Is there a certain time of year that is best to catch carp?
I've caught them from March through November in my area. My first fish of the season for the past few years has been a carp. I've seen them feeding right on the edge of the receding ice in backwater areas in the spring (actually picking something off the edge of the ice) and I've caught them in November when there was still a layer of skim ice on the water from the overnight low when I launched the boat. You could probably catch them in the winter if you really wanted to.wvfly said:Is there a certain time of year that is best to catch carp?
They are tough to catch while they are chasing each other around with more important things on their minds than eating, but even when most of them are in the mood for love you might still find some that are feeding.Dble Haul said:Spring is when they are spawning, very accessible in shallow water but with more important things on their minds than feeding. When carp feed, tailing/feeding fish will get more bites than cruising fish. And for their size, carp can be quite spooky.
Yes -- it's pretty much a sight fishing game. You can catch them while blind casting into an area where you know there are fish, but it's much better when you can see the fish, place the fly correctly and watch the fish hit. And, of course, stealth is extremely important. However, they aren't just great for practice -- they are great to fish for anyway! I'm happy to fish for just about anything, but if I'm in the mood to catch something that pulls really hard and I can't take a trip to the ocean then I'll probably go for carp.Gseries69 said:I'm dying to try for carp on the fly. Seems like it would be great sight fishing practice e.g. stealth, presentation, etc. to hone skills for other fishy pursuits in more exotic locations.
In general, most river systems and lakes or ponds connected to rivers probably have carp in them. Once you find a place where you know there are carp, then it's just a matter of looking for them. They like dark bottomed shallow areas near lily pads. They love milfoil, although it's tough to fish for them in the weeds. They like rocky areas and sandy areas and downed trees. Focus on shallow areas because you have to be able to see the fish and drop the fly right in front of them. Fish when you have good visibility: bright sun with blue skies is perfect. An even layer of gray clouds is ok too. Wind is bad -- even a slight ripple can make the fish invisible. Reflections of white clouds or bright foliage will also obscure the view. Crouch down and look for bubbles rising up in one area or moving along slowly. When the carp are grubbing along the bottom they release bubbles trapped in the mud. Move in slowly and be ready to cast. Sometimes they are virtually invisible until you get right up to them, then they suddenly appear. I've had times when I knew a fish was there and I still couldn't see it until it was too late.JonC said:Todd and I have talked a little about trying some carp fishing, we have to figure out where they are.
I have a 5wt and a 7wt for freshwater fishing and both have worked just fine on fish up to about 20 lbs, although the 5wt is one of those cheap fiberglass rods that seems virtually unbreakable. Not sure if I'd want to try a 4 or 5wt high modulus graphite rod on them. Whatever you use, just don't high stick them and be careful when landing them or when you get them near the boat. As for presentation, I like to drop the fly right on their nose if they are grubbing on the bottom in one spot. If they are cruising slowly along the bottom I prefer to have the fly sink a couple feet ahead of them so it is already on the bottom before they get to it. Sometimes you can get them to hit by moving the fly a little when they get to it, but sometimes that will just spook them.Possumpoint said:If I choose to get serious about trying, I'd use my 8wt system. I'm curious as to what method of presentation works best.