Archive for August, 2006
By Chris Braithwaite
An ancient way of survival turned hobby, fishing, is cherished by many for its relaxing, natural setup. But if you think fishing is all about throwing the line in the water and oozing down in your fold-up chair while getting a tan, think again. Sometimes fishing is hard work! Especially carp fishing. Read on and you’ll find out why?
You don’t have to be an extremely experienced fisherman to recognize this scenario: you prepare for a fruitful day of carp fishing, thinking you got the right bait, the right rod, the right line and so forth but several hours pass without any luck for you. When you look up just a few hundred meters away, some random guy using the same tools and same bait is pulling out big carps every now and then. How come he’s catching them regularly, while you end up empty handed at the end of the day? When you ask him about it, he just winks at you and through his smirk, he says “It’s all about luck, mate!” But you know it can’t be simply a matter of luck, it’s too plain obvious. Chances should be equal for both of you?
And here’s where most fisherman go wrong, thinking carp fishing is only about chance. What they don’t understand is that fish aren’t always equally spread out in a lake and they prefer certain areas and certain depths more than other. Actually, experienced fisherman agree that the biggest challenges of carp fishing are choosing the right bait and choosing the right fishing spot. We’ll discuss the bait part a bit later, but first let’s see how you set your position up so that you maximize your chances of landing the cast near some fat carps.
It’s well known that carps are fish that tend to stay deep, near the floor of the lake but how can we know what “deep” means without knowing the exact topography of the lake you’re fishing in? One direct, but rather blunt way is to ride off in a boat, using an extendable pole to check the exact depth of the area and try to cover several positions so that you get an approximate clue to what the lake’s topography is.
Of course, this carp fishing method has 2 major disadvantages. One would be that riding off in a motor boat in what you’ll find to be excellent fishing spots might scare the carps away, which means that you’ll have to wait a while before you can fish in that particular area. The other disadvantage is that the lake (or at least some areas) will simply be way too deep for an extendable pole to handle. But if you know for a fact that the lake is shallow enough to allow for some “floor poking” then it’s a relatively efficient method, especially that you’ll only have to do it once, write down the numbers, try to approximate the topography and then use the “blue prints” over and over again each time you fish there.
An alternative method of testing the depth of a lake that is becoming more and more popular amongst experienced carp fisherman is the so-called “plumbing rod”. This requires a spare rod armed with a 3 oz lead sinker with a free running barrel swivel attached. At the end of the line, tie a large bobber so that the lead is allowed to run freely on the line until it hits the float. Cast the rod and wind the line until the float has hit the lead on the bottom. Congratulations, you just found out the depth of that particular spot, now all you need to do is measure it. Slowly let out the line approximately one foot at a time until the float comes up. The number of feet the float rises from the bottom is directly proportional to the number of feet of line you let off the reel, so keep count of the line and you’ll have a pretty accurate measurement of that spot at the end.
Like I stated above, choosing the right bait is equally important to choosing the right spot when it comes to carp fishing (well this is generally important to all sorts of fishing types, but even more so to carp fishing). Let’s start off the subject by saying that as a general term, particle bait is the best type of bait you could use in carp fishing. This includes a wide array of baits such as beans, corn, peas, vegetables, nuts and even peanuts. The problem is that although generally effective, you can’t say that is the best for carp fishing. It depends on so many factors such as water type, depth, natural food sources of the fish in that particular lake (and we can go on an on), that it would be rather inaccurate to state such a thing. Personal experience will make a huge difference here so it’s best if you try them all for a while, or why not a combination of two or more particle beans on the same cast.
What happened to the poor, old, standard worm-in-the-hook you may ask? Well the problem with worms or any other wiggly meat baits is not that the carp won’t be attracted to it (by God, a worm must be the royalty of meals in every fishes’ menu) but that other, faster, more aggressive fish will see and grab it first. So it’s best if we use the above-mentioned particle baits which are not very tempting for other fish, but equally delicious for carps.
A popular technique used in carp fishing is pre-baiting. This means that once you have zeroed-in on the spot you’re about to fish in, you take a short on-boat trip to where you’ll figure the casts will land and spray the water with bait of all kinds in order to attract the carps (and inevitably other fish too). After the panic caused by your boat settles in, you can start casting. Don’t worry about the fish choosing the pre-bait before the one in your hook, since by the time you cast, there will be plenty of carps there banging their forks and knives to the table, waiting for food and your bait-filled hook sliding down to the bottom will surely grab their attention.
Now that you know how to choose your carp fishing spot and what to place in the hook, start exercising your arm muscles since there’s going to be a lot of hard work and pulling to be done, getting those fat carps to the tip of your rod. Oh and if you see a poor fellow fisherman sitting a few feet away from you, frustrated by the fact that he’s empty handed while you’re reeling in carps like there’s no tomorrow, just give him a wink and a smirk and say “It’s all about luck, mate!” Secrets are meant to be kept.
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August 25th, 2006
Snelled Fishing Hooks CARP
Snelled fishing hooks CARP made of Japanese high carbon shock-hardened steel. Hook tips have been sharpened chemically. Leader length is 3′.
Boilie Fishing Hooks CAMTEC Platinum
Boilie snelled fishing hooks CAMTEC Platinum for carp fishing. Black, leader length 1 1/2′.
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August 25th, 2006
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2 cups white flour
3 cups cornmeal
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Then slowly add water and mix to the desired consistency. If the dough needs stiffening, add more flour and cornmeal. To thin it, add more water.
Flatten the ball, wrap it in a cloth bag, and place it in boiling water for 20 minutes. Cool the dough, then put it in a plastic bag and refrigerate. To add other fillers, blend them in before cooking.
Once the doug cools enough to handle, knead in any carp flavorings.
