In Japanese culture, the carp is a symbol of power, strength and a fighting spirit. In the US, many people look down on the carp, but around the world the carp is a highly sought after catch by many anglers. They grow big and powerful and can put up a good fight. Chances are you’ll be able to find carp not too far from your home, and they may be your best chance at catching a big fish.
There are many different species of carp around the world, but this article will be focusing on the carp available to anglers in the US.
I’ll be talking about a number of carp species, where to find them, what bait to use, and gear you’ll need to catch them.
How To Catch Carp
I’m going to cut to the chase here. I was going to start by telling you about the different species and their history, but I’ll bump that to the bottom. I’m going to go straight into carp fishing.
What Do Carp Eat?
The carps diet consists of aquatic insects, snails, mussels and other small life, as well as plants and even fruit that falls into the water. I have heard of anglers having excellent carp fishing using figs as bait under a fig tree.
Fly fishing for carp has become increasingly popular recently. Fly fishermen use flies that are tied to imitate insects, crayfish, leaches, beetles etc…
Although carp are commonly thought to be bottom feeders, they will actually eat in any part of the water column and you’ll often see them slurping food off the surface of the water.
Ultimately carp are in search of protein. If your bait smells like it could provide them with protein and doesn’t scare them off then they’ll give it a try.
Carp Bait
For a more in depth article check out this one on carp baits!
Similarly to catfish, carp anglers have a huge variety of baits to choose from. There are a few carp specific baits on the market. However, a lot of carp anglers will come up with their own recipes or shop for bait at the grocery store rather than the tackle shop. Here are some of the most productive carp baits.
Bread
Bread is cheap, easy to find, and is a great carp bait. It works especially well if you are fishing around an area where people often go to feed ducks. There will be pieces of bread that sink before the ducks can get to it and this is where fish get their chance. Even the commotion of ducks feeding can be like a dinner bell to all the fish in the area.
To fish for carp with bread, microwave it in a plastic bag for about eight seconds to make it more rubbery. It can then be smashed on a hook so that is sinks to the bottom. If fish are feeding on the surface, then don’t smash it and it will float.
The major downside with bread is that it doesn’t stay on the hook well. If there are little fish like minnows or bluegill, they will eat it before a carp gets a chance.
Corn
Corn is just as popular if not more so than bread for catching carp. Again, corn is easy to find, and usually costs less than $1 for a can. Just don’t forget to bring a can opener…
To fish for carp with corn, put one to three kernels on a hook and fish with a sliding sinker rig. If it is legal in your area, chumming with corn can be very effective. Scatter a few handfuls of corn right around where you’ll be casting your hook. This helps the fish to become comfortable with eating corn. Then when they come across your corn on a hook, they won’t have to think twice before sucking it up.
Spam
Spam is a much less common carp bait in the US. But it is popular amongst carp anglers in the UK. It is more expensive than bread or corn, but it sends out more powerful scent trail to bring fish in. It’s also not likely that a carp in the US has been hooked by spam before, so if everyone is using corn, try spam.
To fish for carp with spam, you’ll have to learn to tie a hair rig. Spam is not easy to keep on the hook. The hair rig is much more effective. Fish spam with a sliding sinker.
Boilies
Boilies are a dough bait that is rolled into a ball then boiled to make it tough. This is the most popular carp that you would buy from a tackle shop. You can also make boilies at home with some simple ingredients. They come in many different flavors, colors, and sizes. They will usually be fruity flavors like pineapple, raspberry, and tutti-fruiti. By themselves, they don’t send out very powerful scent trails, but you can add liquids and jells to make them more powerful.
To fish for carp with boilies, you’ll again need to tie a hair rig. It isn’t possible to fish a boilie threaded onto a hook. They are too tough to go around the bend of the hook, and will crumble off. Fish boilies on the bottom with a sliding sinker.
A major benefit to using boilies is that small fish like bluegill can’t eat them.
If you want more on carp baits check out this article.
Carp Fishing Rods
In the US it can be difficult to find carp specific fishing rods, but it’s not impossible. Check out bigcarptackle.com for any carp specific tackle. You can also find carp rods on Ebay or Amazon.com
But if you don’t want to buy a new rod, don’t worry. Your trout, bass, or catfish rod should work fine for carp. My first carp was caught by accident on my ultralight bluegill rod with 2 pound test fishing line. It was a pretty long fight though…
If you do need a rod for carp, but don’t want to get a carp specific rod, then here are a few things to look for…
Rod Length
Carp can sometimes be easily spooked, so you may not be able to get too close to them. This is where a long rod comes in handy. A longer rod helps you to cast farther and reach those warry carp. I recommend an 8 to 9 foot rod for most carp fishing situations.
You can go longer if you are fishing from the bank and there aren’t any trees and bushes to get in your way. You’ll see that many carp specific rods come in lengths of 12 feet or longer.
