# carp fishing



## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

I have been bitten by the carp fishing bug and was wonder if there are any serious carp fishermen out there. I've been checking into some of the local tournaments and may even try some ice fishing for them. My first and biggest so far was a 38.5" grass carp. No idea what it weighed but it was like battling a piece of farm equipment. Never realized I live in carp fishing heaven. Any other pursuers of this noble fish around?


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Did you eat the grass carp? I ate one once and it tasted exactly like halibut right down to the flaky texture.


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## Trisha-MN (May 10, 2002)

I don't have much experience but I love carp fishing. People around here just look at me. They are all about Northern or Walleyes. I prefer to go after rough fish. I even bought a book to learn about it: Fishing for Buffalo by Rob Buffler and Tom Dickson. I'd love to hear more about techniques and stories from those with more experience.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I speared a few last year and the year before , now thats my kind of fishing. don't mater if the fish arn't bitting , just run em thru


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

fishhead said:


> Did you eat the grass carp? I ate one once and it tasted exactly like halibut right down to the flaky texture.


Oh really? Well, I know of a hot spring with some and I have permission to fish there but I always left them alone. But I love halibut. 

I have trouble getting the regular brand of carp to bite. I've tried many different baits and formulas and they seem to be interested in other things. When I was a kid my dad found a recipe for beer and wheaties made into a dough ball and that probably worked as well as anything I've tried.


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

I use cheap generic corn and strawberry jello mix. Open can of corn, donot drain, add jello mix and let sit for an hour or so. I chum the area I will fish with the corn. Just take a couple of handfuls and pitch it out. For a rig I use a size 6 hook covered with kernals of corn and put a bobber stop and a bead about 2-3 ft above it. Above the bead I have a slip sinker. If I am fishing in say, 6ft of water I will put another bobber stop 7 or 8 ft above the slip sinker and then a small european slip bobber. This way the fish feels no resistance when it takes the hook. The slip bobber will rest on its side on the water instead of being straight up and down. When the fish takes the bait the bobber will quiver a little. Thats when I set the hook. So far this rig has produced fish everytime except once. That time the bullheads wouldn't leave it alone long enough for a carp to get in there. Did catch a ton of bullhead though. This year I would like to try a circle hook and a hair rig. Anyone ever try them?
I did not eat the carp. I do catch and release but I will have to give it a shot. There is a tournament in Bauldwinsville on the Senaca river the last couple of years. I guess last year they had 41 two to three man teams fishing for the weekend. They caught over 2300 carp weighing a total of over 36,000 pounds. That sounds like fun.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

We've really been liking the circle and octopus hooks on trout, perch, suckers and bluegill. We'll try them on carp next year. 

Here we can't chum, but with my clumsy hands, I sometimes accidentally spill corn when fishing.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

These Guys get very serious with their Carp fishing and don't like the idea of me even thinking of eating them.

http://carp.net/home2.htm

big rockpile


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

When I was growing up we use to fish for them all the time. We banked fished for them. On the way to the river we would stop and buy strawberry and grape soda pop. When we'd get to the fishin hole we would make doughballs using wheaties and the flavored soda pops. Just grab a big handful of wheaties and pour enough soda pop on to moisten and start crumbling it up and roll it up till you have a sticky doughball. Then we would remove enough from the ball to cover our hooks. 

Grape flavor seem to be the best, especially when the mulberries would be falling from the trees into the water below. Them carp would be hooked on the mulberry flavor and grape pop resembled the flavor quit a bit. 

Hope you got some good tackle and be very watchful of your pole. I've lost two or three poles before from them grabbing and running with the bait. My pole would look like a torpedo heading into the deep. The last time I dove all the way in and still couldn't grab it fast enough.


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## nathan104 (Nov 16, 2007)

I hang out with some pretty serious carp and buffalo fisherman often. Several of them are known worldwide in the carping circles. I have only tried it a few times while they were all having all having a long session here on lake fork and caught my first carp weighing 24 lbs. If anyone is in Northeast Texas and wants to learn about carp fishing or meet some of the more well known carp and buffalo fishing anglers, feel free to PM me and join us for a week long session end of dec, first of Jan here on Lake Fork. A friend of mine Jason Johonnesson has people flying in from overseas to have him guide for them for buffalo and carp. Until I moved to Fork 2 years ago, I had never ever heard of people who angle specifically for them.


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

OK, carp I know, but what is a Buffalo fish?


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

JJ Grandits said:


> OK, carp I know, but what is a Buffalo fish?


Buffalo are Native,just about like Carp but I find their Meat much better and the ones I've caught are usually Bigger than the Carp.Oh they have a smaller mouth so they are harder to hook.

big rockpile


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

I don't think we have Buffalo fish in New York. What are they related to. are they like a whitefish?


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

www.sfishinc.com/fisht4.htm

They are very similar to carp. Around here they are very dark colored.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Features and benefits: Buffaloes resemble carp, but have firm whiter meat and fewer bones. All of which makes high quality buffaloes excellent value for the dollar. Many consumers, with the fondness to fish, likens buffaloes to catfish. These fish can be cooked (even as gefilte fish), but in the Midwest United States, these fish are usually deep fried. 


Yea this is what I like about them.I caught over a Hundred pounds of them one day.

They sure will put up a fight.I make up a Mush flavor with Molasses.Carp,Buffalo and Cats love it.Took a woman out fishing one time.I baited up she says what you going to catch with that?I told her I don't know but it will be Big 

big rockpile


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## js2743 (Dec 4, 2006)

they love acorns if you get where there is oak trees hanging out over the water and acorns are falling, use whole acorns for bait you will get one soon as it hits the water most times. 

did you know carp have jaw teeth ??


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## pheasantplucker (Feb 20, 2007)

fishhead said:


> Did you eat the grass carp? I ate one once and it tasted exactly like halibut right down to the flaky texture.




Different from my experience. I had carp once and I love eating fish. I'd never touch a bite of that again, unless someone who won a MegaMillions jackpot offers me half the prize money. Like catching them, though. My son and I call them bugle mouth bass. My biggest has only been in the 12 lb range, but they fight like the devil.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

They have gigging tournaments around here for rough fish and it's not unusual to see 30 to 35 pound carps in the sack.


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

I've never ate carp but I might have to give it a try. I assume they are best out of cold water. The fish I have a hard time with are trout. Many times I have gone out for the trout opener, caught a bunch, took them home and put them on the grill. One fish would be great and another would taste like a tuna sandwhich that spent a few days on the dashboard. They are caught in cold water, cleaned and put on ice immediately. A couple of those bad ones will really turn you off to them. Don't know why.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

pheasantplucker said:


> Different from my experience. I had carp once and I love eating fish. I'd never touch a bite of that again, unless someone who won a MegaMillions jackpot offers me half the prize money. Like catching them, though. My son and I call them bugle mouth bass. My biggest has only been in the 12 lb range, but they fight like the devil.


I was refering to grass carp not common carp. I think there is a big difference.

The only common carp I ever tried was one that we threw in a grassy field the day my grandfather burned off the dead grass. The next morning I was walking around in the burned grass and found it. It smelled good so I ate a piece. It tasted good, like smoked carp.

Buffalo are in the sucker family; Catastomidae.


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

So who here eats carp and what is the best way to fix them?


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Most times we eat ours fried.The one thing is to cut all the Red meat off.It will give a Bad Flavor.There is several Y Bones,just have to be careful eating.Some Score them hoping to Fry up thee Bones,my wife said not to bother with it.

We do Can some make it into Fish Patties.


big rockpile


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