Any Carp Fisherman Here?

In 2009, I was crappie fishing when a big one swam under the bridge I was on. I set a tiny tube jig by him and he grabbed it! I was using a 7ft ultra-lite rod and 4lb line. I ran off of the bridge and made it to the shoreline. After over 50 minutes, a guy came by and grabbed it by the gills and wrestled it on shore for me. It weighed 25 pounds, and I let it go. I kept trying to land it by myself and it was so slimy I couldn't get a grip.

Joe
 
Bet that was a workout. 25 lbs on 4lb test , you never know what you might catch on a jig.
 
Nice thread. :D

I do remember catching good-size ones in the small lakes on Notre Dame campus 20 years ago. Easy fishing. I made my own bait by rolling fresh bread into garlic powder. Bottom rig worked best, away from any trees as they like to head for the trees to lose the hook and line. It's fun to lay down your rod on the bank and just see it go ballistic all of a sudden.

Superb fighters, much more so than the Largemouth Bass who give up quickly.

I am lucky to have a lake less than 100 yards from my apartment, I should give the carp a try again: seen some huge ones swimming the other day. Although the prize here are the big trout (stocked). Not sure that they would let me use a bow, that's a method I would really like to try some day.

Damn, good memories. :):)
 
I couldn't do anything but stand there and switch hands when my hand got sore. The carp was wrapped up on weeds too and I just couldn't get him in. I'd get him close enough to attempt a lip landing and he'd take off again. When I finally did get him by the lip, I couldn't hold on, lol! Pure slime. I would have never gotten him in without help. In fact, I can say I caught a 25 pounder, but can't say I landed him.

Joe
 
I catch red and yellow fin suckers occasionally, they are similar and fight well also.

I also live within reasonable driving distance of lake Michigan, and have been seriously considering getting into spear fishing.
 
where we go camping the fish around the docks and stuff eat just about anything. my brother managed to catch sunfush on grapes he found on a bush and beleive it or not red string ribbon type but theres alot of big carp there as well we usually use moldy bread for them since they quite litterally eat anything. remember when i was younger my dad told me he saw a school of them swarming a diaper that was washed up on the shore. but same thing every one else said definantly a fighting fish. easy to catch and a lot of fun for kids.
 
The river near me is loaded with monster carp. I normally fish for Northern Pike and Smallmouth, but when there is no action, (rare) I'll fish for carp. They'll hit on Daredevles and Mepps spinners if you drag them slowly near bottom. Small floating Rapalas with a 1/2 oz. bell sinker rigged about a foot away, bumped off bottom work too. Worms, salmon eggs and pork rind have also produced.

In the dog days, I'll go after them with my 9wt fly rod, wading the shallows. Big fun. I've caught dozens over 20 lbs. that way. Lots of guys bowfish them in this area.
 
I'm pretty sure 30 years plus is pretty common for Carp. I catch them on an 8 weight fly rod with an 11' leader with 3x tippet. Best pattern I've found yet is a Clouser Crayfish. You usually have to put quite a few casts out there before you get a take, in the river where I do this they will get spooked just by the shadow of the fly line overhead. Considering how long they live I think it blows when guys put an arrow through them and don't even bother to eat them (they are pretty bony evidently) but what can you do?
 
Brennanscott said:
I'm pretty sure 30 years plus is pretty common for Carp. I catch them on an 8 weight fly rod with an 11' leader with 3x tippet. Best pattern I've found yet is a Clouser Crayfish. You usually have to put quite a few casts out there before you get a take, in the river where I do this they will get spooked just by the shadow of the fly line overhead. Considering how long they live I think it blows when guys put an arrow through them and don't even bother to eat them (they are pretty bony evidently) but what can you do?
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I was on the fence about bowfishing for them to be honest. In the first place, they are invasive and tend to elbow out native species (or would if they had elbows I guess). Secondly, the only ones I've shot so far had been washed into a flooded creek in a flooded field. All of the fish in that batch are currently dead including the several I killed with arrows.

Catching them on a fly rod is a blast though. I've had decent results with glow bugs, sucker spawn and other steelhead patterns like that. Caught a massive one on my 5 weight with 2x tippet a while back. He got in the current and it took me forever to wrestle him back. Tons of fun! Luckily we bowhunters won't make enough of a dent in the population to make a difference to us fly fishermen. :D

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Beckerhead #42
 
Fishing for and catching carp is a blast. Some of the best fighting you can get out of a freshwater fish.

Wheaties with strawberry pop was one of the favorite baits we used.

Also did a lot of bowfishing for them as well.

Actually pretty good to eat when smoked properly too.
 
Brennanscott said:
I'm pretty sure 30 years plus is pretty common for Carp. I catch them on an 8 weight fly rod with an 11' leader with 3x tippet. Best pattern I've found yet is a Clouser Crayfish. You usually have to put quite a few casts out there before you get a take, in the river where I do this they will get spooked just by the shadow of the fly line overhead. Considering how long they live I think it blows when guys put an arrow through them and don't even bother to eat them (they are pretty bony evidently) but what can you do?
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The fish I catch I feed to my dog but they have something in them that prevents absorption of some vitamine so I don't feed them all that often. I'd kill 1000 of them if I had the time and lots of guys I know kill them and just chuck them on the beach for crows or coyotes to eat. They are absolutely invasive and destroy the habbitat for our natural fish. There is no limit on them for a reason.

I do realize that some people have a problem with this but something does eat them and they do not belong in our lakes.
 
April and Ill be carp fishing again. Any of you guys have good bait recipes? Id like to try some boiles like the Europeans use. Any of you ever use the hair rig ?
 
Whelen Nut said:
The fish I catch I feed to my dog but they have something in them that prevents absorption of some vitamine so I don't feed them all that often. I'd kill 1000 of them if I had the time and lots of guys I know kill them and just chuck them on the beach for crows or coyotes to eat. They are absolutely invasive and destroy the habbitat for our natural fish. There is no limit on them for a reason.

I do realize that some people have a problem with this but something does eat them and they do not belong in our lakes.
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Gotta agree with you here.

They definitely destroy native fishes habitats and outside of Flathead catfish, have few natural predators in our ecosystems once they achieve any size.

Throwing them up on the shore is by no means a waste. Lots of critters from all places in the food chain will make a meal out of them.
 
Fished for them for years with ultralight outfits with 4 and 6 pound line. They are just a lot of relaxing fun.

One of these days I intend to try fly fishing for them.

I always thought it was odd that the rest of the world considers them a great game fish but here in the USA they are considered a trash fish. Are we missing something?
 
Our lakes around here are over run with them,70 to 80 lbs is not uncommon. Almost no one fishes them,I have been known to snag a few for fun when nothing else is hitting.
 
u812 your talking about Big Head carp or commonly called asian carp arent you. Because an 80 lb common carp would be a monster.
 
Not sure of the exact species,one is called Buffalo and is usually bigger and one called Carp brighter orange and smaller.I think the two do inner breed at times.
With out ever getting into fishing them I have never really learned much about them except that they do cause harm to some game fish.
 
I was at the lake yesterday and saw a bunch of 5-15 lb carp near the spawning beds of bluegills and large mouht bass. It seemed like they were sucking up the eggs near the beds!!!! Has anyone else seen this? Am I correct that they can be that damaging? If so I think I just joined the carp killing family! They did not bite when I targetted them, but I was not prepared to fish for them directly....
 
I'm actually going spearfishing on Thursday till Sunday and Carp make up most of our catch usually. I'll post pictures when I get back!
 
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