EnglishSteve or others-suggestions for a new carp fisher

[carlcmc]

I have caught some carp by fishing off a bridge and letting a worm bump along the bottom till its right in front of some suckers, but that has been the extent of my carp fishing.

I'm mainly a LM bass fisher, but would like to learn how to shore fish for carp/suckers.

I'm interested in what kind of equipment to get as a beginner. What do I really need? How to tie the correct knots and fish. Is there a good site that has this? Some sites have tons and tons of info, but as a starting carp angler it overwhelming. I just need someone to say this pole this knot this chum this cliker etc...

Thoughts?

[Lunker]

Just because the avid carpers have tons of tackle designed exactly for carp fishing doesn't mean it is a must to catch them. I catch a lot of carp without all that stuff. I fish mainly with a 6 ft med. action spinning rod with 10 or 12 lb test(one of my bass/walleye rods). If you are at a big river it is best to find a discharge, dam, stream inlet, or backwater so you don't have to use to much weight and can feel the bites. I use mainly baits like corn, crawlers, and dough baits. If you must fish the big waters get some heavy weights that slide so the fish can run with the bait without feeling resistance.
On smaller waters like lakes or streams they are fun too. On Lakes I like fishing windy days on the windblown side of a lake where all the junk that they eat is being blown into shore. Just set up with a tiny bit of weight and your bait and relax. On smaller streams they can be fun also, doing sight fishing when they are shallow or again just waiting with the same rigs if they are deep. Don;t waste your time on fish that are just cruising or sunning themselvees, they won't bite. It is also handy to always brig some stale bread crusts of small marshmellows along incase they are actively feeding on the surface, in which case ou can just throw it out unweighted. If you live in the twin cities area email me at [email protected] and I can point you to a few good spots, but in general carp are all over the place. Good Luck

[Jim W]

Bread dough soaked in vanilla extract!!!

Jim

[NewUlmFisher]

Maybe i do over kill but i use 80 lb power pro and a big cat fish pole bue dont bother buying any fancy lures i just use a plain old #6 long shank and nightcrawler and 1oz egg sinkers.

[mnfisherman]

NewUlmFisher,

Here is a tip, forget the nightcrawlers and other live bait and get a cheap can of corn from the grocery store. It actually is cheaper than the nightcrawlers and it lasts longer and it is a good bait to use if you only want to target carp since fish like sheepshead (drum) and small channel catfish, etc will likely go for them.

Cood carping!