradication, only signs it is a problem that is only going to grow and continue to burn resources that are already stretched woefully thin.

There is no greater fisherman than "the guy here yesterday."

Stonecrusher, You answered my question with, it depends on whats to be done with the Carp after they are shot with a Bow.

What are they good for?

I have eatin a few of them and when they are taken out of cold water there not bad. My intention for some of them is to use them for bait for Coyotes and Crawdads. Now I am not trying to be a smart azz here. They are fun to catch but what else do you do with them? We have some lakes out here that have so many Carp that the other species have no chance of competing with them.

YellowBear NAFC. AMI. NWWF.

Thank Sam,  I don't know if this particular species is abundant in NJ.  We sure have our share of Carp though. I fish a kayak, and have drifted over top of  carp and had them bump me trying to get away. Very strong fish. and I have had a few leap near me, so I understand what your saying.  The NAFC show clip showed the silver carp leaping out of the water in huge numbers, some at least three feet. So I won't ever argue in the carp's defense if it is dangereous or not.  The carp that I have seen in this area, I think are Common carp or Grass carp.(Once again, I'm now biologist ) I don't know if you had a chance to see the NAFC clip, but, the question I had was do these silvers come together in the groups they showed all year? ( I guess you would have to have seen the show) You could have literally walked on them there were so many.   If so, boy I wouldn't want to be unlucky enough to paddle into an area like that, they would probably sink me.  You know what can be almost as scary? Did you ever run into a flock of birds resting on the water a night while your motoring down a waterway? Talk about Flying projectiles!  Thank again Sam.

  

Dan "Stealthfisher" Doc NAFC LIFE MEMBER I FISH, THEREFORE I AM <*(((>>>< ><<<)))*>

I do not know that much about these fish.  Just from personal expereance.  That they panic, when You run up on a school of them.  Other fish, will just swim out of the way.  But I have seen big head carp jump strait up, at least 6 or 7 feet.  And when they come out at a lower angle.  I have seen them fly at least 15 feet. I had one that was about 10 pounds land in the boat. That is what scares me.  If they hit a person in the head, or chest, it could hurt.
Life member since 04/05/1989. Samuel J.

Yellow Bear, I wasn't trying to imply anything. I just can't see killing any fish without some sort of purpose to it. We had a situation here in NY, where bowfishing is legal, where they had a competition. At the end of it they had dump truck loads of dead carp and absolutely no idea what they were going to do with them. Unacceptably bad planning, yes, but even if their original thought, which was to dispose of the carcasses in a local landfill, had been possible, it still comes back to the question being "if you have no uses for them once they're dead, WHY kill them?" Even if you were to use them as garden fertilizer, there's a purpose. Rotting in a landfill or tossed up on a bank, nothing but a huge waste for the sake of gratification.


There is no greater fisherman than "the guy here yesterday."

Stonecrusher I agree with what you are saying and I know about the Carp that are waisted in the tournaments that they have. I also agree with you about using the resource rather than just waisting it. Some of the Carp guys that I have talked with think shooting them with a Bow should be outlawed. I do not intend to just kill them and let them lay. There is nothing worse than tripping over a stinky ole fish carcass, LOL.

I am looking forward to learning from you folks how to catch them on Rod and Reel. They have got to be one of the hardest fighting fish that I have ever caught and they are not half bad on the table if you take care of them proper.

I just did not want to step on any toes here.

YellowBear NAFC. AMI. NWWF.

Yellow Bear, I think you've pretty much distilled the entire basis of the argument against bowfishing down to what it should be. I'm not a "purist" about most things, this is one of them. I don't think either camp is 100% right in their attitudes on it (pretty much how everything in life works). Having put my neck in the noose with saying that, I just ask how many bowfishermen would continue shooting ANY of the fish they target (not just carp) if they actually had to make use of every one they shot? I think the sport would go the way of the dinosaur if the guys shooting a couple hundred pounds of fish on a weekend outing a couple times a month had to do more than find someplace to get rid of them when they were done showing them off. How much carp can someone actually eat (given that you can bake it, broil it, fry it, stew it, jerk it, smoke it, and pickle it for variety)?
There is no greater fisherman than "the guy here yesterday."

I spend most of my time on a small Res, of a 127 acres. It has steep cliffs and deep water. There are 3 sandy flats with no vegitation. The population of Carp seems to be very high as we see 100s of them in a day. We see the Carp all over the Res. Deep and shallow. I seem to catch a few Carp evey year on small jigs while fishing for Bass.

My question is, were would I have the best chance at catching these fish? Some are in the 40 lb range. and , would you fish them from a boat or off the bank?

YellowBear NAFC. AMI. NWWF.

Without being able to actually put eyeballs on your reservoir, I'm just going to stick with generalities (sorry), so here goes.

Carp are wanderers, constantly foraging along like loose herds of buffalo, but they usually follow something of a "grocery trail" as they do so. Signs of actively feeding carp would be bubbles coming up from the bottom (sometimes leaving a trail of them behind like a scuba diver moving along) or unexplained clouds of muddy water. Just having carp rolling on the top, while not actually a sign of feeding that anyone knows for sure, at least tells you they're in the area for something.

