Carp Or Pike

[Lake owner]

Pretty even i reckon i have had Carp at 12ibs that just felt like pulling in a clump of weed , likewise Pike ..

 

and had some that rip the rod from your hands , depends on there moods i reckon , maybe there females i been catching LOL

[Waveney One]

It also depends upon the depth of the water that the fish are hooked in and of course the tackle. Hook a summer pike on a lure in the shallows of an Irish lough and they fight like crazy. A larger carp hooked in deep water in the winter is no comparison at all. Alternatively, compare a carp in shallow water in the summer and a pike in the winter in deep water on a dead bait rig and they change change places.

 

Not a question that can be answered with a definitive answer of course. It is all very subjective.

[poledark]

My experiences with Pike in late autumn fight a lot harder than winter fish (after xmas). This is the same for me every year.

 

Carp fight consistently hard at all times of the year.

 

Best comparison I can offer is that pike below 10lb give up after a couple of short runs, carp of similar weight fight a lot harder.

 

And as a generality, I would say pike don't really fight at all

 

And having caught a lot of barbel to 12lbs over the last 50 years, I would say they don't fight as hard as carp either.

 

Den

[lutra]

And having caught a lot of barbel to 12lbs over the last 50 years, I would say they don't fight as hard as carp either.

 

Den

For me carp v barbel would be a close run thing, some of them small barbel (4lbish) just don't know when to give up at times.

 

When it comes to power and speed in UK fresh water the salmon would win for me.