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Carp Fishing Tips

We put this page together to give anglers a place to learn basic information on carp and how to catch carp. The information provided will benefit all fishermen who are looking to catch carp. This article starts off by educating you on basic information about carp, then followed by some of the best tips for carp fishing available to us. In addition, you will also be able to learn about the all-time carp fishing records, basic facts about carp and more resources to further your research.

 

About Carp (Cyprinidae Family)

CarpCarp is a term used for several types of fish that are in the Cyprindae family. Carp are large, freshwater fish that are native to Asia and Europe but have been imported to many other countries with mixed results. Some of these countries consider them an invasive species. Some of the more prominent carp are silver carp, common carp, grass carp, bighead carp, crucian carp, catla carp, mrigal carp, black carp and mud carp. The diet of carp can vary by species and habitat but it’s generally the same. It includes aquatic plants, aquatic insects, crustaceans and other types of small aquatic life. While one female carp can lay over 1,000,000 eggs in a 12 month period their populations remain the same. This is due to how vulnerable their eggs and fry are to bacteria, fungi and predators.

Carp FishingCarp are known as still-water fish but they have successfully developed breeding populations in canal systems and rivers. Depending on food availability they can grow up to 2 pounds a year, and in some cases, as much as 6 pounds. Carp have become an invasive species in many countries. For example, in Chicago Illinois electric currents are passed through certain water ways to prevent Asian carp from reaching the great lakes. The damage done by invasive carp can be devastating to any body of water, both large and small. They can promote rapid algae growth due to the fact that they don’t entirely digest their food, which rots when excreted. Little known fact: Goldfish and koi, common household pets, are species of carp.

Carp Fishing Tips, Tricks and Techniques

You most likely came to this section of our website to find tips and tactics for catching carp. Below is a list of tips that our team put together.

  • Be Very Patient – Carp are infamous for gently striking bait a few times before they actually strike it. Give your carp a chance to take the bait before you try to set the hook. It’s a good idea to always have a hook remover on hand to make it easy to remove a hook from a carp who swallowed it. We recommend Berkley’s stainless steel hook remover.
  • Duck, Duck, Carp! – If there are ducks or geese near the body of water you’re carp fishing in then you might want to try and fish near the animals. Carp have been known to follow ducks, especially in areas where the ducks are fed by humans. Carp love a free bread meal and they don’t care how they get it. Just remember not to hit or hurt any ducks when you cast out your line.
  • Use the Right Hook Color – You’ll have the best results using a black matte hook when fishing for carp. In particular we recommend using the Gamakatsu Octopus Hook. If you’re using corn as bait then a yellow or gold hook will work fine, but in murky water make sure to avoid using a shinny hook— the carp will see it and shy away from your bait.
  • Corn Really Works – Corn is one of the best baits to use when trying to catch carp. The color, texture and flavor are highly favorable to most common species of carp. Sweet corn out of a can performs much better than corn off a cob, most likely due to the flavors and sodium added to canned corn.
  • Use Artificial Bait – Carp are not an easy fish to catch, but using the right artificial bait can make the job a lot easier. Artificial worms and grubs usually work the best. Our top choice is Berkley’s mini-earthworms.

Carp Fishing Records

Do you think you’ve caught a world record carp? Compare your monster catch to the world records below from the International Game Fish Association, also known as IGFA. Hey, you never know, we might see your name in the below list in the future.

Carp World RecordJeffery J. Rorex caught a bighead carp (aristichthys nobilis) in Guntersville Lake in Tennessee, USA on June 2nd, 2005 that weighed 40.82 ( 90 lbs. 0 oz.)

Carp World RecordKenichi Hosoi caught a black carp (mylopharyngodon piceus) in the Edo River in Chiba, Japan on April 1st, 200 that weighed 18.5 kg (40 lbs. 12 oz.)

Carp World RecordLeo Van Der Gugten caught a common carp (cyprinus carpio) in Lac de St. Cassien in France on May 21st, 1987 that weighed 34.35 kg (75 lbs. 11 oz.)

Carp World RecordLars Johnson caught a crucian carp (carassius carassius) in Ostanforsan, Falun, Sweden on June 12th, 1988 that weighed 2.01 kg (4 lbs. 7 oz.)

Carp World RecordStoian Iliev caught a grass carp (ctenopharyngodon idella) near the Piasuchniko Dam in Bulgaria on July 22nd, 2009 that weighed 39.75 kg (87 lbs. 10 oz.)

Carp World RecordChongdae Lim caught a silver carp (hypophthalmichthys spp.) in Andong-s, Kyungsangbok-Do in Korea on Jun 4th, 2006 that weighed 32 kg (70 lbs. 8 oz.)

 

More Resources on Carp Fishing

Hopefully the information on this page was useful to you and will help make you a more effective fishermen when it comes to catching big carp. In case you’re still thirsty for knowledge we’ve put together the list below of additional resources. If you know of any other websites related to carp fish that should be listed below then please contact our team and let us know.