Targeting Asian Carp (Silver Carp)

[jakebwallace]

Does anyone have any advice on how to target these fish with a rod and reel? I have researched until my eyes bled without finding anything of substance. Anything would be greatly appreciated.

[Goaltender]

My understanding is that they only eat vegitation. They'll clean an area out of anything "green" and move along. Along the IL River they bow hunt 'em. They are very skiddish and jump out of the water (in mass) when a loud boat or jetski goes by. I live in the Chicagoland area and they have finally made it hear in numbers - not good for the Great Lakes. Hopefully the electronic fencing installed will hold them off but I doubt it.

[00 mod]

Big treble hook!  Swing for the fences and hold on!

 

 

Jeff

[bkohlman]

I wish scientists could develop a way to kill the silver carp only and leave all other fish healthy...

[jakebwallace]

I have done my fair share of successfully bowfishing for them, and because of their abundance I really want to hook them in the mouth. I can tell they would be an incredible game fish if figured out. Any other suggestions?

[slonezp]

Bow and arroo or snagging. They are filter feeders and just swim around ingesting plankton and other micro organisms. They're not going to hit a lure or bait on purpose.

[MarkH024]

Dynamite. Wood chipper. fertilizer.

[jakebwallace]

I wish I could speak Mandarin, perhaps the Chinese know something about them. In case anyone is interested, here is what the Silver Carp Wiki says:

 

Special methods have been developed for these fish, the most important being the "suspension method", usually consisting of a large dough ball that disintegrates slowly, surrounded by a nest of tiny hooks that are embedded in the bait.^[3] The entire apparatus is suspended below a large bobber. The fish feed on the small particles that are released from the dough ball and will bump against the dough ball, with the intention of breaking off more small particles that can be filtered from the water, eventually becoming hooked on the tiny hooks.

[Bluebasser86]

I've heard of guys flyfishing for them. Snagging them is about the only real way of catching them on rod and reel. I enjoy aerial bowfishing for them but I end up getting more of them with my boat than I do an arrow every time. 

[georgeyew]

Try canned corn or bread ball on a hook. I have caught grass carp on it with success. I assume that they would work with Asian carp too.

 

00 Mod, that is a monster carp that you got there...did you snag it?

[jakebwallace]

I've heard of guys flyfishing for them. Snagging them is about the only real way of catching them on rod and reel. I enjoy aerial bowfishing for them but I end up getting more of them with my boat than I do an arrow every time. 

 

Yeah, a ton in the boat, that's been my experience too. The smell lasts for weeks and is very hard to get rid of. Last time I ran into them, they shattered my depth finder.

[00 mod]

Yep, right off that pipe with the water flowing behind me.  Heck of a fight, snagged in the current!

 

Jeff

[Bluebasser86]

Yeah, a ton in the boat, that's been my experience too. The smell lasts for weeks and is very hard to get rid of. Last time I ran into them, they shattered my depth finder.

I had 2 small ones find their way into my back storage with my batteries and I didn't see them when I was trying to get all the carp out of my boat. A week after sitting in 100 degree weather I had no problem finding them next time I went out to hook up the boat   That smell didn't go away for a few weeks and was even worse when I tried to pick them up with a pair of pliers and they fell apart. 

[Jig Meister]

I wish scientists could develop a way to kill the silver carp only and leave all other fish healthy...

 

As awesome as this sounds, we should all know by now that science has done enough damage to nature trying to do this very thing with other species...

[Jig Meister]

I had 2 small ones find their way into my back storage with my batteries and I didn't see them when I was trying to get all the carp out of my boat. A week after sitting in 100 degree weather I had no problem finding them next time I went out to hook up the boat   That smell didn't go away for a few weeks and was even worse when I tried to pick them up with a pair of pliers and they fell apart. 

 

I don't understand......dude I am so sorry

[moguy1973]

Try canned corn or bread ball on a hook. I have caught grass carp on it with success. I assume that they would work with Asian carp too.

