Picky carp

[Crawlerman]

Last night I was at a local pond by my house, carp rolling all around me but they wouldn't take corn, even when switching to a #6 thinwire hook, both on the bottom and on a float- while chumming the whole time. I've been considering going back there with bread...

How do you guys deal with picky carp that do this? Other then using those wierd european rigs you can't buy and have to make....

Also- does anyone know how well the Bekley carp bait works?

[nitefisher]

not that there is not a better bait but the best i have ever used anywere i go is to leave your worms in the sun to the point were you can hardly get them on your hook and fish of the bottom.

[Ralph Wiggum]

They're usually not too interested in eating when they're busy doing the hibbitty-dibbitty.

[nitefisher]

good one ralph have'nt heard it called that before. but i do agree with you, when the hanky panky is on the eating off.

[barnyard]

The Berkley stuff is pretty much dump, IMHO.

I think George Costanza from Seinfeld is one of the few that eats and does IT at the same time.

I tie Euro rigs while I am sitting waiting for my next bite. Didn't get any tied on Saturday, only tied a couple on Sunday. I know that it is possible to catch fish without Euro techniques, but it does seem to up the odds a bit.

We use #6 circle hooks with a hair tied on the bend of the hook. We use 1.5 oz lindy sinkers, 8.5 foot salmon rods and either spinning reels with line release clips or baitcasters with a clicker.

The salmon rods see extra duty, as we also use them for slip bobbers, cats and sturgeons. Actually, they are probably the most versatile and well used rods that I own.

Tom B

[Ralph Wiggum]

Quote:

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I think George Costanza from Seinfeld is one of the few that eats and does IT at the same time.

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LOL, just what I was thinking

[Tyler Holm]

I'm not a fan of the gulp or powerbait corn. There only thing I did have a little success doing was to thread on as much sweet corn on your hook as possible, but sneaking 1 gulp or PB corn nugget somewhere on the hook. Those dump are sneaky buggers and can suck all the sweetcorn off the hook without giving you any indication. That PB/Gulp stays on the hook much better and might give a little more time to indicate the bite.

[HuskerBen]

I caught a few the other day at a local lake. They were all over the place, chasing each other and rolling all over. I was chumming with sweet corn, and using my ultralight reel on a fly rod. I was casting right into the chum, where I could see the fish when they took my bait. It was kind of nerve-wracking, seeing the fish picking up corn everywhere and staying away from my bait. I wonder if they know to stay away from the little J-shaped pieces of corn...

Anyhow, I wound up catching two six-pounders, and I had a huge one break off as I was reaching with my net. She must've been 15 pounds. I saw her swim up and suck in my bait, and I smacked her like she was a musky. She took off, my drag started screaming, and it was on! I fought her for about ten minutes with my four-pound line, and once I got her close to the shore, I realized my net wasn't big enough and she broke off. Talk about heartbreak.

The cool thing was that during the whole 10 minute fight, there were a couple other carp swimming right alongside her, bumping into her sides and rolling around, like they had no idea she was hooked. Ultralights and carp are definately a fun combination.

Ben

[harvey lee]

You are correct on the ultralights for carp.Last week I was fishing for pannies with a ultralight and 4# test and a ice reel.I caught a 9.5# carp and that was a real battle with such light gear.I never thought I would get it in.

The bait I was using was a 1/32oz crappie jig with a white Exude micro-shad.

[nitefisher]

doing the bump and grind, the carp can't pass this stuff up. i was fishing carp the other day where the carp were rolling all over and in the last three days we have caught 32 one day 23 the next day and 15 yesterday. we went by there today and they were thick in there again so im going back again today. try this recipe to catch them. one can whole corn drain juice, add 4 table spoons vanilla extract mix well, when baiting your hook thread hook just to cover with worm put 2 to 3 kernnels of corn on the end were the barb is and hang on. make sure to set your drag.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Nite,

What type and size of hook and sinker(s) are you using?

[nitefisher]

ralph i use a eagle claw # 139 size 2 hook and water gremlin slip sinkers psl-4 3/8 size or the egg sinker peg-5 1 1/2 size off the bottom because im fishing current. i could'nt beleive the action i was getting even though they were spawning like crazy.

[nitefisher]

a size 4 hook also works but you can get a little more bait on a little bigger hook. cover the hook with worm and 2 to 3 peices of whole corn that has been mixed with vanilla.

[nitefisher]

ralph when we got over there to fish carp there were 3 boats there bow hunting the carp. they got madd at us because we were getting more carp than they were. i thought it was cool, it did'nt take them long to leave. that corn and vanilla extract mix works real good, but then we got rained out.

[Blue Kayak]

Here is a recent quote from so haaad in the Fly Fishing section:

"The best time for carp on the fly is during the spawn, so it's pretty much upon us."