Ultimate Carp Pond But How Can I catch them!!!

[Steve Burke]

Hi teAL

 

I love fishing such unpressured waters, although the ones I've found haven't contained thirty pounders! In my experience fish in waters like these are very angler shy but not tackle shy. Thus they need a different approach to normal and I find the most important requirement by far is therefore stealth. Avoid vibrations, keep out of sight and keep all movements slow and deliberate. Once you've cast to the right spot leave your bait out there rather than recasting.

 

You've already cracked one of the major problems, that of location. You've now got to establish the feeding times of the carp and fish at these times. The chances are that early and late in the day are likely to be good starting points. The alternative is to fish long sessions.

 

Turning to bait, these fish have probably not seen much in the way of anglers' baits. So your first choice of worm could well have been a good one. In fact it would have been mine. However, there are waters where worm isn't very successful.

 

Other natural or semi-natural baits such as maggots are likely to be effective. In fact, in the opinion of some top carp anglers they are the carp bait par excellence! The only problem is that small fish of other species (if present)might go for them and spook the carp.

 

Other baits worth trying are sweetcorn and various floating baits such as breadcrust and dog biscuits such as Chum Mixers. It would also be worth prebaiting with these, i.e. introducing samples of your chosen bait in the days before you fish so that the carp learn that they are food and safe to eat.

 

As far as methods go I'd agree with mpdbsnu that ledgering might be more effective, especially if you have to wait a long time between bites or long casting is needed.

 

However, there's no need to use a hair rig on such uneducated fish, especially with the baits I've mentioned. My own lakes at Wingham are lightly fished, and I still catch very well on maggots put straight on the hook with no hair rig. I feel that the hair rig is something to fall back on when the fish begin to wise up to simple presentations.

 

Good luck. I'm sure we'll all be intererested to hear how you get on.

[Chris Shaw]

TeAl:

Ok guys I found a wicked place for carp I have seen them man they are massive!!!  It is in Holland and owned by a friend of my mums.  The carp are all natural and have never been fished for. Last summer I went there and using worms had no success     I didn't try that much they did not seem to interested.  

 

Surely these fish can't be wary how would you catch them?  Ive never tried carp fishing before, they seem to dwell around an island, there are hundreds, mirror carps also.  Please tell me what I need to do next time this summer when  I got what breaking strain line do I need ?

 

Thanks

 

William

 

Also, I have been told that if I catch one they would really like it stuffed!  How can I kill a fish as big as a carp, I have killed trout etc with priests but a carp doesn't have a flat head and I don't want to damage it.  thanks

No help here I am afraid, I want no part of helping somebody to a catch a carp only to knock it on the head.

 

Thats all, bye............

[Michael Dodd]

You certainly shouldnt kill it...Just take a picture and dont net it, take a picture. Killing trout etc is all well and good if you are going to eat it but I dont see the need in killing a fish that has no value (in modern day) as a food fish. Anywhere that will stuff a fish will be able to make one up which will last longer and looks just as good. You should take a picture from side, front and top down and under also if you wish then measure its length and depth and take all these mesurements and pics to a good taxidermists.

[TeAl]

quote:

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Nohelp here I am afraid, I want no part of helping somebody to a catch a carp only to knock it on the head.

 

Thats all, bye............[/QB]

---

Obviously you did not understand my 2nd post, after I remembered the humble camera and getting a model of it I was no longer interested in killing the fish. Sorry if it wasn't clear and after reading my first post I guess it might sound a bit gruesome .

 

Sorry for upsetting you guys I agree that if you don't eat what you catch then it is pretty pointless but these guys wanted it stuffed so I will tell them to stuff that and get a wooden model instead . By the way a small pike stirfryed is delicious

 

William

[TeAl]

Steve thanks for your help I will get back to you on my success or not These fish are monsters will 20lb line be enough? I don't know how long a carp lives or how big it could grow naturally in a natural pond but this lake has been untouched for hundreds of years so presumably some there will be as big as they get!!

 

I will take lots of photos also and put them up here I heard that if you put a thumb in the carps mouth while u hold it pacifys it when you take a picture Any truth

 

Thanks

 

William

[Newt]

Best models these days are mostly fiber glass. Lots better than wood used to be.

[Michael Dodd]

Teal I dont think anyone thinks the less of you, one of the good things on here is everyone is willing to learn. You didnt know about treatingcarp and about keeping them in nets etc and now you do. As long as its taken on board and practised the board has done its job.

[TeAl]

I didn't intend to keep it in a net as in a keep net. I was just wondering would I be able to net it with a normal landing net if I catch one.

 

William

[Newt]

I think you may get some different answers on this one.

 

UK anglers mostly use nets that are very "fish friendly" with no exposed knots and no small line. Much easier on the fish and necessary for fish that will be caught over and over and over.

 

US anglers mostly use nylon mesh nets with exposed knots. There will occasionally be some minor damage to the fish but nothing significant for fish that will be caught very seldom.

 

You didn't ask but I think the same logic applies to use of unhooking mats. If the fish will be put on grass and not caught often, you can probably do without a mat. Still better on the fish if you do use one. They are in very short supply in the US (almost impossible to find one). I get by fine using a large plastic trash bag and if the surface is rough, by putting a large sheet of foam rubber into the trash bag. For grass on dirt or the carpet in my boat, I don't even bother with the foam.

 

[ 20 March 2002, 11:28 PM: Message edited by: Newt ]

[TeAl]

it would be a uk net, and the fish would be caught once if i am lucky I reckon in the shoal around the island there are about 10-20 BIG carp and the lake is a lot bigger so there are probably even more somewhere

 

William