| Getting Started For Carp
By Scott Osmond
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| I've been asked many times how
to go about catching carp by many anglers looking to land these great fish. I usually answer piece-meal due to there being many different ways for different situations. But, in general getting started isn't very difficult.... First off, you need to know that there is definitely a catchable population of carp in said water. By catchable, I mean a strong population that gives an angler a good shot at contacting a carp on any given day. Many waters have very few fish, and although these waters generally have BIG carp, they aren't the best choice for anglers looking to catch good numbers of fish. Obtaining info on a particular water can be quite easy, a call to the district Fisheries office will usually have a biologist handy that can give you the skinny on that particualr water. Many waters are routinely surveyed, and any numbers of big carp will certainly be noted! Plus, in most states, Fisheries have citation programs which include carp and good waters and info about them will be shared with you. Plus, local bait shops usually know if any carp reside in local waters, but accurate info beyond just their being there is scarce.... Where to find carp.... This is the most important aspect of carp fishing. Carp act differently than most gamefish in habits due to they being omnivorous wanderers, whereas most predatory gamefish are ambushers. Big carp seek out comfort zones, though mostly smaller fish roam in schools. Start by having a stroll around the water, looking for signs of carp. Try doing this on calm days, during warm periods in spring and fall, and during low light conditions in summer. Look for "fizz" bubble trails caused by bottom feeding, and especially look for carp breaking the surface. Why they do this strange behavior is anyone's guess, but many times this activity has betrayed the whereabouts of active schools of fish....many times saving the day. If no signs are seen but you know of heavy populations in the particular water, seek out likely feeding areas. In still waters this can be weed edges, drop-offs, creek inflows, etc; in rivers these areas include current breaks forming eddy's, steep drops near points, bays, and creek mouths....anywhere the relatively lazy carp can avoid exerting valuable energy. Next, start preparing your "swim" by pre-baiting (chumming) the area before the day you fish (if, of course it is legal to do so where you are). The more you pre-bait, and the longer you do it the better "conditioned" the carp will be in searching out food in your area. Simple mix for mass pre-baiting would be soaking 50lbs of hard field corn, or maize, in water for about 2 weeks. Add sugar to this to help it ferment, and keep the water line over the corn. The stinkier the better! Next, add some "horse feed" that also comes in 50lb bags from your local Agway. It consists of pinched oats, molasses pellets, cracked corn, seeds, etc.....good stuff. Mixing the fermented maize and the horse feed will give you about 20-25 gallons of chum for about $15!! Chumming about a couple gallons every day or as often as you can will condition the carp. Remember, the longer you chum before you fish, the better. 2 weeks or more is best. Now, for gear. Since in most waters carp are the largest, and strongest fish present, typical trout/bass rods can be found wanting. Choose a reel with a good capacity for 12lb test (about standard), and with a super smooth drag!!! Shimano Baitrunners are perfect for carp fishing, but not needed. A good medium/heavy spinning rod in the 7-8' range is good to start with, but its got to have enough backbone to turn a large, angry, strong fish that desperately wants no part of you!! For sinkers (aka leads), there are 2 schools of thought. First is as little as possible. It is a widely known fact that carp, especially big carp, are very tentative and will spook and drop a bait if it feels just a slight bit of resistance. The second, at least 2oz of weight, takes advantage of a carp's "bolting" reflex..... When using little or no weight, the water must be slow or of no current. To take advantage of little weight, keeping your bail open and striking on a steady run is what's needed. So keeping your rods on banksticks and allowing for no resistance on a take is important. This technique doesn't always work however, as its a rare day that conditions allow it to be fished like this effectively. When using heavy weights (over 2oz), the mind set is taking advantage of this bolting reflex. Its also known, that while a carp is very caution and inspects the bait cautiously, when it feels resistance it "bolts". Using over 2 oz of lead sets the hook into the lip during the bolt, resulting in the carp not being able to expel the hook and hooking itself. The best way to keep your rods set on the bank is to loosen the drag til it takes only a few ounces to pull (this is where the baitrunner rules), and wait for "screamers". Using a very sharp hook helps greatly, I like Gamakatsu Octopus hooks in #4 and #6 (NOT 4/0 or 6/0!!). Rigging for this would include a 10" leader of 30lb Power-pro (much more supple than mono, plus stronger) with the hook tied directly by a polymer knot. Tie the other end this way to a good strong barrel swivel. Put the lead (barrel weights work best) on the mainline with a rubber or glass (dull colored) bead between it and the swivel, protecting the knot from damage by the weight. The most important part is to pinch on a small BB split shot about 2" above (away from the swivel) the sinker to stop it from sliding, creating the necessary resistance to poke the hook into the lip when the carp bolts. Example of a simple rig:
Mainline: 10-15lb mono |
