Carp Anglers! Help Me Get Started!

[FishingNY]

Taking my girlfriend to go Carping fishing tomorrow. Just a basic setup, 20lb mono with a treble hook.

 

5 foot offshore, everyday i can see 6-7 carp feeding in the morning. Chumming is legal in my area so I plan to do so.

 

My questions are:

 

1) Is Whole kernal corn ok to use as bait? (Instead of sweet corn)

 

2) Should I add salt to the can of Whole kernal or just buy sweet korn

 

3) Should I throw the corn in the freezer?

 

4) Is Cream corn OK to use as chum?

 

Let me know! Thanks guys!

[Crappiebasser]

I don't know about the corn but if you've found a woman willing to go carp fishing you better keep her.

[Marty]

Corn is an excellent bait, just about the only bait I ever used. My preference is to use a bag of frozen corn from my supermarket. I never bothered chumming, but I'm in no position to comment on its effectiveness.

[Bluebasser86]

I wouldn't use anything over 8lb for carp. They're very smart and sensitive fish and will most likely either see your line or drop the bait because of the memory in line that heavy. A treble hook is also a big no-no for carp unless you're using a tiny one, which I still wouldn't advise. A long spinning rod with a parabolic bend, strong 6 or 8 pound test, and a high capacity spinning reel are your best tools for carping. A slip sinker rig with a single octopus hook in a #8 should do the trick.

 

Canned corn works fine, but don't salt it. Carp have a sweet tooth though. Some of their favorite flavors seem to be vanilla and strawberry. Might try opening a can of corn and soaking it in a can of strawberry pop to sweeten it up for them. I'd use the canned corn for chumming too and no need to freeze it. Never used cream corn but I imagine the sweetness of the cream may have some drawing ability? Only one way to fine out on that one.

[TingTingEightSix]

Try taking some Bread, peel the crust, roll the rest into a ball, dip it in vanilla extract. Carp seem to LOVE that. Its been a long time since l have been carp fishing, but I used that a lot and caught quite a few good size carp with it.

[Jtrout]

I hooked 2 monsters today broke 8 and 15lb line while pulling drag no tension really weird they fought really hard I used bread balls

[OntarioFishingGuy]

I would highly recommend using a single octopus or circle hook instead of a treble. Gut hooked fish suck.

[blongfishing]

I have always used dog food. The rational dog food it's in a green bag at ingles. Haven't carp fished in awhile. I have used corn and it's good too. I usually throw some corn or dog foo out on the surface and let it sit and throw my bait out into the pile.

[SirSnookalot]

Try taking some Bread, peel the crust, roll the rest into a ball, dip it in vanilla extract. Carp seem to LOVE that. Its been a long time since l have been carp fishing, but I used that a lot and caught quite a few good size carp with it.

Doughballs with molasses. 

[everythingthatswims]

I chummed with cream corn one time and it worked well. Nice thing about corn for bait is that commons and grass carp will both eat it, I highly recommend chumming with something, because especially with grass carp, when they are feeding naturally they won't eat corn much, but once they see it everywhere, they start feeding on it and become comfortable taking the stuff with hooks in it. Just use #6 or #8 hooks, light leaders, and sliding weights or no weight at all.

[F14A-B]

My biggest carp came on spinning/ light line like bluebasser said / small hook with a red worm.. Bam... got hammered and nearly spooled... What a fish and what a fight! Way fun, and compared to a bass? It's no contest...

[guitarglynn1]

Lots of great info in here. I have never really considered carp fishing. The few times I caught them I snagged them. One place I fish often has some really big crap in it. They are constantly jumping out of the water right around the shore where I fish. I figure next time I go I will try some of the suggested methods on here and just leave a spare pole set up to see if I can get one. That would be fun to land one of those big suckers. A guy I talk to who fishes there said he caught a 12lb carp there. Hopefully I can land one too

[Bassun]

I do a fair amount of bank fishing for carp, but am by no stretch a cagey carp veteran.  My preferred setup is a long 7'6" medium-light action rod spooled deep with 4lb line on something with a buttery drag.  If I'm using heavier line, then I will tie in a swivel and run a 4lb or 6lb leader.  This works pretty nicely as it gives you a good way to put a slide sinker on well away from the bait.  If I can, I prefer to use no weight at all and just use the weight of my bait to cast with. BUT, if you are in current or wind then use some sort of slip sinker, and even then as little as you can.  Hooks, I only use circle hooks for carp now.  I have been having good luck using 1/0's here lately but downsizing wouldn't bother me at all.

 

For bait I use the same thing consistently, and consistently have good results for common carp.  Get a can of "Sweet Corn Nibblits" by Green Giant, its a smaller can and it has a pull tab lid which makes it super handy to open.  And you need a fresh loaf of white bread.  Sunbeam brand works well locally.  I expected carp to like the high grain stuff, but nope - at least our fish prefer white bread.

 

The bait:  Depending on the size of carp you are targeting, you will need to adjust the size of your bait ball from approximately half a piece of bread, down to a quarter.  If you are seeing smaller carp, then I would definitely drop hook size down, just be wary of gonig too small with circle hooks.  If it cant fit around their lips, then it wont hook up.  So, rip a piece of bread in half, and remove the crust.  They do not like crust.  Now take 1 kernal of corn and put it on the hook.  Take 3 more and lay them spread out evenly along your bread and fold it in half over them as if you are making a minature half sandwich, or a corn taco if you prefer that visual.

 

Now take that and basically wrap it around the shank of your hook.  Usually it will wrap about one and a half times.  Make sure the tip of the hook is exposed or just touching the bread.  Once you have it positioned, put it in the palm of your hand and smash it into a tight doughball.  You should feel the corn pop.  Smash it quite firmly and make sure you have it roughly centered around the hook and that the tip of the hook is still exposed or resting just on the edge of the dough.  If you smash the ball around the hook point, you will not hook up on as many.  Your goal is to have a semi-hard dough bait when your done.  If your bread is stale, it wont work as well.

 

I like to cast two or three rods in an area ahead of where I see carp feeding, preferably upsteam (if fishing with others then I generally like to have 2 rods per angler).  Feeding carp will leave mud trails where they are working the bottom.  With a little luck you will be able to see where they are feeding at quite easily.

 

I don't want to stack my bait too tightly, rather I want to cover feeding "paths" by having each at different distnances from the bank along the path I expect the carp to be on.  Then, I put the rods in a WELL SECURED rod holder.  I emphasise WELL SECURED, because they WILL drag off a rod.  Plus, using a circle hook, and a solid rod holder means the fish will set its own hook before you ever grab the rod!

 

After setting up all the rods, I sit back a few feet behind the holder and just kind of relax and wait for a carp to try to steal my rod.  I don't touch the rods for little bumps and nudges or even short pulls.  I ONLY touch a rod once a carp is pulling it hard enough to bend the rod over, and is usually pulling drag.  I slowly pull the rod out of the holder and hold the rod butt completely verticle, giving the rod as much power as it (and the slipping drag) can offer to ensure a solid hookup.  After a few seconds and I feel completely confident of a good hook up then I start to work the fish. 

 

I highly suggest a landing net for carp, even on the bank, especially if you are using 4lb line.  It makes things much easier, and if you are by yourself it can make the difference between landing a good fish, and breaking one off at the shore.

[guitarglynn1]

I brought an extra pole with me yesterday and tried catching carp for the first time. I used canned sweet corn but nothing. I was not there long but it is only a matter of time before I catch one. They are all over this lake and I am going to set up a pole each time I go from now on.