Carp Fishing

[papajoe222]

Okay, all or any of you that also carp fish. I'm looking for a bait recipe. Nothing too involved, just a few ingredients preferably. I take a bunch of kids out and have been targeting bluegill, but the older ones are more than ready to tangle with a cat or carp. There are more carp where we go, but other than canned corn, I'm at a loss as to what to use.

[Crappiebasser]

I started bow fishing them last year and we use dry dog food, corn, or Rice Krispies to bring them to the surface. I have a buddy that makes boilies and carp balls but that's more work than I care to put into it. He also makes some with cherry jello, flour, and corn meal but I don't know the exact mixture.

[BrianinMD]

I used to use Quaker oats, a packet of flavorless gelatin, and a little vanilla. Add enough water to make it bond together. After it sits over night it can be formed into whatever size balls you need for the hooks you use.

[nascar2428]

I use canned corn all of the time, with one additive. I put the corn in a seal-able plastic bag, add fruit punch to it and then freeze it. This gives the corn a different taste and look. Catches both carp and catfish.

[MassBass]

I think corn would be easiest for kids. Oatmeal and particle bait like that takes a process to put it on the hook and cast it gently. Corn you just thread it on and huck it out there.

[scaleface]

I use wheaties. Just get it wet and squeeze it in a ball. 

 

I have a more complicated recipe I learned from an old man.  It has to be boiled. I can try to find it but wheaties is much easier .

[gulfcaptain]

I used to use just bread, bring 3-4 pieces, get them up feeding on the bread, pinch a corner of a piece to hide my #16 treble hook and pitch it out.  Fun to watch them suck down the piece with the hook.  But corn works, and I've heard about adding vanilla, shoot that might be good to mix with the corn.

[scaleface]

I live close to the Mississippi and there is a lot of carp fishermen here. The most popular dough bait is made with strawberry jello. Its good stuff. Ive never made it myself but have used some others make . Just google strawberry jello carp bait .

[F14A-B]

I use wheaties. Just get it wet and squeeze it in a ball.

I have a more complicated recipe I learned from an old man. It has to be boiled. I can try to find it but wheaties is much easier .

Yes on the wheaties, my father use to make a concoction outta this, sorry it's unknown to me but I have seen the mixture, it makes a seasons worth, and carp love it..

[flyfisher]

I used some tub of stuff i got a walmart once...i think it was an uncle josh product and i was a sweet smelling mixture that held on the hook well and caught some fish.  

[Bluebasser86]

I find they can't resist a fiberglass arrow.

 

[papajoe222]

I find they can't resist a fiberglass arrow.

 

Yea, but they're a pain to get through the rod guides when reelin' them in.

[scaleface]

I used some tub of stuff i got a walmart once...i think it was an uncle josh product and i was a sweet smelling mixture that held on the hook well and caught some fish.  

Ive used this before also , it worked pretty well. 

 

Still , nothing wrong with whole kernel  corn. I have a camper on mississippi river backwater. Corn is my bait. I chum the area down. Walking up and down the bank tossing out corn.I carolina rig , with a heavy one ounce weight and a small Gammy octopus hook.I use flipping rods and retired baitcasting reels with 15 lb test big Game. . I add about three pieces of corn. I put the rods in holders that   will stay secure when a carp bolts. I then keep the line tight. When a carp feels the weight and the tight line , it will often bolt hooking itself . I cant get doughballs to work this way because the hooks are inside the doughball and  interferes with penetration.

 

Id like to try the hair rigs , popular in Europe ,but havent quite figured out how to tie it .

[Bluebasser86]

Yea, but they're a pain to get through the rod guides when reelin' them in.

You don't reel them through the rod guides just like you don't reel any other bait through the rod guides

 

Carp have a serious sweet tooth (sweet lips? sounds wrong). We used to fish for them a lot with canned corn and mix some vanilla extract and brown sugar with the corn or corn soaked in strawberry pop. If you can find them in clear water you can actually sight fish them with a very small jig.

[flyfisher]

my best success is with a fly rod....once you see them tailing or feeding you can catch them and when you do, hold on tight

[scaleface]

my best success is with a fly rod....once you see them tailing or feeding you can catch them and when you do, hold on tight

I feed the carp with commercial food. Once they start feeding on it they dont want corn. I'm going to have to find a little brown pellet fly and try a flyrod . Maybe a brown bluegill popper and remove the legs .

[flyfisher]

Small brown wally buggers and crayfish flies have always worked for me.  there are lots of commercially available flies for carp.  I have always heard that if there are mulberry bushes and they are dropping the berries, the fish can go crazy feeding.  

 

I did run into a pod of them once that was feeding on top on some sort of caddis flies and it was awesome....fish after fish for about 90 minutes.

[scaleface]

I have fished under a mullberry tree full of ripe fruit . You could see the carp fighting  to get at each mullberry   dropped. I put a fat one on an ultra light , pitched it out and had one on before it hit bottom. I have also used wild grapes.

 

 

 

I have a picture of that carp. Taken about 30 years ago.

 

[Josh Smith]

Hello,

 

I'm late to this.

 

A trick I started using when my friends and I would go catfishing as teenagers was to buy cheap womens' pantyhose and use small pieces of it to hold whatever bait we were using.  Just wrap the bait into it, and spear the hook through.

 

It let the scent out just fine and held the bait to the hook very, very well.

 

Josh

[Bluebasser86]

I have fished under a mullberry tree full of ripe fruit . You could see the carp fighting  to get at each mullberry   dropped. I put a fat one on an ultra light , pitched it out and had one on before it hit bottom. I have also used wild grapes.

 

 

 

I have a picture of that carp. Taken about 30 years ago.

 

 

Often referred to as "mulberry hatches" by the guys that flyrod for carp. Only rod I ever lost to a fish was doing what you were doing for carp. Flipped a berry out under and tree, set my rod down to wash the berry juice off my fingers, clunk, rod was airborne. 

[chrisdm4]

my best success is with a fly rod....once you see them tailing or feeding you can catch them and when you do, hold on tight

Ill second this!  I only fish for carp on my fly rod.  Stalking tailing carp is amazing.  Have to have a almost perfect cast but when you get it right to them when they are feeding its great!  

[bucky]

I second using Wheaties, mixed with strawberry-banana jello. I have mixed Wheaties and strawberry soda and made dough bait for carp.

[Jay Ell Gee]

I recently discovered carp on the fly and took my first sight fishing trip a few weeks back. Pictures and a report are in the blog I share with a buddy.

http://yaknla.com/2015/02/carpe-diem/

It's a lot of fun, even on an 8wt. Those carp have more stamina then anything I have ever hooked on a fly.

[Jtrout]

Hooked into some Giants in a little river by my house man do they pull hard they all broke me off we only landed a 5 lb and even that one pulled drag and took a couple minutes to get to the bank I was using bread and had better luck when I sprayed the bread and line with crawfish spray