Bait for shallow swimming carp in a river?

[carlcmc]

Living in Rochester, I see carp of the 10+lb variety swimming in the shallow zumbro and also in the local lakes. Many times they are very shallow. What is a good way to fish for them?

[M.T. Bucket]

What time of year are you talking?

[carlcmc]

spring or summer.

[Roughfisher]

Very spooky in shallow water - weights and bobbers will spook them in those situations. But a light-action flyrod will put a nymph in front of them without a splash. If you don't flyfish try casting a light rig way past them and then reeling it up close to them underwater so as not to spook them.

[Crawlerman]

I allways wanted to try fishing for Carp on something like a Pike/Salmon fly rod. But then again I've never could figure out fly fishing yet. But I am more than interested in learning!

Also two things that work otherwise is french frys with smaller hooks, altough they don't cast out very far. You have to pitch them out, but they don't create a lot of disturbance on the water. Also a whole piece of bread or bread crust threaded on a multi-hook floating Crawler harness will work-- just mesh together the bread only around the tips of the hook so it stays on, and cast it very carefully.

[Guest]

i often watch carp of 10-30 lb range in very shallow mud flats at the mouths of rivers, if i used a fly rod and they took off how could i get them in without them running into the cattails and bullrushes. how can i catch these whoppers? what is the best bait to be using this time of year? any infor would help

[mnfisherman]

Natural baits like worms are good spring baits. The main thing you want your bait to have is protein.

[Doop]

Hey Rapalaman!

Where are you seeing carp that are upwards of 30 pounds?! I've been on the Zumbro before but have never seen any near 20 let alone 30! Maybe we could trade a few spots!?

[Roughfisher]

If you meant you couldn't keep them out of snags after hooking them with a flyrod, join the club! Carp are strong and big, but they are smart and spook easily so if you go with heavier fly tackle you will be able to handle them better but you will hook fewer fish.

Run straight fluorocarbon in the 10 to 12-pound test range and you'll still fool most carp. All you have to do is turn their head just before they head into the snags.

[Guest]

doop~ in ottertail county the carp is hardly ever targeted by anyone, me and a couple buddies started bowfishing a few years ago here and will go a whole day on the river without seeing a person fishing/bowfishing, we recently had a change in heart about these monsters so we are just trying to learn how to catch them like "real" sportsmen instead of harpooning them like savages. last year of the 200 carp we shot the average weight was 16lbs. can we expect that when we are fishing them? but if you want uncharted carp waters, the rivers and lakes of ottertail county are prime territory

[Doop]

Hey Rap!

I love catching them on rod and reel!! There aren't many fish that pull harder, I know that. I've tried for them around the Perham area on Big Pine Lake. They are in there, but doesn't seem to be as many as there used to be. Is it better to be in a river or a lake? What do you think?

mitch

[Roughfisher]

rapalaman - depending on the water your rod and reel average size can be at least 16. If you get into a lot of them, upscale your bait to a very large doughball or boilie to keep the small ones from getting hooked. Crayfish are also a good bait for bigger carp. You can also sight-fish for the larger ones with spin or fly tackle; that way you can pick out the biggest fish to target, just like bonefishing.

Congrats on your tactic change - you won't be disappointed!

[Guest]

well Doop i have had many ok trips on big pine lake, the best is when i float the river from the **** down to perham, some of the sows lay in the fast moving current and some are just having fun playing in the shallow bays, and nooks of the river, so in big pine i think the river is better, in east leaf lake there is tons of carp from now until june/july in on the south side of the lake in the edges of bullrushes these are smaller fish though usually averaging 8lbs. around ottertail lake in the rivers and creeks that come into it are loaded if you get there at the right time, 2 years ago we got numerous 30lbers bowfishing and it was a blast because they could pull the little low profile duck boat around that we were push poling in the weeds. i have never tried phelps mill but i have heard that is an ok spot for carp, and somtimes you might catch a rough fish like a wallleye of northern.

[Doop]

Rap,

Below the d a m on Big Pine, is there a place you can put your boat in, or do you have to portage? We were there last year, and there were some carp on the main lake but not like years past, and I always wonder if the river is better?

What about surrounding area lakes? Do they have good numbers of carp?

Thanks for the help!