Anybody here catch carp?

[RockHopper]

When I was a teen in Nashville, I hunted carp on Priest Lake. It being a man-made lake with a dam, the shore line was malleable by 40'-60' depending on time of year. In the late spring, when they let millions of gallons of water out, the carp would be caught outside the main body of water, and die by the thousands each summer.

I made a sport every year of going out in the early spring, and hunting for them in the shade among the trees where they would swim the tall grasses. My technique evolved from a frog gig on the shore....to eventually wading barefoot in 12-14" shallows with a sidewalk scraper. You could spear them completely through with 4 barbed tines, and they were still capable of ripping themselves to pieces and getting away.

But if you were very patient, and stalked them by moving slowly, they could be had with one strike right behind the head. The trick was to move slowly enough to track their movement which you see see direction and speed from the grasses moving. 36" wasn't uncommon.

I still remember one bad boy that close to 4'. It took 2 of us to haul it back to my buddies house a few hundred yards up the trail. We put it in the tub with water and a couple ice cube trays to keep it fresh. His mom came home from work and was in the middle of toilet time when......as it turned out, that wasn't a killing blow. It woke up, started thrashing and skeered her right off her potty break. As I recall, that was the last time my friend was allowed to hang out with me.

As it was. I still believe it was all those many hrs put into quietly stalking barefoot through muddy water that finally taught me patience.

 

[Ready_fire_aim]

You guys need to learn HOW to cook and eat them. On a direct fire once cooked, the meat falls right off the bones. Take a fork and peel the meat off. Really easy guys. Carp is the best tasting fish that swims. When I see them tossed on the bank left for dead, such a tragedy. Just put it back in the water. Let someone else catch it or eat it. Just because you don't like them, have respect for others.

Far as carp being trash fish, couldn't be more wrong. They fight way harder than bass. Taste way better when cooked proper. They populate faster than bass. More of a chance to catch something. They clean the bottom of the lakes. Bass don't clean anything. No comparison at all.

I had a heavy action bass rod in a vertical rod holder on the bank. A carp hooked on, drove the small end eye on the rod to the GROUND LOL. Sucker broke 40lb line like nothing.

I somewhat agree. The bow fishing guys that kill tons of them and just toss them on the bank piss me off… as I said, I have eaten plenty of them. I know they are not a bad eating fish.

I also understand that common carp are a “naturalized species” not necessarily “invasive species” (like the Asian carp varieties)

That being said, I still never released them and I believe they should be removed from the Lakes because they are overrun. I would much rather catch Crappie, sandbass, saugeye, largemouth, catfish, etc

Carp will always be here and I enjoy targeting them. But at the end of the day I would choose one of my actual sport fish 7 days a week and twice on Sunday.

I pity those poor bastards across the pond who only fish for carp. They don’t have near the freshwater fisheries that we do in the USA.

 

[Ready_fire_aim]

I would like to know what lake are you guys seeing carp at? Not asking to divulge your favorite spot. Lake name is plenty.

Seriously??? I see and catch tons of them almost everywhere. They are an overpopulated and underutilized resource in Oklahoma.

You are asking for locations… I’ll go ahead and share some. They are purely based on my location. These are just the lakes that I drive to, because they are within reasonable distance for me:

Canton lake: whole lake is covered with carp… The spillway basin stays full of them too. Go down to the Canton spillway basin with carp rigs and catch one after another while all the folks fishing for catfish and hybrids getting skunked watch in envy.

Taylor lake near Marlow: I have caught lots and lots of carp. Good Lake for largemouth bass and channel cats as well

Pauls Valley Lake: I have caught several 10lb+ carp just fishing from the bank near the boat ramp

Chickasha lake: I have been there before sunrise targeting white bass. Watched carp by the hundreds busting the surface during sunrise. I have used my hair rig and pack bait to catch dozens of carp at chickasha lake

Lake Murray by Ardmore: several times I have been camping there with a waterside campsite and literally had my carp rods going off all night long

Sardis lake in SE OK: caught bunches of them from waterside campsite.

Eufalla.. Ft Cobb… I mean seriously I see them everywhere and catch them everywhere. That’s why I’m saying that they’re an underutilized resource

I’m curious what lakes you don’t see them in? Lmao

 

[dennishoddy]

Growing up, Grandpa would mix up some wheaty’s breakfast cereal and vanilla for dough balls on treble hooks, then we would go where the city sewage plant discharged the “clean” water back into the river. It was always thick with carp feasting on the “clean water”.
Fun to catch, but no to the eating.
I’ve never tried the pressure cooking method, but got arms like Popeye using a hand grinder to grind the fish into fertilizer.
Grandparents had an empty lot next to their home that was a family garden. Everyone planted, weeded, and harvested from that garden. My job was to grind carp.

