new to the carp game

[HandGunner]

So I landed my first carp in my life weighing in at 15 pounds from minitonka. It was actualy really exciting. Im always bass fishing but for the first time I landed a 15 pound fish on a spinning rod with 10 pound line. It felt good to shy away from bass at the moment. Im always horsing in bass with baitcast rod and heavyline, finess was fun and challenging.

So my question here is how can I target these fish more. I hear they dont really bite anything or eat anything but I landed mine on a leech. From online videos they seem to suck up spit out and repeat the process until a hook gets caught and they freak out and swim off.

What kind of baits can I make for carp fishing, can I use stuff like cat food for recipes, do they have certain taste like sweet stuff or smelly dump? Is bait chumming legal since alot of people would toss out bait and send a hooked bait in the same spot.

I mainly fish lakes what areas would they most likley be in and what rigs work best just hook and sinker? I also fish alot of ponds in my area and find big carp roamig the shoreline, I think Im adding carp to my game fish list for the days I am yakless and the wife and baby girl dont want me casting cast after cast, I can just cast and let it sit.

[cubicleb]

Just keep it simple. I normally fish the rivers so use a heavy lead weight to keep the bait in one place. In lakes, a small weight on the line is all you need.

Use a smaller hook with a few pieces of corn and let it soak for a while. I normally use a Y stick and keep the reel open. When the carp picks up the hook and runs, you will hear the reel screaming.

I also use nightcrawlers, oatmeal balls, bread/dough. Sometimes a little plastic worm dragged on the bottom works. I've seen people catch carp on the surface with a fly rod as well.

I haven't really had luck with carp this year. I normally start looking out for carp once the water levels drop. I did hook into a few while targeting crappies.

Good luck.

[HandGunner]

I hate rivers I mostly fish lakes. Is there any certain bait rig that works best for carp? I will most likley keep it in lakes that way I wont need to use heavy weights and less snags for the most part Im trying to find location of carp in lakes and what baits and rigs work best. Im thinking friday Im going to try my hand at making some kind of carp boilie since that seems to be a bait of choice as for a hook rig Im seeing what works best to hook into a carps mouth since they seem to spit alot and a hook can sometimes never hook up. Thanks for the info and tips I think Ill have my wife use a simple corn rig that way we are using more than just one bait.

[CarpO0101]

not always u need heavy weight for river - I do from 1/2oz to 2oz and it works fine. The river is better bet for me.

Dont worry much about carp splitting hook.. If u relative new to carp fishing I suggest start with Hair RIG and stick to sweetCorn for sometime before using boilies... corn will give u tons of fish in diffent size - boilie you may avoid some smaller ones.. use size 4-6 hook.

based on my experience on Missi I stick to corn only with occasional boilie

If you need advance rig - google for Blow Back Rig - or D Rig .

[HandGunner]

Can I do something like cream style sweet corn mixed with bread crumb water and flour? Then boil to cook it would it work or just crumble? Am I better off not boiling it and letting it dry or bake it? Can adding sugor or salt or both help?

[mainbutter]

I have so little success fishing lakes for carp, I don't even try anymore. I know my river spots, usually below dams, and I can catch fish.

I'd probably have to chum to have success in lakes, and have read that it is effective, but not legal in MN.

I usually drown nightcrawlers on a #4-#1 hook depending on fish size, or use whole kernel sweet corn from a can on a # 6 hook and cram as many kernels as I can on.

If you fish lakes and know where places where you see carp regularly, especially over mud or sand, just cram some bait on a hook, cast out, and let it sit on the bottom. Read a book for the afternoon, see if you catch fish. If that works, great, and you can fine tune your process to the lake and the fish. If it doesn't work and you see carp, you'll have to change it up. If you don't know where to find carp, ask someone other than me.. lakes aren't my thing when it comes to roughfish.

[HandGunner]

Yea i kno an area were they cruise the shoreline lots of them on a real sunny hot day theres a spot you can stand up higher on a drainage sewer type thing and literaly see their shadows in the water and their is tons of them big huge shadows just sitting and moving in one general area... wish I got into car sooner, Ill have to do a 2 bait system one type for me and another for my wife most likley corn for her were just going to toss out and have a picnic with our little munchkin

[pushbutton]

Have to agree with mainbutter. For whatever reason lakes and rivers are a completely different animal, and carp on lakes is a tough one to crack. Early in the season they are catchable, but once the spawning and then the cruising patterns take hold ......it is downright brutal to try to get them to bite. Have spent countless hours being blown off trying different setups on cruising carp. Outside of a bow, the flyrod is probably your best bet. The cruising lanes itself probably won't produce, but the periphery is possible......let us know if you work out a pattern!!!

[fishuhalik]

Go out in front of the Grays Bay dam, grab yourself a can of corn, tie a lindy rig with a slip sinker, toss it as close to the dam as you can, set your rod in a forked stick in the bank and enjoy. I've caught more 25-35lb carp there than I care to count

[HandGunner]

Oh I always thaught you can catch them whenever? Well this lake also has buffalo I believe as well too

[CarpO0101]

the one you mentioned is a method mix . just to clarify

Bread Crums and cream sweet corn and keep mixing, only add little cream as you go.. the mix should hold firm as you can make a ball.

make a rig hair/non hair - no rool slip sinker . now on the sinker you can add the breadcrum dough u made with cream. on hook put in 1 or 2 whole kernel korn.. note not to cover the point of hook (if u add more ) the hook may come out of carp mouth easyly..

wish iknow how to post picture ..could posted few here .I did posted last time but now i cant find how..

what area are you around from ... I do carp fishing almost every weekend and will be happy to show/explain some rigs... PM me i

[Comit 2]

A few things, carp feed down, so a jigs works well. If you caught one on a leach try throwing a black jig. If you catch one release it away from the area so it will not spook the other fish away. They do spook easily. If you can let them run out of the area and follow it out and fight it there so you don't spook them.

The main thing is match the hatch.

[HandGunner]

My first one caught was on a leech and plain beat up lead jig heap with no paint left. I might go to miitonka for fun underh bidge next to he train tracks seen a huge carp do a whale jump

[Stick500]

be aware that just like most species, carp aren't very interested in feeding during spawning behavior, which seems to be going on right now

saw some big ones cruising Calhoun last evening and it was hard to get them to bite, though I did land a couple

they do feed more aggressively though after a rain where the drainages are running into the lakes

[HandGunner]

so they dont feed much during their spawn?

when do they spawn and when are they done? other than that do they feed regularly? Sorry for crappy reply keyboard is messed up its doing things like

Hiiiiiii m n meeeeee iiiiis ha dgunnnnnner

[Comit 2]

Try throwing a jig with a small paddle tail (sassy shad) 2.5 inches or so to the spawning Carp. I have caught some doing that. If they think your lure is trying to eat the eggs you could get a strike. Just make sure the jig head is big enough to keep the jig near the bottom on retrieve so the Carp can get the hook it them when they pin the jig to the bottom.

You will know when they are spawning. They will be shallow and splashing A LOT.

Late July- August is prime time for Carp fishing>

[HandGunner]

What about rum river? Specificly the anoka dam and the rum right behind anoka highschool any good carp fishing? I have gone swimmig behind the highschool back then calmer area seems bassy too