Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Fishing for Common Carp

I have some CGC that I am thinking about angling. Since our water clarity is clear to stained these fish are easily spooked. The CGC are large (10 pounds on up) so they should be really fun to catch.

I have done some reading on the subject of carp fishing. It is quite popular in Europe.

If anyone has done "real world" carp fishing, please share your experiences.

Dwight when I was a kid my older brother and his friends would often let me tag along on carp fishing trips. We normally would fish at night in a river. We used small treble hooks and a homemade dough bait we made from Wheaties Cereal, water, and a splash of molasses or honey. The carp would fight like hell and some were nice size. Good memories for sure.

I second the Wheaty balls for bait. We would get a double handful, soak them underwater a few seconds, squeeze all the water out and make a big dough ball. Next roll into several smaller 1 inch size balls and put on a hook. We'd catch 10-15 a day, then throw them back in.

Dwight, I'm a big fan of live bait. All the years as a kid, after a rainy night we'd pick up crawlers from the pavement and took them to the river or local lake. Single hook, wriggling night crawler laying on the bottom, caught hundreds of them that way every year. Never used dough balls myself.

Use the European carp angling method which has worked well for me in ponds. Bait aka 'chum' them for several days or a week at a regular place and time. Use bait that basically only appeals to CGC (common carp-koi). The cooked dough ball recipe works good or boiled corn flavored or unflavored are good chums. Then chum the area and use the hair rig for terminal tackle.
"the stick" should be able to put a big dent in your carp numbers. Report your results here!
Sweet corn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcfyFIPw2yE

Hair Rig: He used an oversize hook to easier see how he made the hair rig.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np8NLSWR2Ok

Dough Balls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YZvV5Q9ccM

Send Fatih a PM....he loves carp fishing!

Ask him about using whole kernel corn for carp...........

Dwight, here's how I got him on the carp, and how I was taught to fish for them as a kid.

Take a can of whole kernel corn. Drain the liquid, and take a handful and throw it out as far as you can in the pond. Do that with the whole can full of corn.

I used to use 8# test line and a gold #2 Aberdeen hook. Fatih didn't like them, because he said they straightened out too easily. I told him to set the drag at 3# and he wouldn't have a problem. He didn't listen and didn't set the drag properly and straightened out the hook.

Anyway.......

Thread individual kernels onto the hook until it is completely covered from know to tip. I never used a weight, and just cast it out into the area that I chummed. If the wind was flat, (early morning) I would wait until I saw bubbles coming up from an area, and then cast about 2'-3' past the bubbles, and let the hook/corn sink.

Either way, you will catch them that way. I'd leave 4'-5' of slack in the line and when the line tightened up, they'd be hooked.

I have caught them to 20# that way, and I believe Fatih caught a 14# that way.

I am going to give it a try and will report back with any trophies worthy of posting.

Thanks for the tips!!

Il try the corn trick on the koi I need to remove.....

Whole kernel corn is awesome for chumming and catching trout in streams also!!!

Arkansas record Brown Trout