carp as pike bait?

[Pangolin]

On my last visit to a noted pike water, in March, I set up at a swim. After a while, I realised that something floating just beyond the reed-beds was a dead fish. My curiosity was satisfied, later, when the wind blew the fish across into my swim: it was a dead carp, of around 3lb, that looked as though it had been in the water some time (not very attractive). Perhaps pike just don't go for carp, otherwise I'd expect this one to have been eaten. It was in a known hotspot...

[Peter Waller]

Sod it, Gareth went round at 4.00, I went round at 4.30, now I know why I blanked. I was relying on a nice twenty for about 15 worthwhile baits. You do need a good sharp knife for leather carp. Marinated in smelt oil for about thirty minutes, a minute per pound plus ten seems to work well.

 

I have a 'Mary' Commemorative plug, it floats upside down, that really pulls 'em in!

 

Only kidding fellas! Thought I'd better add that just in case someone took it seriously. Gareth wasn't joking though, you should see his freezer. Stacked with carp cutlets.

[Peter Waller]

The ultimate would be a forty pound carp, with a plug in tow behind it. When an exausted carp floats to the surface you know there will be a pike neatly self hooked just behind it .

 

Tis a begger when you have to put a winking gremlin on so people know it shouldn't be taken too seriously , or should it!

[Gareth.]

Hi Peter,

Those 4-8lb Leather Carp from the freezer made excellent flappers for sink and draw, and wobbling mate.

Extremly hard wearing though, even if they were a b*****d to cast.

The trick was to add a popped up, weak snag link to the main line. Then snag a lift on a Boilie laden bait boat.

Best to use something less than 6lb breaking strain for the snag link, otherwise you have to strike really hard to unhitch your flapper.

[Dick Dastardly]

Ah Mr Ward!Yes I do use 2lb Carp live baits...but not for Pike!The problem is where I use them there are so many 4lbrs that finding them is the problem!

 

Carp for Pike(in fact any predator) -yes they are good baits,nice and strong but they do become a bit lazy when the water temperatures plummit.Need to be used on rigs that work them otherwise they will just lay up still.(maybe the carp boys are right and they are cleverer than other fish!)

 

Never rated big baits myself,difficult to use both control and hooking up.5"-8" my preference for Pike and smaller for other species.

 

For Cats abroad (even though they will happily take baits up to 6lb,have used 4lbrs when struggling to catch the right size bait) still prefer the 1-2lb size.For people who think this is a bit extreme consider that the Ebro probabley contains as many 4lb carp as the Thames does 4ozs roach.

 

Despite what some have said I personally have never found Carp deadbaits much good.

 

To even intimate that certain species are acceptable for bait and others arnt is ridiculous!

[Gareth.]

The ultimate would be a forty pound carp, with a plug in tow behind it. When an exausted carp floats to the surface you know there will be a pike neatly self hooked just behind it

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Peter,

Wouldn't that be trolling under power?

[The Diamond Geezer]

C'mon Guys! Budgie ... where have you been? Crucians are carp and they make the best live-baits on the planet ... ask Eddie Turner if you don't believe me

 

DG

[captain cojones]

carp are used quite regularly out here as livebait, especialy on the ebro, for the catfish.many is the time i have walked around one of our local reservoirs, after a days fishing, to see a family cooking up one of the carp they have caught on their bbq!!yum,yum!!!??!

[Newt]

Carp here for bait too but for catfish. A big flathead cruising the shallows of an evening enjoys a nice snack and 2-4 lbs seems to be the preferred size.

 

I don't see them as so good for pike though. Musky maybe but pike seem to like a more slender shape.

 

As a comment on how things have changed over the past several years though - Phil, think what the reaction would have been not so long ago.

 

I can still remember getting blasted when I was new to all this UK stuff and didn't even know the live bait question was a question and that my preferred way of hooking a live bait ... well it wasn't too well received, shall we say.

[Wordbender]

Keep it to yerselves, but I'm having a RIGHT result using minced pike in my method mix - the carp love it!

 

The big old, spawn-heavy girls are the pike to target, and they're easy to snare in the shallows, too. Squeeze out the eggs and use those as well, they act as fishy hemp...er... probbly.

 

Now, can we desist from this contrary beastliness - my bivvy telly won't watch itself, you know.

 

Terry