catching carp

[paul93]

hi ive decided to see i could catch some carp the other day as people say good they are. but i had problems when fighting them. im using 8lb line at a local fishery known for carp. ive hooked about 10 and only landed 1. is there some trick to fighting them without snapping the line or am i just not using strong enough line. i use 8lb as said before and size 10 hooks. my rod is a carp feeder as well so its supposed to be suited for carp. any help would be great .

[Liam7]

That line and hooks should be perfect, when I'm fishing for small carp at a commersial i use 6Ib line and size 12 hooks, Things you should check; Is your clutch set right? If its to tight that might be a reason for losing alot of the fish. How long are you playing the fish for? You might be putting to much pressure on the fishing and if the clutch isn't set right thats a recipe for disaster. If your fishing a cage feed, maybe try a longer hook link, that can often make a difference. I would probably think its more likely your playing the fish to hard and you clutch is to tight. Hope this helps

 

Liam W

[viney]

when first fishing for carp make sure your clutch is set fairly loose as then can suprise you if your used to catching smaller fish, also keep your rod just above 45 degrees from horizontal an use the rod to absorb some of the fishes power (just out of interest what test curve rod are you using?) the trick is not to get the carp to the net as quick as possible but use the clutch and the rod to tire the fish out before getting it into the net, its not uncommon to play a medium sized carp for 10 or more minutes before it tiring! when the fish is near the net be prepared for last minute lunges and get ready to lower the rod into the lunges to prevent hook pulls and gain control of the fish quickly. if using hair rigs with bite alarms etc dont be tempted to 'strike' when picking up the rod as this can cause hook pulls and damage to the fish, instead lift firmly but steadily into the fish and let the clutch come into play.

 

hope this helps and makes some kind of sense i am three sheets to the wind

Matt

[Phone]

paul,

 

Where is your line breaking? How much confidence do you have in your knotting ability? What is the age of yor line?

 

A carp, straight away, can only exert limited amount of swim pressure (about 12 lbs) for a 20 lb carp. 20 lb carp roughly seem to be the "strongest" for their weight. As the line angle increases the amount of swim pressure decreases. You can geometrically increase the pressure on your line by pulling against that carp weight. Zero bouyancy for carp is slightly less than 8lb. (water weight minus the swim blatter).

 

If you are 1 for 10 fish using 8 lb line - and - using a rod that absorbs a reasonable amount of shock it is definately angler error.

You better ask more questions.

 

Everything suggested above I heartly agree. Especially the clutch (drag) thing. It serves the purpose of putting you in charge of landing the fish.

 

Phone

[paul93]

thanks for the replies. not sure about the test curve of my rod but its a ron thompson g-force carp feeder is that helps. i set he clutch so fish can take line but not too quickly. and im not too sure how good my knots are but the line breaks just above the hook most of the time. hope this helps.

[Newt]

I know this is a salt water site but the info on test curves, speed, etc. are good and are all things an angler can benefit from having in his/her general fund of knowledge.

 

http://www.go-saltwater-fishing.com/fishin...l#axzz1ViwY6eXs

[Cart Man]

when first fishing for carp make sure your clutch is set fairly loose as then can suprise you if your used to catching smaller fish, also keep your rod just above 45 degrees from horizontal an use the rod to absorb some of the fishes power (just out of interest what test curve rod are you using?) the trick is not to get the carp to the net as quick as possible but use the clutch and the rod to tire the fish out before getting it into the net, its not uncommon to play a medium sized carp for 10 or more minutes before it tiring! when the fish is near the net be prepared for last minute lunges and get ready to lower the rod into the lunges to prevent hook pulls and gain control of the fish quickly. if using hair rigs with bite alarms etc dont be tempted to 'strike' when picking up the rod as this can cause hook pulls and damage to the fish, instead lift firmly but steadily into the fish and let the clutch come into play.

 

hope this helps and makes some kind of sense i am three sheets to the wind

Matt

Great advice.

[SpecimenSean]

try playing the fish with your drag set so lines takes when the rod bends about 60-70 degrees then control the spool speed with your hand. If a fish is running gently apply pressure to the spool with your fingers and slowly bring the fish under conrtol. If you feel the fish really wanting to go again take your hand off the spool and let it run again. Rinse and repeat.

 

What knot you using to tie your hook?

[Phone]

paul,

 

Describe you "end rig" from the main line to the end. With a success rate of 1 fish in 10 hook-ups there is definately angler error serving as a major part of your problem. Still, are you saying 9 out of 10 times you are coming in without a hook?

 

Phone

[Errrm]

I would guess your line is damaged somehow. What type of line it is? Mono, Braid, Flurocarbon? How old is it? Where is the line breaking, at the knot or in the middle of the line? Are you using a lighter hook link?

 

I would also run you fingers up and down at least the last few meters everytime you use it to check for damage andcut off any line which is damaged.