Whether you’re a carp angler or a beginner, knowing the right tools and methods will make fishing a breeze.
Read on to learn the best carp fishing tips to help you start fishing.
1. Fish During the Right Time of the Day and Year
All experienced carp anglers know that the best carp fishing tip is this: fish for carp at the right time.
For all types of fish, timing is essential, and fishing for carp is no different.
Carp like low light conditions, so the best time to fish is dusk or dawn when everywhere is dark. This isn’t to say that these fish can’t be sighted throughout the day, but if you want to catch more fish, choose a time when the sun isn’t at its brightest.
In addition, fishing for carp during cold temperatures may not be ideal. During these seasons, carp have a slow metabolism; hence, they don’t feed much.
So, you’re less likely to see carp during cold months; however, it’s not impossible. If you must fish for winter carp, it’s best to do so during midday when the water is at its warmest. Look out for areas where you’re likely to find warm water, like shallow bays.
2. Use the Right Equipment
Let’s take a look at the right equipment to take along the next time you go carp fishing.
Carp Fishing Rod
If you’re an experienced carp angler, then you probably know the right tools to use. However, if you’re a beginner, knowing the right rod to use can be confusing.
Start by using universal carp rods. This will be effective in several carp fishing situations that you might encounter. A universal fishing rod is about 12 ft.
But if you’re aiming for a wider casting space, use a longer rod measuring 13 ft and has medium action. A medium-action carping rod bends on half of its total length and assures you of precise casting.
However, you should be careful; there is a lot of carping fishing rods on the market. So be sure to conduct thorough research before settling on one.
Carp Fishing Rod Pods and Bite Alarms
One of the stressful parts of fishing is waiting for the hook to catch fish. But the easiest way to prevent your hands from getting tired is by using carp fishing rod pods. With this carp fishing setup, you can sit and relax while the rod pod keeps your fishing rod in place. It can also reduce the movement of your fishing line. All it takes is a little tremor to drive fish away from your fishing hook.
And if you’re wondering how you’ll know when you catch carp, you don’t have to worry; bite alarms have got you covered.
With bite alarms, you’ll not miss out on any action. And you don’t have to limit yourself to just one rod. You can set different bite alarms for multiple rods if you want to catch more carp. Just ensure that you set different sounds for the alarms so that you know which fishing rod needs your attention.
Carp Fishing Reel
The size of the fishing reel depends on the size of the carp you aim to catch. If you’re fishing for small or medium-sized carp, you’ll want to choose sizes from 4000 and 6000.
Keep in mind that the fishing reel should be compatible with your rod. Of course, nothing stops you from choosing a bigger reel if you’re an experienced angler and want to catch some large carp.
Carp Fishing Rig
There are different types of carp fishing rigs, so you’ll have to know what works best for you. For example, some are designed to work in environments with weeds, while others work in gravel. You can also find carp fishing rigs that work in any situation.
If you’re new to carp fishing, start with a hair fishing rig, zig rig, or pop-up rig. These aren’t difficult to set up, so you’ll find them easy to use. Of course, as you improve your fishing skills in carp fishing, you can move to more complex carp fishing rigs.
Carp Fishing Hooks
Figuring out how to set up your carp fishing hooks can be frustrating. For this reason, you need to get a hook that won’t give you any stress when you’re setting it up. This is where circle hooks come in because they’re easy to use.
You may want to challenge yourself and use bigger hooks, but starting small and working your way up is advisable. But whatever hook you opt for, ensure that the hook is sharp and in good condition. Also, try to avoid shiny hooks. They might look pretty, but carp have good eyesight and will stay away from your hook rather than be attracted to it. So, use darker hooks.
To familiarise yourself with hook types and sizes, walk into a shop and check the options. Better still, you can do a quick search on Google and get information on the various types of hooks that are available for carp fishing.
3. Choose the Perfect Location
Carp are known to avoid freshwater. They’re usually in areas where the water is murky and warm. So you should aim to fish at these locations, such as backwaters and along the shoreline.
4. Use the Right Carp Fishing Baits
One of the most important things you need to consider when catching fish is the bait. For whatever fish you want to catch, you should know what they like eating.
Carp will feed on insects and larvae because they’re omnivorous, but they also feed on plankton and river weeds. So when it comes to baiting carp, it’s not that difficult.