With their lips pointed down, they feed predominantly (but not exclusively) on or near bottom, and their pharyngeal teeth (basically a set of molars in their throat) they're outfitted for eating things with a hard outer coating -- mollusks, crustaceans, insect larvae, so knowing where you would find these delicacies would help. Usually gravel and rock on the bottom, piles at the base of your cliffs perhaps, and anywhere you could find a transition between your sand flats and other bottom content. The top and bottom of a sharp depth change (contour break) would be good.

Time of year and water temp pretty much go hand in hand. They're very tolerant of higher water temps, but like any fish have preferences they'll head towards until forced otherwise. Spring water temps in the mid 40's to low 50's will start things off with the big females putting on the feedbag for the coming spawn in late spring. Feeding during the actual spawn is a hit or miss sort of affair, but once recovered and with water temps hitting the mid 60's to low 70's, life should be good for everyone.

Boat or shore? whichever you prefer, honestly, though a canoe could be really helpful for either. I don't own a boat, so my option is pretty well already set for me, but I like sitting on shore playing the waiting game anyway, and I've always found sitting on shore fishing bait on the bottom easier than from a boat. Where would the canoe come into play, if that's the case? Well, one of the best ways to fish for carp is to put out good quantities of free stuff in an area they're known to frequent. Gets them to stop and feed, or at least check things out in their wanderings. Much easier to pour quantities of feed corn from a bucket over the side of a canoe or rowboat than it is to try and throw it out there somehow (they actually make RC boats expressly for the purpose of baiting areas for carp for the shorebound angler).

Hope that gets you started.


There is no greater fisherman than "the guy here yesterday."

I love carp fishing!!!!!! They are such a blast and not as dumb as most people think......there are some frickin big ass carp swimming in our waters and they didn't get that big for no reason. My biggest is a 36 pounder that was 36 inches long and had a girth of 32 inches.

from reading some of stone's last post some of the baiting I do is taking a sling shot and shooting garbonzo beans as far out as you can and forming a line back to where your fishing.........I also use corn syrup and the juice from canned corn for baiting.....then i use canned corn in the area i am fishing......i'll dump half a can into the water so it forms a pile, then i put on enough corn on the hook to make sure no metal part of the hook is showing, let it fall into the pile of corn and then pour some more over the top of the hook - then it is a matter of waiting and watching and hanging on once you hook one

WoW!  Now I found a new reason to use my slingshot!

     

Dan "Stealthfisher" Doc NAFC LIFE MEMBER I FISH, THEREFORE I AM<*{{>>< SPARE THE ROD, SPOIL THE FISH! <*(((>>>< ><<<)))*>

Haven't tried the garbanzo beans yet (though I have read they make a good bait on their own, and take other flavors pretty well). You can go to the few US web sites that cater to carp enthusiasts and get either a complete slingshot or the pouches normally used to get bait out into the water (a regular shot pouch isn't very good at it, especially with soft stuff or small bits). I go through a LOT of corn when I bait, spreading it out over a decent sized area to get them grazing around. If you really want some sort of pile near your bait, take a page out of the paylakers book and make some pack. Doesn't really need to be much more than bread or bread crumbs and some corn dampened either with lake water or the juice from the can so it will form a ball. wad some around your sinker, then press your baited hook into it so it all holds together well enough to lob into the lake. As for covering the hook, I've never seen a reason for it, and use the European "hair rig" for my carping, which leaves the hook completely "nekkid" of bait whatsoever.
There is no greater fisherman than "the guy here yesterday."

And if you dip the dough balls in  cod liver oil you can use the sling shot to place these nasties around you to keep people away. lol   Just kidding.
Lifemember and Bushwacker SMF http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u194/wellsleyny/NAFC_Life_Member1.jpg

Another couple weeks of this kind of weather and the water temps should climb and the fish should start biting.
Lifemember and Bushwacker SMF http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u194/wellsleyny/NAFC_Life_Member1.jpg

Well I'm not seeing any carp pic's being posted. Somebody ought to be catching something.
Lifemember and Bushwacker SMF http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u194/wellsleyny/NAFC_Life_Member1.jpg

Here is my first one of the season. He's not too big at 9lbs 13 oz but he sure was fun to catch. It was also the first time i made my own bait, a mix of oatmeal, strawberry, karo, vanilla and some flour.

Now thats what I'm talking about. Congrats on the catch.
Lifemember and Bushwacker SMF http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u194/wellsleyny/NAFC_Life_Member1.jpg

Anyone fishing for Carp with flies? I tried it in a local stream here. They look to be around 10 - 15 pounds, but they have no interest in what I have been offering. Any tips for flies?
Tight lines and Big Lunkers to all! Saul - SoCalBassAssasin Ventura, CA

old fashion corn and dough balls is what I've used. Put then again I'm a rookie.
Lifemember and Bushwacker SMF http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u194/wellsleyny/NAFC_Life_Member1.jpg

It's good to see that the Carp threads are busy. That's one good thing about the new and improved BB.  
Lifemember and Bushwacker SMF http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u194/wellsleyny/NAFC_Life_Member1.jpg