Monster Carp Suggestions

[Alex]

Hey guys just wondering if anyone has ever had a go at big carp before.

Sometimes for work i have to travel to canberra, and the other day went down to look at Lake Berley Griffen.

There are some massive carp in there, like baby subs. I figure I've got to get my fishing fix somehow. Even on these noxious species.

Have caught them from manly dam before with dough/ corn kernals and standard rig ( sinker or float ). It's worked well at the dam, however these guys won't have a bar of it. Anyone had any luck with these things before?

cheers

Alex

[Guest madsmc]

G'day Alex

It's been a while since I've had a crack at the old swamp trout, but the methods I use are always the same regardless of the size of the carp, or where we are fishing for them (ie: river vs dam)

My berley consists of bread that has been wizzed up to a fine texture, then mix through a bit of water. I usually throw a few handfuls of that around my fishing spot at regular intervals. This will disperse in the current (river) or on the wind chop (dam) and bring the fish into your immediate area.

For bait I use small dough balls that completely cover the hook. After I throw my completely unweighted bait out I'll follow that up by throwing a few dough balls, the same size as the bait, in the area around my bait as extra berley. That gets the carp accustomed to snaffling the dough balls off the bottom without fear.

In your post you mention using a float or running sinker rig. My advice is to try something different and keep it simple and unweighted with just the hook at the end of the main line. It may be that the weight/resistance of your current rig is putting the bigger, smarter fish off the bite.

I like to have a bit of slack in the line as well so I can see when they pick the bait up, then I can get ready to set the hook without spooking them with weight on the line.

I've read a lot of different techniques for catching carp, some people use corn, some use insects, worms etc etc. The bread/dough combo has always done the deal for me so that's what I stick with.

Good luck with it mate, hopefully you'll end up landing some big swampies.

[Alex]

Thanks heaps for the info mate, i'll give it a crack over the next couple of days.

I know their not the most desirable fish out there, but there are some big old carp in that lake.

I'll post a pic if i land a tanker.

thanks again for the info, appreciate it.

Cheers

Alex

[Guest madsmc]

There's nothing wrong with catching a few carp mate, plus you're doing the native fish and waterways a favour by getting rid of them.

I liken them to flathead in the fight stakes, some of them will fight like a wet sock, others will give you heaps.

If you don't go too overboard with your tackle then they are great fun to catch. I never use more than 3kg mono. I have been busted up by a few beasts in the Hunter River, but it's no fun on anything heavier.

Shane

[Alex]

I'm going ro try on a small stradic 2000 with 2kg mono, and a 2 - 4 kg spin stick. My guess is that the big ones are probably going to bury me into the weed like an anchor, but you are definatley right there, it's much better than just winching em in.

[big_steve]

mate,

head to my place and throw a line in dads fishpond ur guarenteed

some KOI carp

if ur lucky u might land some pretty 1's lol

tell u now theres some big mothers in there..

all the best with the ACT carp

cheers steve

[Mondo Rock]

I used to live in the Can and often went fishing for carp.

Best method for me was to pull bread apart and throw it on the surface until the carp started rising and sucking it down, then just stuck a hook in a small piece and threw it out amongst the rest. The key for me was to make sure the bread with the hook in it floated - i.e. keep a bit of crust attached or lightly thread the hook through without compressing the bread.

Best spots were the weed beds in front of the National Gallery/Library and opposite near the fountain.

[Flattieman]

I used exactly the same technique as madsmc when I fished for carp. Got heaps. The only difference is that I often use a ball of white bread moulded onto the hook. Corn kernels and worms also work.

Flattieman.

[Little_Flatty]

Though I am immune to catching catfish in the Hawkesbury I'm a bit of a Carp King when it comes to freshwater fishing

Though to be fair I spend a good amount of time targeting them in the Parramatta river when I'm bored and too lazy to drive out to the harbour. Out there you often see a whole lot of coarse fishermen fishing with their high tech setups with micro weighted floats and half pound breaking strain line but I've done just as well with a simple size ten hook tied to the end of the line. I agree with all the guys here that bread is one of the best baits. Simply knead it over the hook, leaving a little fluffy bit on the end to entice the mudsuckers.

Just make sure your bait is kneaded enough so that it sinks...otherwise you might end up catching a duck which is never looked upon well by passers-by!

Have fun catching your carp!

[Alex]

Thanks for all the advice guys, very appreciated.

I will try that spot near the gallery, it's close. Had a quick try yesterday for about an hour. Ended up with 2 Redfin on corn. Got one on a crawdad as well. Theres a few in there. Not very big though.

Will try the bread technique today.

Thanks Again

[Weasel]

Worms bread corn in that order

[Guest madsmc]

I've never tried worms or corn, only bread.

Couple of ?'s for you Weasel:

What do you use for berley when using worms or corn for bait?

Are the worms just the ordinary garden variety?

Shane

[kingpig]

Guys

My kids and I sometimes catch carp in the rowing lakes near Penrith. I have found the best bait is corn.

Buy a can of corn kurnells from the supermarket. Through a few around the area you are fishing for berly and then put three or four on a hook.

I have used a rig with a small bobby cork attached. 40-60 cm of leader to a no8 swivel a small lead to add cast weight the cork and a stopper to govern the fishing depth.

If you can see the carp near the edge or they are taking bread berly from the surface I have caught then on fly gear.

I hope you catch heaps and dispose of them.

Cheers

[Guest Jewel]

I have had reasonable success with a shotgun in the past!!!

May not be the appropreate tecnique for where you are fishing though!!!