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August 25th, 2006
By Carl Haensel
Carp fishing can be an exciting angling adventure. Few other opportunities offer anglers a chance to land fish over 10 pounds almost every day! Best of all, these fish can be caught in almost all major waters in the state. To get ready to fish for carp, you’ll need a few items.
Tackle
Both spinning and spin-cast rods spooled with 8- to 10-pound-test line work well for all but our largest carp. Many anglers prefer spinning reels with rear drag controls for easier adjustment when fighting a large carp. Use hooks in sizes 4 to 8, with shanks long enough to hold the bait of your choice. The size of the sinker that you choose depends on your desired casting distance and any current in the water that you are fishing. For finicky carp, you may want to use smaller hooks and lighter line.
Basic Rigs
A three-way rig with swivel, sinker and single hook is a great way to start fishing for carp. Tie the piece of line that the sinker will be attached to with lighter line, so that if you snag the bottom, you don’t lose your whole rig. This rig fishes well in rivers and streams. Another good carp rig works very well in lakes. Even simpler in construction, it consists of a sinker running freely on the line, a single swivel to stop the weight, and a hook and leader attached to the swivel. The leader length should be around 12 to 16 inches. When fishing this rig, set your rod to free spool so that the carp can take the bait without any resistance.
Bait
Bread balls, canned sweet corn, nightcrawlers and crayfish are all popular carp baits. There are many bread ball recipes, some for fresh bread balls and some for more durable baits that are boiled. Add a flavor like vanilla or strawberry to your baits to make them more attractive. In addition, canned sweet corn and bread are popular baits for chumming. Carp are great fighters, and anglers can readily catch really big ones! Be sure to get in on this action!
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August 9th, 2006
Have you tried to build your own image gallery for your carp photos but found it too difficult or time consuming or just needed somewhere quick to share your latest carp photo? 
Big Carp Picture Gallery does the work for you. They also supply easy code for posting a carp picture to your favourite fishing forum.
Once you have completed the free registration you can start adding your carp fishing photos to the big carp gallery. Your photo gallery is self administrating so there is no need to wait for webmaster to add your photos.
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August 9th, 2006
The carp has quite a sweet tooth and are attracted to most any sweet scent. A certain amount of experimentation is needed when choosing a successful carp flavoring. Besides commercial carp flavorings, some other options are:
- Kool-aide
- Cake Flavors
- Sno-Cone Flavoring
- Jello
When choosing a carp flavoring, opt for a scent similar to plants currently in bloom, fruits in season or any other scent which the carp may already be familiar.
Fall/Winter: Vanilla, Pumpkin, Cinnamon, Orange, All Spice, Anise
Spring/Summer: Any fruit in season, Strawberry, Vanilla, Cherry, Pineapple, Corn
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August 9th, 2006
By: Travis Clemens
Frustrating as it is, carp fishing is awesome. Carp are really good at sucking in and blowing out suspicious baits. It’s such an excitement to see the whole action in a fraction of a second as you hang on for dear life while the reel is trembling with a loud noise. Carp happily devour on the surface as long as you keep the pellets, biscuits, chic peas, bread, and re-hydrated corn coming in, and these are inexpensive baits as well. Just attach them to the hooks, most preferably the bread. Have the biscuits softened by dipping it in the water for about 2 minutes, then, place them in a sealed sandwich bag for about an hour. Since different brands have different textures, just experiment to know which is firm enough to cast. Another way to hook baits is super gluing the pellet into the shank.
Once they get into feeding, let them feel comfortable around the bait. This gives more opportunity for the fisherman since they begin to not feel picky. This tactic can be useful for zig rigs.
As soon as they’re feeding, cast the bait but make sure not to drop the bait directly onto the feeding carp. Cast away from the feeding area then slowly draw it in position. While the bait is till hanging, keep the food coming in so as to keep the carp from going away.
How to Set-Up?
• Use a hair rig to increase your chance of catching. As carp taste food first, if they don’t like the taste, they won’t come near it.
• You may also use a Spider Line, 50 lbs test, then use a leader material that fits the situation.
• Thread the bait on the baiting needle and hook the hair loop. You may also use foam dipped in a flavor as this enhances the attractiveness of the bait.
• Also make a baiting needle by just straightening a long shank hook. Slide the bait on the shank, then slide the bait from the needle onto the hair.
• Using a float is also an advantage because it adds weight for further distancing and the location is easily identified.
• Don’t forget the controller float rig. A leader can be used which is attached to the swivel to its mainline of at least 3 feet length with a 10lbs Drennan double strength. A low diameter mono will do just as long as it floats well enough for visibility.
As experts say, it is not the bait that catches the carp but the method in which the bait is introduced. Pre-bait everyday, in one spot for a few days. This makes the carp think that there is a regular source of food for them and by “word of mouth” there’ll soon be a school of fish around. Just be patient and it will all work.
Travis Clemens is a life time fisherman and he knows the ins and outs of gettinem on the hook! You too can gettem on the hook with Travis as your guide! www.best-fishing-tips.com
Article Source: http://www.articlestreet.com/
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August 9th, 2006
(Formerly ACS Nationals)
October 25th through 28th will see the third ACS Competition on Hominy Lake OK, Now titled ‘The Tournament of Champions’ (Formerly ACS Nationals).Teams from across the country are anticipated to attend this event.
For details please e-mail: events@americancarpsociety.com
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August 8th, 2006
28oz. of Minute Rice
28oz. of Ketchup
Mix and let sit for 30 minutes before using.
Add some vanilla carp flavoring or any other favorite carp flavorings for an irresistible bait!
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August 8th, 2006
7 lbs steamed, rolled oats
1 qt molasses
Mix well and let sit in a warm place for 1 week.
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August 8th, 2006
