Does carp work as crab bait?

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kneeland
Was wondering if anyone has ever tried t use carp as crab bait and does it work very well
 
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FishSchooler
Any dead fish works for crab bait! ;)
 
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Dan Feller
Any dead anything works for crab bait! :D

I've used tuna, salmon, trout, rockfish, ling cod, chicken, mink, beef organs, pork organs, whole skinned lambs, and even a whole skinned bobcat!
 
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FishSchooler
Worms work great too! I accidentally hooked one and it swallowed the hook with the worm... I don't see shad on your list, that's a real bummer, cause you don't know what you're missing out on.
 
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Dan Feller
I've thought about going Shad fishing for crab bait, but never actually done it. I've heard it's the best bait out there.

I try to use garbage for crab bait as much as I can.

I dumpster-dive at the docks for fish carcasses. I always carry a hatchet to split the heads vertically - you get two baits from each head and it opens up all the good stuff for the crab.

My sister and brother-in-law raise sheep so I get dead lambs for free. My neighbor raises chickens, so again I freeze the dead ones.

A co-worker gave me about fifty pounds of old organ meat - that worked quite well.

The Bobcat just wouldn't stop eating our chickens.

I forgot about clams. I tried clams once, but the crabs were able to pull them out through my mesh bags so they didn't last long.

Of all the things I've used, fish always seems to work the best if seals aren't an issue. If the seals/sea lions are around you can't beat a whole chicken.
 
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Kevinb5688
I caught carp to try as crab bait out in the bay and let me tell ya, the crabs loved it! they picked apart a 10 lb carp in a couple hours. had one pot with chicken one with carp and the carp pot caught almost twice as many. the best part is its a good plus to catch your crab bait!!!
 
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OnTheFly
Good work on the carp. Shad works pretty well too. I think anything that stinks makes a good choice for crab bait. I need to find a bumper sticker that says 'Kill a Carp feed a Crab':D
 
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Kevinb5688
ya, i have been looking for something to do with the carp i remove from the river,so i was glad to find it was good crab bait. i wish more people would do it to get more carp out of lakes and rivers, especially before they spawn. they have more eggs in them than any fish ive seen!
 
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todd
whats the best was to catch them
 
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Kevinb5688
Simple way bread, corn, or worms. Bring all 3 they should eat one. There are a lot more complex baits but no need in my eyes.
At least where i fish worms are all i need on a slip weight.
 
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Drew9870
I'll try to explain this simple
Carp are a fish, a fish capable of over populating, so are Bass, there are complex ways of fishing for Bass, but no need in my eyes, but I don't tell people that because I am speaking from a pond or four, I also know of ponds in which I won't bother fishing for Bass because they are just tricky, same for Carp. Notice how you go to a pond overpop'ed with Bass/Carp (any fish) they are stunted and easy to catch, simple, competition, fish have to compete with each other to stay alive, now they have to sample what they see/smell so another fish doesn't get it first. Now, you go to a pond/lake with a balanced/low amount of the species, and the ones you do happen to see are just huge and hard to catch because they have lived independantly on natural food sources, gettin the flow?

Crabbing Report in Carp Fishing section? People just try to indirectly get under the Carp pursurers skin, guess what, people throw Bass on the bank, dog eat dog world, just a matter of life to put aside, hell, I bet punks out there throw Native Salmonids on the bank, just something that nothing can/will be done about. Pretty obvious and hilarious when someone is sugarcoating what they think about a fish in every post about it, just so when someone says something they can basically sum it up to putting words in their mouth, it's how internet chatting works.
 
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Kevinb5688
Wow dont make it a big deal, most carp fisherman who i talk to still remove them from the water so using it for crab bait is better than throwing it in the bushes. And when someone who has never tried to catch carp asks how do you catch them you give them simple knowledge to get them started not a mouthfull of stuff they dont understand. When i say i catch them easy that is my opinion. Maby where i live it is easier than where you live. I am not dissing carp or saying all spots are easy i am speaking from my experiences as thats all i know!
 
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john montana
I have no issue with a guy taking carp for crab bait, I doubt anyone would. If the goal is to rid the rivers of non native species though, then you might as well lump bass in the same pot. A real debate exists as to which fish is more destructive to our native fisheries, bass or carp. Carp sure as heck don't prey on smolt in any sort of numbers. I agree with drew that everyone seems to want to slyly slap us carp guys in the face and then claim "I didn't mean it that way" but it really doesn't matter. The prejudice runs deep, I have come to accept it. And I literally applaud you for your use of carp as crab bait. I am all for removing non native species in a manner that doesn't involve massive waste. Good use of an overpopulated fish. I wish guys would try that with bass on the John day.

And again, to adress the "ease" of catching carp that you seem to want to bring up over and over, try artificials. It is far more difficult to fool a fish than to feed a fish.
 
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Kevinb5688
I agree about bass, but carp get a bad rep because there not good eating and most people wont even touch them. Bass is great on the table. But i agree they both can be destructive, and more power to anyone who wants to keep them. I dont keep bass unless i fish overpopulated areas.
And i dont know why you carp guys care if i say there easy to catch where im at. Im not complaining, i have a lot of fun catching them and see why you guys enjoy it so much. I have caught a few carp on my fly rod, and it is much more difficult. But the fact they are easy to catch on bait is what i like about them. Catching 10-20 lb fish one after another is a blast. Im not a anti carp person, or any fish for that matter. They are all here in our lakes and rivers and all provide thrills for different people. And heres something most people dont think about.
If one carp or bass eats X ammount of fish eggs, but also keeps X amount of anglers targeting them instead of trout or steelhead it sort of evens itself out in pros and cons.
More people fishing for bass or carp = less trout taken,= less pressure on one certian species, and less crowding along the rivers.
If there were no bass or carp in oregon everyone would trout, steelhead, or salmon fish. So im glad they are here.
 
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christopherbeebe
hello i'm new to the forums i currently live in las vegas, nv but i am moving my family back to the northwest next feb. i'm originally from seattle, or federal way to be exact, i've been following the forums for a few months now, so i decided to chime in finally. we have a lot of carp here in lake mead i am an avid carp fisherman they can save a skunked day any given day, especially with kids i would rather catch carp all day with my kids then have them go home disappointed. i don't see the problem with taking carp for bait for another species, especially crab YUM, i usually CPR all my carp, but i do take a carp here or there for catfish bait. and the crab bait is a great idea. there is a HUGE number of carp throughout a lot of our waters everywhere. even though they don't eat native smolt like squawfish do, they do have an impact on some sensitive systems by making a mess up-rooting native vegetation and destroying natural habitat for forage fish and spawning beds. has anyone ever seen carp spawn? its brutal, a nice clear cove will quickly become chocolate water within minutes when a school of excited boars are persuing a sow, it gets quite messy. so i can understand the carp haters point of view, but at the same time i also understand the carp lovers point of view. i think there will always be a debate when it comes to this species. i just wanted to share my 2 cents and introduce myself at the same time. tight lines everyone
 
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