Rod Action
Medium-fast action is good for most carp fishing. A softer tip will help you to keep the hook in the fishes mouth and a stiffer backbone will give you the power to cast heavier weights.
Rod Handle
Rod handles are made out of a variety of materials. The material is more of a personal preference. I like the traditional look of a cork handle, but foam would be more durable.
More important than material is the length of the handle. Carp rods have long handles which give your more leverage for casting farther, and fighting big fish.
Carp Fishing Reels
Most people use a spinning reel to fish for carp. But in some ways, a casting reel could be better.
Spinning Reels For Carp
The benefit1 to using a spinning reel is ease of use. It is generally easier for a beginner to learn to cast a spinning reel rather than a bait caster.
If you are serious about carp fishing and want to stick with a spinning reel, then look for a baitrunner or bite-n-run reel. These are reels with a two drag system. One works like a regular fighting drag while the other allows a fish to pull line off a reel without feeling the rod or pulling the rod into the water. When you notice a bite, flip a switch over to the fighting drag and set the hook.
Casting Reels For Carp
Casting reels are mostly popular with pay-lake fishermen in the South Eastern US. The Benefits of a casting reel are line capacity and casting distance.
Casting reels don’t need a second drag system like the baitrunner spinning reels. Instead, most casting reels will come with a clicker. With the clicker turned on, and the spool free, a carp is able to pull line off the reel and the clicker will keep just the right tension on the line. And when line is being pulled off by a fish, the clicker will make a clicking noise to alert you of the bite. This gives your eyes a break from staring at a rod tip for hours.
Fishing Line For Carp
There are three main types of fishing line used for carp. Mono, fluoro, and braid. They all have different characteristics. But just so you know, you can’t go wrong here. Just understand the pros and cons of each one and choose the one that sounds best. Personally I prefer braid for it’s ability to cast farther and for it’s sensitivity.
Mono is cheap, and has good abrasion resistance. It also floats. The fact that it floats makes it slightly better for float fishing than fluoro. The biggest benefit is the cost.
Fluoro is quite a bit more expensive than mono. The benefit is that it becomes almost invisible underwater. If you are fishing for very spooky fish, it may help to use a fluoro line.
Braid costs around the same price as fluoro. It isn’t a clear plastic-like material such as mono or fluoro but rather a few strands braided together. Braid it incredibly strong for it’s thin diameter. This allows you to fit a lot more line on your spool and get better casting distance. Braid also has almost zero stretch so it’s the best option for feeling light bites.
Carp Fishing Hooks
The two most important considerations when choosing a good carp hook are sharpness and size.
Sharp hooks are key to hooking more fish. Carp are gentle eaters. They like to fumble a bait around in their lips a little before sucking it it. They are also quick to spit out your bait if they notice anything strange. By using the sharpest hooks you can find, you are increasing your chances of that hook point finding a spot to stick in and hang on.
Sizes 4, 6 and 8 are usually a good size for your average carp. You want to use a J-hook that is strong enough to handle carp, yet very sharp.
My recommendation for good carp hooks available in the US are the Gamakatsu G Carp Specialist.
If you want more info on hooks, check out my article about carp hooks.
Carp Fishing Gear
Now I’m going to go into some semi-optional gear. These are things that will improve your carp fishing experience. There are also a few things that should be considered if you want to practice catch and release and cause the least amount of harm to the fish.
Carp Net
A net is important for most types of carp fishing. If you are practicing catch and release and plan to remove the carp from the water for pictures, then a net is almost a necessity.
Carp are big heavy fish and can’t be lifted out of the water hanging from a hook. And to drag a fish onto the bank can take it’s protective slime off exposing it to bacteria, parasites and fungi. When a fish flops around on the ground they can break bones and cause other internal damage.
If you don’t have a net, then try not to remove the fish from the water. You may have to wade out into the water to do this.
Since carp can grow fairly large, you need a big net with a sturdy handle. There are lots of nets on the market both cheap and expensive. Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s sell some cheaper nets that are adequate.
Net Material
Rubber nets are better for the fish because they don’t remove as much slime as other materials. More importantly, you want a net that has very small diameter holes. Small holes prevent scales from getting caught in the net and pulled off.
Net Length
Often when urban fishing, you have to fish over a wall. Make sure your net handle is long enough to safely reach the water and scoop up the fish.
Another consideration is transportation and storage. Many nets are extendable or foldable. If you have a small car, or not very much storage space, then find a net that will fit your needs.
You’ll see carp anglers in the U.K. using triangular carp nets. These only have two spreader poles rather than a complete hoop. This makes for easier transportation and storage.
Unhooking Mat
An unhooking mat is a foam cushioned mat that you can lay your fish on for unhooking, and photo taking.
The mat should be wetted before laying the fish on it.