 

[HoLeChit]

You guys need to learn HOW to cook and eat them. On a direct fire once cooked, the meat falls right off the bones. Take a fork and peel the meat off. Really easy guys. Carp is the best tasting fish that swims. When I see them tossed on the bank left for dead, such a tragedy. Just put it back in the water. Let someone else catch it or eat it. Just because you don't like them, have respect for others.

It’s the law. Big head, and silver carp are invasive, and according to the ODWC it is illegal to return them to the water after catching them. It is also illegal to possess either fish live.

Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) | Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

Image

www.wildlifedepartment.com

These invasive fish have ruined waterways elsewhere in the US, and are almost impossible to stop. They’ve even injured many people. There’s nothing wrong with killing these fish, it’s even the law.


On a different subject, shotgunning carp has become a thing. That’s something. No bows and arrows for these guys. They're shooting flying carp with shotguns in Mississippi.

 

[Ready_fire_aim]

Keep in mind that I’m referring to common carp. The ones with yellow bellies. Pretty sure they are considered a “naturalized species” they are not native they were brought here by Europeans, but they have become naturalized. It is generally still believed by fishermen that they decrease the quality of fisheries so most people still take them out.

The silver carp y’all are referring to now are a different ball game. Asian carp varieties. They are absolutely an invasive species that are running our river systems and need to be removed.

 

[Ready_fire_aim]

I’ve caught some. I like bow fishing for them. I give them to my buddy’s wife, as she’s Chinese and loves them. Buys us some brownie points so he can get out occasionally. Otherwise any carp that make it out of the water die. If I’m somewhere busy I can usually find someone to take ‘em. Last random guy I gave a real big one to said “hey, nice fish” in really bad English. I said, “thanks, you want it?” He asked me twice if I was sure, I thought for a second and had to make sure I wasn’t giving him my truck or something. Once he was convinced I wasn’t messing with him, he took it off my hands, threw the fish over his shoulder, and ran all the way back to his truck like I was gonna change my mind or something. Threw that thing in the bed and hauled ass for the house I’m guessing. I still think about that short Mexican guy from time to time.

I’ll use method feeders, with mixed success. Usually use the corn/Panko/koolaid mix.
It’s a pretty cool gig, the weight on one side ensures your bait always lands bait side up, and the fins allow you to pack that bait in there. View attachment 402448

My craziest catch was when fishing for striper, managed to catch a 15-20ish lb carp on a 6” shad swimbait. The way that guy took off I thought I was about to bring in a contender for state record striper. Talk about a rush.


Some of those British guys take it super serious… but what amazes me is their casting abilities. Roughly according to one guy “I don’t see why an average bloke can’t cast at least 150 yards”, that same guy can make 230 yard casts. Laser accurate too. I can get some distance, but I’m never accurate in those instances. I think my furthest regular cast was probably 100-110 yards. 150-200 yards is just crazy.

Any of you guys who have caught carp using the old-school methods of dough bait on treble hooks and such, should really look into trying these hair rigs like pictured here.

Carp have very sensitive mouths and they feel everything. Then suck in and blow out debris on the bottom searing for food. The hair rig puts the piece of fake corn separate from the hook and as they suck in they don’t notice the hook.

This method will increase your hook up ratio a lot

I make DIY method feeders using a cut drywall anchor

 

[user 51785]

It’s the law. Big head, and silver carp are invasive, and according to the ODWC it is illegal to return them to the water after catching them. It is also illegal to possess either fish live.

Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) | Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

Image

www.wildlifedepartment.com

These invasive fish have ruined waterways elsewhere in the US, and are almost impossible to stop. They’ve even injured many people. There’s nothing wrong with killing these fish, it’s even the law.


On a different subject, shotgunning carp has become a thing. That’s something. No bows and arrows for these guys. They're shooting flying carp with shotguns in Mississippi.

didn't know that, thanks

 

[turkeyrun]

I would like to know what lake are you guys seeing carp at? Not asking to divulge your favorite spot. Lake name is plenty.

ALL of them have carp

Never fished for them on purpose

 

[Cat City Slim]

I really want to try catching carp on fly tackle. I think a 15 pound carp on light fly tackle is as close to catching a tarpon as one can get in fresh water.