For starters, boilies are a great choice of carp bait. They’re round-shaped, flavoured baits that are made from ingredients like soy flour, bird foods, and semolina. However, if you notice that the round boilies aren’t catching carp, you can change the shape by carving the edges of the boilies.
If you’re looking for a more inexpensive option, you should consider sweet corn. Apart from the fact that they’re easy to attach to your hook, sweet corn provides just the right balance of sweetness and salty that carp fish love.
Another effective carp fishing bait you can look at is bread. It’s also a budget-friendly option and ideal for surface fishing. Since bread can dissolve easily in water, the flavours and smell can travel over a distance to attract carp. And it’s a great choice if you’re learning how to hook bait.
In addition, you can use worms as carp fishing bait. Worms have been used for ages to catch carp because hungry carp can’t seem to resist them. Although they can be bought, worms can also be found in the outside spaces of your home. This wiggly crawlies have a smell and taste that make carp go crazy. Note that there are different types of worms. But for carp fishing, you should use red wigglers or European crawlies.
However, fake worms are a good alternative if you don’t want to use real ones. They look just like the real thing and will be equally effective. And to get the best results, a thread about four or five to a hair rig.
The good news is that you can test your bait before using it for fishing. So find some feeding carp and give them your best carp bait to see how they respond. You can also check out some of our picks for the best bait boats here that you can use.
5. Chum the Water
Chumming the water is a great way to attract carp to your hook. However, you should ensure that you’re not giving the carp too much food. This is because attracting full-bellied carp to your bait isn’t an easy task.
If you’re not familiar with the term, chumming refers to throwing bait known as chum in the water to draw fish and other marine creatures. So when chumming, throw a handful of your choice of bait into the water and watch the carp gather.
Target areas should be on top of the waters where carp feed. Also, if you’re using boilies, you should break them into smaller particles before throwing them in the water.
6. Know the Right Technique to Use
One of the reasons carp fishing is interesting is that there are many methods you can use to catch carp. So let’s have a look at a couple of these techniques and what they entail.
Float Fishing
This is one of the easiest ways to fish for carp since it doesn’t involve the use of special gear. Float fishing only involves placing your bait under a floating indicator.
Then, the carp immediately takes your bait, and the floating indicator will go beneath the surface of the water, alerting you that you’ve caught fish.
This is an exciting way to fish for carp, especially if you’re still starting your carp fishing adventure. Imagine the satisfaction you feel when seeing the float indicator dip into the water, signalling a catch.
Stalking Carp
The goal of stalking carp is to catch specific fish. Just like the name suggests, this method involves studying the behaviour of carp so that it’s easy for you to make your catch.
Of course, since you have to visually observe the fish, this method works best if you’re fishing in clear water. But if you’re fishing in murky water, you’ll find it difficult to use this method.
Surface Fishing
Another exciting method of fishing for carp is surface fishing. With this technique, you get to see the fish for yourself, unlike float fishing, where you have to wait for the floating indicator to drop below the surface of the water.
So, if you’re excited about seeing the carp swim till they take the bait, then you’ll appreciate this kind of fishing.
How to Catch Carp in Murky Water
Earlier in this post, we saw that sometimes you could catch carp in murky water. You’ll find the following tips helpful if you’re surrounded by muddy water and want to catch carp.
Take Note of Successful Spots
If you’ve been successful in fishing for carp in a particular spot, keep that spot in mind. Finding a new spot where carp feed can be a daunting task, but when you already have a spot in mind, you’re good to go.
If you think you’re likely to forget the spot, write it down using a landmark that’ll make it easy to identify the next time you go fishing. Many carp anglers also look out for these spots, so make sure to get there early.
Choose Oily Baits
As mentioned earlier, carp have impressive eyesight. However, in murky water, they depend on their sense of smell. So, in fishing for carp in muddy or murky water, many anglers use baits such as hemp because they’re high in oil. This will attract the carp to your hook easier.
Focus on Natural Areas
Carp are attracted to areas rich in the food supply, so consider areas where you can find lily beds, low-lying weeds, and overhanging trees.
Last Words
We hope the top carp fishing tips we’ve listed in this post have been helpful. Following these few tips will increase your chances of finding carp, ensuring that your fishing expeditions are stress-free. Feel free to leave your questions and thoughts in the comments and share the post so that others can also benefit.