The padding will help protect the fish if it begins to flop around. Remember, carp are big and heavy. Their bodies are designed to be supported by water their whole life. Imagine when you swam around in the swimming pool for hours as a kid and when you got out you felt heavier. It’s the same thing for the fish except they have spent their whole life being supported by water.
Needle Nose Pliers or Hemostats
Hemostats are great for unhooking carp. Even big carp have fairly small mouths and it can be hard to reach our fingers in to get the hook. Also, we generally use small hooks for carp which can be hard to get a good grip on.
Hemostats are fairly cheap and well worth the money. If you don’t have the money but already have a pair of needle nose pliers, then you can try those. They’ll be better than nothing.
Weigh Sling and Scale
Unlike trout, when talking about the size of a carp we refer to their weight. Since carp are fairly big, and have small rubbery mouths, you can’t hang them on a scale from the mouth as you would a bass.
If you are planning to eat the fish, you can hook it from the gills. Never hook a fish from the gills if you are planning to release it.
If you want to practice catch and release, you should use a weigh sling. This is made out of fabric or a mesh. Cradle the carp in the sling and hook your scale onto the handles of the sling. Just be sure to either subtract the weight of the sling from the total, or zero out your scale to the sling before putting the fish in.
Bite Alarms and Bells
Carp are smart fish. Sometimes it takes them a while to investigate and feel comfortable enough to eat your bait. This can mean a lot of waiting time. After a while your eyes will get tired of staring at the rod tips, or you’ll want to look around at the other scenery. Maybe you are tired and need to shut your eyes for a bit. This is where a bite alarm or bell becomes handy.
Bite alarms are electronic devices that beep or alarm when a fish is biting your bait. These can range form very sensitive and expensive alarms with all kinds of features, to a simple $5 alarm that clips onto your rod.
A cheaper option is to use a bell that clips onto your rod tip. You can buy these clip on bells at tackle shops or make your own with supplies from the craft store.
Rod Holders
To fish for carp you should use a rod holder. As I mentioned above, you can sometimes be waiting a while for a bite, and the bait shouldn’t be moved during this time. You’ll likely get tired of holding the rod in your hand. A rod holder could be a simple forked stick pushed into the ground, or a fancy rod pod that is set up to hold multiple rods.
If using a forked stick, be sure to push another stick in the ground right in front of your reel so a fish doesn’t pull your rod into the water.
The Common Carp
The common carp is found throughout the United States. They prefer still water like lakes and ponds but can be found in slow moving streams and rivers as well.
Carp were brought to the US by early settlers as a food source. They have since adapted and learned to coexist with other species. Unlike the Asian carp, the common carp does not pose a threat to our waterways.
Common carp grow big! It’s not difficult to find 5-10 pound common carp. Some lakes in the US produce carp well over 40lbs. The world record common carp was caught in 2019 by Terry Harbert in France. It weighed in at 101 pounds and 6 oz!
Since common carp are so… common, you can likely find these carp not too far from your home. A quick internet search can probably give you a few places to start.
The Mirror Carp
The mirror carp is a beautiful fish. They look very similar to the common carp except that they have massive scales, and are often missing most of them. These carp can grow big, but average slightly smaller than the common.
You don’t have to switch up your fishing tactics or bait between the common carp and mirror carp. The same methods will work on either fish.
Mirror carp are not as widely spread across the US as the common is. You might have more difficulty finding a lake or pond which holds mirrors. But because of this rarity, it can be a real treat when you do catch one.
The Koi
Koi is the Japanese word for carp. These are the beautifully colored fish you see in garden ponds. These fish can be very expensive and are not commonly found in the wild. But sometimes people do let their pets go. Catching a koi isn’t out of the question, but it would be quite the surprise in the US.
During my time in Japan I saw thousands of koi. Not only were they in garden ponds, but they were throughout the river systems and even in the storm gutters, and irrigation ditches.
Asian Carp
Asian carp are probably hated more than any other fish in history. They have been taking over our waterways and are a major threat to those ecosystems.
Asian carp were brought to the US in the 1960s. They were brought here to be used as pond cleaners. They eat enormous amounts of vegetation and filter small aquatic life from the water.
Grass Carp
Some Asian carp such as the grass carp aren’t so harmful. In fact many places still stock grass carp in order to control weeds in ponds and canals.
You can catch grass carp with similar methods to common carp. But Check your regulations because you’re usually not allowed to keep grass carp.
Check out this article if you’d like to learn how to catch grass carp!
Silver Carp
Silver carp are the ones you see on the news jumping high out of the water by the hundreds when a boat drives by. This makes it dangerous for boaters and water skiers who could be nailed in the head by a 10 pound carp.
Bighead Carp
Bighead carp are the biggest of the bunch. They don’t have the annoying tendency of jumping out of the water, but they can still disrupt the ecosystem. Bighead carp are filter feeders. This makes them very difficult to catch, but using special Japanese baits and floats, it is possible. But many people resort to bow fishing and snagging.