[Weasel]

Madsmc

When fishing with worms I dont use burley, dosnt seem to be a need. The rivers up this way are so full of them. Once my uncle was driving the tractor accross the creek and picked one up the the tyre tread. We've shot them, netted them, court them every way you can. They are a real pest

[Guest madsmc]

... Once my uncle was driving the tractor accross the creek and picked one up the the tyre tread.

That's classic!

When I first started fishing for them, a mate and I would always fish a bend in the main river. We always did OK (and still do we can get up there), but it takes a while to get the carp into the area due to the size of the river. So you can sometimes sit there for an hour before the fish turn up and the action starts.

One day we got talking to a lady (Pam) who was walking her dog and it turned out that she owned the property on the other side of the road that runs next to the river. She said that there were a few carp in the small dam on her property, and that we were more than welcome to go over and have a fish for them.

In about an hour and a half we landed about 20 carp between us, which outdid any session we'd ever had on the river. Pam wasn't wrong about there being a few carp in the dam! Turns out that when the place floods the river extends over the road and into neighbouring farms, and the carp from the river get caught in the dams when the flood recedes.

Lot's of carp breeding in a small body of water made for great action that started pretty much as soon as we arrived, rather than having to wait so long for the river fish to come on.

It was a great place to fish for a while, and we hit it nearly every weekend until the fishing started to get slow, probably due to the number of fish we were removing. New people own the property now, and for some reason they don't allow anyone to fish the dam, so we stick with the river these days. It's a bit of a shame, but we've got great memories of those few sessions on the dam.

Shane

[OWZAT]

G`day Fellas ,

Carp Fishing .

Before fishing for this particular breed of Vermin , you should Ist practice Sprinting over 100 metres.

When you can cover 100 in approximately 15/20 seconds you may begin.

Istly take the Stick and force a wooden meat skewer 50% of the way down , making a nice channel .

Then , gently push the pre- pprepared detonater down into the cavity and squeze the end closed like you would a Pastie.

Then , slpay the end of the fuse so as to expose the centre strip.

Then hold a match dead centre of the fuse , and drag your matchbox ovet the head of the match.

When the fuse ignites throw the whole package into the river , and run like buggery.

Mick

[kantong]

just a matter of interest, who eats carp and what are they good for? berley meat maybe??

[OWZAT]

G`day Fellas ,

Compost , Compost , Compost , and More Compost!!.

Mick

[Matthead]

Hi Alex, being from England I think I may be able to help you out. First of all they can be a very smart fish and are a bit tackle shy at times. If you don't want to get smashed up by a 25lb Carp and I don't doubt there are fish of that size there I would be using about a 10 to 11ft Rod with about a 10-15lb braid tied directly to a size 2 or 4 hook. If you have a catapult take some round dog biscuits and fire them out and if they sart feeding on them take some bread crust, a big lump & proper bread with a thick crust and attach it to your hook dip it in the water for a bit of weight and cast out. Then wait for the line to take off and set the hook. If you want to get serious you can set up a float rig which carries the weight and super glue the dog biscuits on your hook. You will need about a 3-4 feet distance from your contoller float to your bait. It is a strange thing that Europeans pay thousands of dollars for the chance to catch a monster carp of around 50-60 pounds. I laugh when I talk to my Dad who goes Carp fishing in England...... I just go to the garden centre and buy mine in Bottle

[Alex]

Thanks mate. Love the advice. Gives me an excuse to tell the wife why i need to buy a new rod/reel combo as well. Running out of excuses to buy new bits of gear. Got another Canberra trip comming up will try it. Your definatley right there. Some of the real big ones are so shy. Never thought i could get so nervous over a big carp skeaking up to my bait without being spooked. One of my friends suggested watching a few brittish DVDs from a guy named Matt Hayes for carp. think it's worth hunting down a couple of these?

[neilm]

One of my friends suggested watching a few brittish DVDs from a guy named Matt Hayes for carp. think it's worth hunting down a couple of these?

I agree with Matt, I'm also ex-UK and spent many hours carp fishing, best ever went 18.5 lbs, caught on an 11 foot rod and 11 lb line using a high protein 'boily' for bait. Problem with the DVDs could be that they'll be mega technical real quick and start talking about boilies etc., but they may provide some useful tips. If you're real keen on carp fishing see if you can google up a book called "confessions of a carp fisher" by a bloke called BB. Someone asked about eating them - don't, they're foul and full of bones, although some eastern europeans eat them at Xmas. As an eating fish, they're great sport! So as Mick said, compost!

Cheers,

Neil

[Guest madsmc]

I never thought of using dog food for bait before. Might have to keep that in mind for future trips.

Neilm, could you give us a description of what a "boilie" is?

Shane

[neilm]

Boilies are high protein balls of bait (1-1.5cm diameter) that have flavours added, and to get them to a firm consistency are literally boiled! I found a link here for recpies etc. http://www.carp.net/carp.htm

They are often used with a hair rig - the boilie has a very fine line (1lb) threaded through it with a needle of some sort and attached to a very small stopper or tied on with a very small knot. The loose and of the line is then tied around the curve of the hook, and typically there would be about 2-3cm between the hook and the bait. The carp are extremely shy in the UK (probably due to overfishing?) and the theory is that they can detect a hook embedded in a bait. whereas they get a bit more confidence when they can't detect an embedded hook, and suck the bait in, hook and all. Let them run for a few yards and then bang, you're on.

Theoretically.

The only drawback is that you need to do some serious prebaiting to educate the carp to liking them, ie. drop them regularly in the same possie for a week, or even a month before you fish for them.

Other strange baits I have tried successfully for carp and other fish include Spam cubes. Difficult to cast a long way, but very effective.

Good Luck!

Cheers,

Neil

[Flattieman]

wow all this trouble for carp...

CRAZY

Mate, I know a pom who did this for ages. He can't believe how crude our methods are in comparison!

Flattieman.