1 Grass Carp In 1 Lake

[Mad Fisherman]

Hey everyone. There is this lake by me, more like a pond, that has tons of bass, sunny's, and catfish, but only 1 grass carp in it. It was put in there to keep the weed's down. The fish is at least 40 lbs and I dont think anybody has ever caught it. During the summer, the place is overrun with kids, but 1 out of every 100 kids actually fishes there, the rest are learning. All that is ever pulled out of there is panfish. You are only allowed to fish half the lake, the rest is used for other attractions. How can I catch this fish? I think it has been hooked twice over the years, it might have been landed once. The tackle I would be using is a medium-heavy action spinning rod with suffix 30lb braided line and Tro Kar hooks. What bait, where should I cast, past experience? All would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[BamaBassChaser]

Check youtube. I saw a guy on there pack a hook full of canned corn and he was catching them pretty good. He was using a flourocarbon leader though.

[Mad Fisherman]

I have, but I didnt see anything that went in depth enough for this. Everything need's to be perfect. Thank-you though. Anything else?

[clayton86]

My body has a pond like that in his back yard dug it maybe 10 years ago we stocked it with pan fish then bass then the weeds got out of control so they got 4 sterile asian carp from the DEC they started out maybe 12" there now anywhere between 30-45" i think the biggest one he caught was they look like mini subs swimming around. They don't even bat an eye at anything I throw at them my buddy catches one almost every time he goes out there he uses a fly rod though or a UL trout rod and a fly and tiny split shot i usually land 10 or more good sized bass in the time it takes him to get one of his carp in lol. So if all else fails u could always try a fly even if u have to tie it to your MH spinning rod and use a bobber for weight it might work but you will also slam sunfish trying lol but that will happen no mater what you use for that carp

[Mad Fisherman]

Being that so many kids fish it, they refuse to take meal worms. It usually comes in for the bread they throw in, but if I use bread on the bottom, catfish and sunny's, on the surface and you get sunny's. Every time you throw a fly in, a sunny would take it before the carp even saw it.

[Marty]

All my experience is with Common Carp and I don't know if they behave like Grass Carp. Our first carp was when people were throwing bread in and the carp were coming in for it. I had a bobber on and put some bread on the hook and caught a carp immediately. So I wouldn't rule out a bobber if the fish is high in the water column.

Normally I fish corn on the bottom. I have an egg or slip sinker about 12–18" up the line and a BB shot just below it to keep it from slipping down. I keep the bail open so the fish doesn't feel resistance when it picks up the bait and starts moving away. So I need to be a line watcher. Often all I need to do is close the bail to set the hook.

Good luck, hope you hook into this thing.

[Mad Fisherman]

corn and bread for bait may not be a bad idea, but no weight or float of any kind. The thing is as wary as possible. It will swim by 50 baited hooks with meal worms and float every day and never look at them.This is probably the most elusive fish I have ever set out after. What about carp bait? I have some that smells like strawberry's and some that smell like Mullberry's. Has anybody ever gotten any experience with grass carp? All I know is that they mainly eat vegetation and have bony mouths.

[LgMouthGambler]

Cornmeal.

[Mad Fisherman]

Thank's, I will probably try that before the end of the week.

[Bluebasser86]

I've caught them on corn, pieces of cattail, grape tomatoes, grasshoppers, and green wooly buggers. They are very, very spooky and will really inspect a bait closely and often turn away at the last possible moment. Use a thin, fluoro leader (wouldn't go heavier than 8, 6 would be best if the cover allows it) a small, sharp hook, high capacity reel if the pond is big and a medium or medium light spinning rod with a longer handle that you can put in your stomach so you can rest your forearms during the fight. They fight for a long time when you get one hooked and are very fast so have everything ready when it finally bites or it will be a very short fight.

[MCS]

In fisherman magazine had an article on catching grass carp. Corn soaked in strawberry juice. They are very popular to catch over in Europe. They use a hair rig, if you google it you will see the images some with the corn on it. Also this months Florida Sportsman magazine has an article on fly fishing for them, thing that I thought was funny were the flies they tie that look like pieces of plant etc. And know the law about catching them. here in FL and up in VA you get fined, catch and release only.

I have some ponds I fish here with them and some without. They are a nice addition to the ponds, if not over populated keeps the weeds undercontrol but not gone and allows fishing, the ones without now are getting very algea prone and almost unfishable.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

Ficus berries. Though I doubt you'll have many of them up in Jersey. You can sit under the focus trees down here and just watch them come up and gorge themselves. Pretty wild to watch and to listen to.

[SirSnookalot]

Don't be misled by the name, a grass carp is not a carp at all, but a minnow called a white amur. By nature they are vegetarians, out of thousands of casts I've caught only 2 on artificial lures.

Yes berries are the ticket, I would try strawberries (they will hold on the hook well), I would avoid wild berries as some are poisonous to humans.