 

00 Mod, that is a monster carp that you got there...did you snag it?

Unfortunately a grass carp and common carp are completely different fish from asian carp.  Like everyone else said they are plankton eaters and just swim around eating all the nutrients out of the water and is how they completely decimate any body of water they are found in.  Plus they reproduce very quickly which multiplies the problem. 

[jakebwallace]

Unfortunately a grass carp and common carp are completely different fish from asian carp.  Like everyone else said they are plankton eaters and just swim around eating all the nutrients out of the water and is how they completely decimate any body of water they are found in.  Plus they reproduce very quickly which multiplies the problem. 

 

That is not what I wanted to hear. There has to be a way.

[jakebwallace]

Contacted our friends over in England; here is what they sent:

 

[xxjoker122]

Does anyone have any advice on how to target these fish with a rod and reel? I have researched until my eyes bled without finding anything of substance. Anything would be greatly appreciated.

Buy wonder bread  ONLY!, then buy a cinnamon spice jar. ADD moisture to the bread, then roll into a ball making sure to pack it hard,after this put the ball into the cinnamon jar and swoosh it around. It will cast a mile, never fall off your hook, and will slowly release spice into the water.That is my bait of choice

[Brian Needham]

you CAN NOT, repeat , CAN NOT catch the Asian/jumping/flying/silver carp with baits,lures,doughballs, or anything else as a food product.

 

its not going to happen.

 

the brits fish for german carp, isreali carp, and sometimes grass carp........none of which are feeders like the Asian/jumping/silver carp.

 

 

you can thank a catfish farmer in Mississippi for this wonderful species.

[RyneB]

theres a stretch of illinois river within 5 min of my house and have been dealing with these carp for many many years. I have snagged well over 150 fish. Using big weighted trebles and by snagging them by accident with redeyes and other treble hooked baits. Only once have i ever had one bite my bait and i land it. I was using a 1/4 oz orange jig head with a white mister twister grub. They are an amazing fight no matter which way you snag them. When you hook into one, there initial run is amazing. Drag stripping like you wouldnt believe. When we are bored during the heat of the summer well take out my Tracker (dont want to get the ranger full of stink and blood) and snag several fish. Theyre fun, but they have all but descimated the white bass population.

[Tuckahoe Joe]

This is how you deal with asian carp.

 

[RyneB]

our county has actually been in talks with opening up a few days a year and have legal firearm owners go out and shoot them with shotguns. During summer months theyre pretty easy to sneak up on. You will be trolling an theyre all around you. They travel in massives schools (hundreds/thousands). So you could easily just shoot some bird shot into the school and kill several. Seems dangerous, but theres guys out there now trying to shoot them out of the air with arrows. It is actually funny, some of the things you see. Pry the most comical was 4 foreign men in a 10 foot jon boat, all with HUGE musky nets. They would just drive the shore line with there 9.9 and waiting for the carp to jump. They came by us and asked us to keep them some if he caught any. We ended up giving them 3 asian carp. I have heard of guys selling them to bucket fisherman for $5 a piece. I have eaten them before, and they are really good eating.

[Brian Needham]

seems easy fix.........shock  them, then feed the homeless....

Edited March 19, 2013 by J Francho
Profanity and political comments removed

[RyneB]

i would be up for killing every living thing in the river and then restocking. The stretch of river by me is called "the sauger capitol of the world." Host plenty of tourneys (cabelas tourney is there next weekend). So i understand that killing all ther walleye and sauger is not an option. But its gotten out of hand. We used to catch 100+  white bass in a few hours. I have caught 3 in the past 4 years. Thats sad IMHO. Starved Rock state park is 10 miles from me. Well hike to the top of the rock and as far as the eyes can see, you can see the pods of asian carp. Its reall crazy when you see a barge docking and revving his engines, the whole area becomes full of jumping carp.