Carp Fishing

Carp Fishing

One of the largest members of the minnow family and a close relative of the goldfish, the common carp is among the least – favoured targets of freshwater anglers in North America. Common carp exist in good supply and in relatively large sizes (compared to most other species), and provide an underutilized resource for anglers, not to mention an ample source of protein. In some circles carp are highly regarded as a food fish and can be prepared in many ways. ID. The common carp has a deep body form and a heavy appearance.

Distinctive features include a short head, rounded snout, single long dorsal fin, forked tail, and relatively large scales. The mouth is toothless and sucker like, adapted to bottom feeding, and the upper jaw projects slightly past the lower one. The common carp has a single serrated spine at the front of the dorsal and anal fins and two pairs of fleshy barbels on either side of its mouth. Colouring ranges from gold to olive to brown, with a yellowish colouring on the lower sides and belly and a reddish tint to the lower fins. Each scale on the upper sides of the fish has a concentrated dark spot at its base and a conspicuous dark rim.

Common Carp Cyprinus carpio

Juveniles and breeding males are usually a darker green or grey with a dark belly, and females are lighter. Habitat. Common carp are incredibly hardy and flexible in their habitat preferences. Primarily bottom – dwelling fish, carp like quiet, shallow waters with a soft bottom and dense aquatic vegetation. Although they favour large turbid waters, they also thrive in small rivers and lakes. They can live in low – oxygen environments and can tolerate temperature fluctuations and extremes. In some northern waters where the fish are abundant and such terrain is lacking or offers no food, carp will cruise over shallow, rocky flats and shoals, browsing along the rubble bottom. Food. Omnivorous feeders, carp have predominantly vegetarian diets but will feed on aquatic insects, snails, crustaceans, annelids, and molluscs.

Carp Fishing Video

Aquatic plants and filamentous algae are the most popular food groups. They grub sediments from the bottom with their sucker like mouths, uprooting and destroying vegetation and muddying the water. Carp primarily spend their lives in small groups and are inclined to roam for food. Angling. Because carp primarily eat aquatic plants, and not other fish, they are less receptive than many other species to the most commonly practiced methods of fishing in North America. Nevertheless, they are strong fish and hearty battlers, capable of stretching a fishing line and testing the skills of most anglers. Getting a carp to take your offering can be a challenge, as they are not impulsive predators or ambush strikers.

For the most part, they are not chasers or stalk – and – attack hunters. They are unlikely to strike most lures, although they occasionally strike a slow – moving jig, and either a weighted or a dry fly. Spinning, spin-casting, fly-casting, and bait-casting tackle are all used to land carp, but spinning is probably the most functional method. In North America, carp have been caught on an assortment of bait, primarily dough-balls, corn, worms, processed baits, and commercially prepared baits, with and without chumming. Although they primarily feed on the bottom, carp also feed on or near the surface as well as at mid-levels. Fishing for carp is mostly a waiting game, but stealthy anglers can opt to take a more aggressive approach and hunt for them, stalking and casting to visible fish. the equipment list.