How to target the biggest carp in the lake – Adam Penning
- A rarely-caught common from a tricky area. SUBTLETY CAN BE KEY.
- ‘Match the hatch’ with identical feed and hookbait. GO ALL OUT WITH BOILIES.
- Big carp love boilies. SCALE UP YOUR RIGS.
- Fishing an ‘agricultural’ rig will catch you a better stamp of fish. TERRITORIALITY.
What is the best bait for big carp?
As above, Sweet corn and bread are two of the best baits to use for carp but nightcrawlers (earthworms) are excellent as well. For bigger fish and longer fishing sessions hard boiled baits or ‘boilies’ as they are known are excellent to use on a hair rig. They really do tend to catch the bigger fish.
Where do big carp like to hang out?
Fallen trees in the water, areas covered in weed and stumps are things you have to pay extra attention to. Those areas offer carp safe shelter for them to rest in. They are also spots rich in natural food so carp really have everything they need there.
What attracts carp the most?
Boilies are the go-to bait for most carp anglers. The scent of the fishmeal in the boilies drives carp wild. However, carp in frequently fished areas may associate boilies with danger and avoid that bait. Fortunately, there is a cheaper and easier bait that carp always strike at: sweet corn.
What Colour do carp see best?
For carp (and us), their Red-Green-Blue colour vision is created by a set of cone cells containing opsin, maximally responsive to long wavelengths in the red part of the spectrum; a set sensitive to medium wavelengths in the green part and those sensitive to short wavelengths in the blue part of the spectrum.
Can a carp sting you?
Carp have pharyngeal teeth, which can crush with incredible force. You’d have to stick your fingers far down into their throats to reach them. This makes it impossible for them to bite you. Carp are relatively peaceful omnivores who’d rather flee from humans than attack them.
Can you grab a carp by the mouth?
A carp does not have teeth, you do not need to use a lip-grip vice to hold them. I would not recommend however sticking your fingers down the mouth of a carp. They do have very strong crushing plates at the back of their mouths, they can crush nuts and berries with ease, as well as your fingers!
Can carp see you on the bank?
‘Carp have the best eyesight in the world and can see your every move. If you’re not leopard-crawling up to the water’s edge, dragging your six pack along the dirt, then you have no chance at all.
What depth do carp feed at?
These can be as little as a 6 – 10” (250mm) deep depression, and as small as a few feet across in diameter. These little hot spots are quite often actually created by the fish themselves feeding repeatedly on the spot over a long period of time.
Do carp only feed on the bottom?
It has been observed that smaller carp do not hesitate to feed on bottom but bigger ones are more cautious when it comes to choosing a feeding location. What is this? During the winter months, carp would move to shallow depths because in these locations the water is warmer.
Do carp go to deeper water at night?
On many lakes carp will be in the shallows during the day and move back into deeper water at night. Be ready and waiting in the shallows by mid-morning.
What to do when you hook a big fish?
Tips for Reeling in Big Fish
- Keep the Line Tight, but not too Tight.
- Let the Fish Run.
- Pull Up, Reel on the Down Motion, Repeat.
- Keep Them Out of Structures.
- Photo and Release as Soon as Possible.
How can I increase my chances of catching carp?
On the day: Get there 2 hours before the groundbaiting time of the previous 3 days. Cast your rigs out to your spot and spread 200 g of groundbait over the swim. Groundbait every 30 minutes with a handful or two of boilies over the spot so as to reproduce the sound of the groundbait landing on the previous days.
What is a carps favorite food?
Carp eat a variety of foods. They favor insects, aquatic worms, crustaceans, and mollusks, but also consume algae and other plant matter. Due to this diverse diet, a variety of carp baits trip their triggers, from natural offerings to homemade doughbaits and mass-produced softbaits, dips, boilies, and such.
What smells are carp attracted to?
Snails, bloodworm and the huge range of other tiny invertebrates that the carp may feed upon will all release free amino acids and smells into the water column as they go about their lives. These amino acids and smells will then act like huge flashing signs to the carp drawing them in towards the grub!
What flavor do carp like best?
You could also just dip your fake corn into the water your sweet corn came canned in to give it some nice flavor and scent. Jello and Kool-Aid are my favorite attractants for carp though. I love the smell of cherry so that’s my go-to but I have had success with strawberry, pineapple, and blueberry.
How far can carp see?
Not good at distances
“The carp’s eyes are designed to work effectively in water so when removed onto your unhooking mat they become very short sighted and can only focus on objects within a few centimetres.
What pound line should I use for carp fishing?
15lbs to 20lbs
Choose 15lbs to 20lbs line (0.28 – 0.45) for general carp fishing. For many years now, 15lbs has been the accepted norm for carp fishing mainline for the majority of situations. Fishing 15lbs line straight through at 100 yards is commonplace.
Do carp like rain?
A light rain will usually not cause carp to make any major movements into new areas like a heavy rain can do, but carp remain more active throughout the day during a light rain. It is much easier to catch carp with a light rain during the middle of the day compared to bright sun. Fish the spillways after a rain.
Why do carp fight so hard?
Their sleek shape, ability to hug the riverbed and make good use of the flow, and their extensive white muscle, gives them the perfect attributes to fight hard. Some would argue that it’s a close call between carp and barbel, and indeed this is another species with great endurance strength.
Why is carp fishing so hard?
Carp have very small mouths compared to their bodies
Finally, most anglers have a hard time catching carp because they have very small mouths compared to other freshwater species. You can use a pretty good size hook and catch most larger freshwater species like bass or catfish.