Understanding Carp

D
Drew9870
A Carp in water, is a Fox on land.... You don't approach them like any other creature, they are a scavenger, hard to catch unless you have a near perfect environment with little to no other species to compete against and little to no predators to keep them in check, they are complicating fish, by means of diet, spawning, and all other means of habitat, you can't always expect one bait to work the same magic all year long, they go by what nutrients and amino acids they are the most deficient in, and seek out those sources. Certain organisms (that consist of a Carps diet) are at their peak populations in certain depths and certain seasons and months, allowing the Carp to have it's share of certain nutrients and Aminos during certain timeframes, and causing them to crave certain ones during different timeframes, maybe an environment is lacking certain aminos or nutrients, then that would cause the Carp to always crave those specific aminos or nutrients. Some substances can completely turn a carps feeding switch off, maybe year round, maybe certain timeframes.

Carp fishing is an experience like no other, you use gear and methods that are unheard of when it comes to the most popular gamefish, you see and learn things about fishing like you will never experience with other fish. When it comes to Carp fishermen, it's all about the fight, not only landing the fish, but hooking it, and getting a good hold with the hook and even finding/attracting the carp. When you go fishing, and catch a 2lb carp, consider yourself lucky, it is rare to catch a carp under 6-7lbs, unless you are in an area full of them.

Corn, who uses corn for bait :confused:, and bread :shock:, isn't this human food. Yes, I have heard it, some people think my corn is rotten because it's red from the cherry jello i add in it :lol:, no, it actually smells really good with the anise and vanilla also, but corn and bread are the basics for Carp bait, I prefer white bread, but I have heard wheat is better, I stick with what I know works. Corn contains an amino acid called Lysine, which some (including myself) believe is the main reason the Carp seek it out so readily, sometimes color can play a role in helping them spot it out, even though a Carp doesn't need much of the sight factor since they have unbelievable sniffers, one way to get there sniffer goin crazy from good distances is spices, such as black pepper, or even cayenne pepper, Capsacium (I hope the spellings right) is what plays the role in the Carp seeking the spices from a long distance, and Carp don't have the senses to tell somethings spicy. White Bread, from what I understand, is healthy for Carp, it is packed full of nutrients, which is why they readily accept it so often, and bread can acount for a heart pumping experience if floated on the surface in an area that sees a lot of bread, watching a carp gulp your bait off the surface, is an experience like no other.
 
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GraphiteZen
GraphiteZen
Awesome! Thanks for the post and the time taken!
 
J
john montana
Very tough to catch on a fly too. I don't put any scent on my flies so it comes down tom hunting for a feeding carp and then putting food on their plate, from far enough away that you don't spook them! Great gamefish.
 
B
BlackBass
When fishing for Carp as a kid, we quickly realized how smart they are. They will spook at any sound or even just the image of you sitting on the bank motionless .I can't think of a more easily spooked fish, they have a tremendous sense of there environment and know when something is not right. We would use bread to chum them to the surface , throwing compacted pieces of bread that would sink, and the crust that would float. I agree catching a carp with a piece of bread floating on the surface is real fun. You see there mouths open up on the surface, trying to get your bait in there mouth. Good times.
 
T
topbloke
Does Timothy lake still hold lots of crawdads? Carp love them and was going to try to make crawdad boilies.
 
N
nwkiller
thats aalot of info, thanks man
 
GraphiteZen
GraphiteZen
I tried fly fishing for them a few times one summer and found that black leeches worked great so long as you smeared them in mud from the body of water you're fishing. Never got a hookup but had many hits just after the flies had suffered a fresh dipping.
 
D
Drew9870
Will add more to this thread later on, that is pretty much just a sample.


Topbloke, the Crawdad Boilies are a good idea, I might try to grind up the meat from the tails and add them to some doughbait.

GraphiteZen, clever thinking, some people swear by washing their hands in the water thats going to be fished before handling the bait.

John, I can't wait for summer, I need to get a Carp on the fly rod, I have hooked them, but not well enough, and they went right for the backing. I need to tie a floating breadcrust fly :think::). Flyrod Carping is very, very tricky
 
T
Troutier Bassier
I cheated once and put corn on my hook on a flyrod. :( sorry but It was still a lot of fun and thats what its about...

I read somewhere (on here or somewhere else) That a guy was obseriving the trout at a lake feed on leeches... The leeches would be in the mud and were perfectly camoflauged, Everytime they would move it would cause the mud/dirt to get in the water. Even the tinyest bit of mud in the water would alert the trout that there was a leech there and they would gulp them right up...
I'm guessing its the same with carp. When something on the bottom (wieghted fly) moves on the bottom it causes the mud and stuff to rise up. Alerting the carp that there is some sort of food there.
 

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