carp fishing

[wmn luv me walleye fearme]

This might be an odd questions to ask but looking for some real basics on carp fishing. Have lived in minnesota for 10 years. Fish all the time ice and open water. Never ever have I fished for carp. Was thinking maybe this spring (after seeing a carp special on outdoor channel) that i need to stop going after the 5 inch sunnies and 7 inch crappies that i catch in the spring and start going after some of those carp as it looked like a blast. I fish tonka a lot, is that a good carp lake? Do I pretty much look for the same thing as the crappie early season (north dark bottom bay, etc.) Havent fished carp since i was a kid and we used doughballs. Should I just load a hook up with that or corn, or crawlers? Have no idea how I would go about trying to locate them. Have looked though a lot of the old posts and pulled some info from it but since I;m looking pretty beginner level havent been able to figure out the real basics

thanks

[Tyler Holm]

Try this link out.

http://www.fishingminnesota.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/610199#Post610199

[wmn luv me walleye fearme]

appreciate the link, some pretty good basics. One last question do you know if tonka has some good carp areas or would i be better off trying some of the smaller lakes around me that i fish. (riley, lotus, indy etc.) Probably would have a hard time making it to Zumbra

thanks

[Tyler Holm]

Those tactics should work on any lake. I'm not familiar with the carp population in any of the lakes you've mentioned but give it a shot.

[Carp-fisher]

Tonka has some great early (within 2 days of ice out) spring carp fishing. Try Harrison Bay just east of where Centerview Lane goes out on that penninsula on the south side. Large sow carp congregate in there and feed actively. The area is really shallow at 2 to 4 feet and you should be able to see the carp jumping or cruising. Use a bobber with corn and keep the bait about 6" off the bottom. The bobber will keep the bait up out of the weeds and make it easier for the carp to find.

My strategy for spring carp is pretty simple: fish where you can see the fish.

[HuskerBen]

In my favorite early-spring spot, the weeds are not much of a concern. There is some vegetation on the bottom, but not nearly as much as later in the season. I like to use a floating jighead (loaded with either corn or half a crawler) to keep the bait just off the bottom, for the same reasons that Carp-fisher uses a bobber. Either way works, it's just a matter of personal preference.

Carp can be very spooky, so stealth is crucial. I, too, follow the "fish where you see fish" guideline. But if you can see the fish, they can probably see you too. I don't wear any bright colors, I don't make much noise, and I try to treat the experience as "spot and stalk" fishing.

It can be a whole lot of fun... One day last spring, I caught nearly a hundred pounds of carp (most in the 8-10 lb range) in one afternoon. It can also be frustrating. Carp, like most other fish, change their habits a lot over the course of a season, so you have to adapt your tactics to suit their moods.

Good luck! You'll be an addict soon.