Any tips on carp fishing?

317wc

Any help would be appreciated. I can see carp galore at this local dirty river. Not huge, but a lot. I want to catch some, I caught 4 one night, on night crawlers, but in about 3 hours. I'd like to be getting 10 an hour at least. I did try making a home-made dough bait, with honey, cornmeal, Wheaties, and vanilla. I think maybe I cooked it too long? It would not stay on the hook, was way too dry it seemed.

Anyways, sometimes I just cannot get them to bite. I want to catch fish, sometimes I don't care if they are just carp. I just need some tips. Help me help myself!

Chief Shaway

I used to catch a ton when the cicada were on.
I'd think that worms under a bobber would work.

txfeller

Those carp are fun to catch. Best bait I've found is a can of corn. Just thread the kernels on the hook.

But don't touch them with your bare hands. Use a towel or whatever, because you can easily give them an infection that will cause them to have a slow, miserable death.

asop

Right on-Can of corn. By the way, I've been eating a carp a day for 40 years with no side effects[:0]

317wc

Well thanks everyone for the tips, I will give corn a try.
I wouldn't consider eating these carp, the river they are in has only been delisted by our state F&G, for less than a year. It is directly below a large oil and gas refinery, and I have better and cleaner fish when I want to eat some fish. I would try them sometime though, how do you cook them, ASOP?

fishkiller41

Corn threaded on a small treble hook.Also, make a little sling-shot out of a metal coat hanger,rubber bands and duct tape for the pocket.(tape folded on it's self)

Shoot a few loads of corn out then cast to the middle of the chum.
This will increase hook-ups drastically.[;)]

0oAKo47o0

Honestly i've had better luck with fresh rye bread than canned corn.
Just pinch off a piece and roll it, it will become doughy. I don't know what it is, maybe the scent it puts out, but once you cast out a couple times they start going crazy. literally was hooking up on every cast in under a second. maybe caught 40 as fast as i could rebait and throw out. (Dont keep em)

Just remember if you eat these things make sure its not a sterile grass carp. depending what area you live in these have been introduced to control invasive aquatic plant and its illegal to keep em.

booter_one

Two ways I have seen/heard them help the catch ratio.
Some time ago, down on the Snake River, there was a guy using a bow and was catching the crap out of them. Asked the guy what he does with the carp, said he freezes them and will use them for bear bait.

An old timer said, use blood and let it dry and then ball it up and they will take that. Never tried it, but this guy knew his fishing.

317wc

Well, I went out the other night, hoping to slay them. I had two friends with me, we rotated through all of our bait, we tried corn, worms, and dough, and ended up catching only 3 catfish, over about 3 hours. I don't know what I am doing wrong, I can see literally dozens when I am out there. We did try chumming, by slinging a bunch of corn, in hopes of getting them into a frenzy. Still was a no-go. I wish we could snag them, but it is not legal in PA.

I am pretty well experienced when it comes to fishing, so it is frustrating, that I cannot hookup with some.

0oAKo47o0

are they big red carp?

RobOz

This one is very close to what we use for the SWPA carp.
Also they make good fertilizer.

I ain't gone carpin in years, just might go one afternoon.

Strawberry Jello Doughball Supreme

1 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
a dash of garlic salt

Bring these ingredients to a boil, then mix together and add:
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1/2 package strawberry jello

Cook for a few minutes until mixture thickens. Pour onto waxed paper, flatten, and cut into squares. When cool enough to handle, roll into balls.

Keep refrigerated for longest life. Can be frozen and thawed before use, but is best when used fresh.
- See more at: http://outdoornebraska.ne.gov/blogs/2010/07/strawberry-doughball-recipe-for-carp/#sthash.KYx1jrbW.dpuf

317wc

Thanks Rob, I will give that a try. I read online about strawberry Jello, I am interested to see how well it works.

Sorry AK, I don't know what they are exactly, I believe they are Cyprinus carpio, common carp. About 10 pounds, sort of a strawish/golden/yellowish/tannish kind of color.

asop

HEY-Just kidding about a-carp-a-day. However, out east they serve carp known as "Gavilgafish" (sp?) Usually can be found in Jewish dellies. Years ago they bid out the rights to sain our lake to commercial companies that picked out certain ones to ship out east for that end use.

kimi

quote:Originally posted by asop
HEY-Just kidding about a-carp-a-day. However, out east they serve carp known as "Gavilgafish" (sp?) Usually can be found in Jewish dellies. Years ago they bid out the rights to sain our lake to commercial companies that picked out certain ones to ship out east for that end use.


[:D]

txfeller

It kind of sounds like the carp are hitting what's on the surface. Just for grins, try using one of those small rapala minnows.

kumate

chew up a wad of spearmint gum till its soft and put it on a treble hook 2 feet under a bobber, no crap it works wonders

rong

As a kid we would fashion dough balls
around a hook and heave the line out
in the river.

As far as a tip?: Only one from experience.
Carps ain't trout so don't just lay
your good rig on the ground with bait in the water....

pabiggun300

need to chum the waters , throw 5 or 6 cans of corn in water , bait your line with corn, cast it into middle , second pole use dough ball of choice , cast it in , chumming puts them in a frenzy

grizzclaw

+1 on the corn.

kumate

1 bottle of Big Red and 3 cups con flakes

Blstevens

The best way to eat Carp is. Catch em keep them alive and fresh as long as you can. Use a nice flat wide fruit type wooden plank. Gut carp scale carp,clean real well and remove black vein. After that throw away Carp and smoke then eat the plank[:p]

gearheaddad

I grew up on river loaded with carp. I could tell stories over beers all night about catching them on fly rods, spinning rods, shooting them with shotguns, bow and arrows, spearing them, etc.
My Grandma's potato dumpling cut in about 1/2" cubes are the best. Unfortunately I lost my Grandma 35 years ago.
So we went to a handkerchief laid out flat with a handful of corn flakes in the middle. Bring the 4 corners together and make a ball of corn flakes and crunch them up real fine, then run the ball under a faucet a little at a time and keep crunching then squishing until you have a dough ball. Open handkerchief and make small dough balls. Use a small hook and fish on the bottom.
Good luck!