Carp Rigs

[Jigwiggler]

When carp fishing, is it important for your bait to be lying directly on the bottom?  Or is it easier for them to see/eat if it is a few inches up?  I have caught quite a few but have never targeted them directly.  I am thinking about chumming the area around my dock this summer,  If it works it should be a blast for the kids ( and Dad  ).

[buzzbomb]

That's what's called a 'pop-up' rig.  They actually sell foam rubbber kernels of corn to bring your bait up (it's even hard to type that with a straight face).  I've tried sneaking chunks of styrofoam into the bait set up on the hair, and it didn't seem to make any difference so far as the fishing went.  I imagine if you were in a really weedy area and wanted to get over top of the weeds a longer leader and a pop-up might make the bait more visible, but carp should be able to sniff out the bait in weeds anyway.  I think some groundbaits are sort of a time release pop-up so some are periodically floating up out of a patch of bait to attract attention.   A lot of that stuff has been invented to help catch fish in the UK who've been caught and released for decades and present more of a challenge to catch than ours.

[Jigwiggler]

I will be fishing a river where there are no weeds, so that should not be a concern.  My bait lying right on the bottom should be just fine. 

When talking about adding various things to corn and soaking for bait, are you guys talking about dry, whole kernal corn bought at a feed store?

[rgfixit]

I use small pieces of foam on the hair to keep the bait off the bottom a little when it's silty or soft mud bottom. I guess it helps...it seems to anyway.

RG

[Pasquatch]

Only carp I ever caught was on the surface with a nightcrawler, that fish hit like a largemouth! How much does a 28" carp weigh?

[reubenpa]

around 10 #    I got a few last year about that length and all were 10 give or take a lb

[Pasquatch]

Cool, too bad i didn't get a good pic... it was a blurry me trying to hold a slimy, blurry, carp. 

[Water Wolf]

I have never fished for carp before but I would sure like to some time, we have a few lakes with some real lunkers, 35 to 40lbs. Your hair rigs and bolt rigs look neat. Has anyone ever caught them using a float system, I have heard that they can be easily spooked would a float spook them?. I see you like to bait an area with corn, would other grains like barley or wheat work for baiting an area? An this is defiantly everyone's personal preference, with so many choices since carp are omnivorous, but what do you feel is the best bait for catching carp?
:blink:

Water Wolf

[Thriller]

Just to let you guys know, there are some outfits commercially making hair rigs.  I bought 10 from Euro Canadian Outfitters - http://eurocanadianoutfitters.com/carprig.html and they look really nice.  I haven't tried them yet.

Something else that works if the carp are surface feeding.  Just tie on an unweighted hook and fold a small piece of bread over the shank of the hook.  Another alternative that I haven't tried yet is a white / off-white dry fly.  You can either use a fly rod or hopefully you can get close enough to cast / flip it.  You could also add some weight above with a bobber to give you some weight if you need to cast a bit further.

[wigen]

Still wondering what you do with them after you shoot them?
RG

dont shoot them but know many who do, usually left to rot and stink up the lake, people get bored shooting targets and get rise out of shooting carp, if you are going to shoot them chow them down, or dont shoot them at all

[bigredfishing]

i would hope that any responsible sportsmen disposes of the dead carp properly.  when i bow shoot carp, i load them up in garbage bags, then deposit them in the garden for fertilizer.  leaving them dead in the water is pretty d**n stupid and irresponsible if you ask me.

[shrub]

some peopole around here use fish for coyote bait, if bow shot carp thats what id use them for