Does anyone here target carp?

[Lando]

I call them poopfish. Most people hate them, but I love them. It all started the summer of '08 when gas prices were out of control, so I decided to stick closer to home. At first, they kicked my ass, but I spent hours upon hours chasing them. I gazed at Google Earth looking for new water, talked with anyone and everyone about where they might be, and finally started having success.



For me, it is the hunt. Finding a happy fish and then making them eat a fly without spooking the entire lot isn't an easy task. I found an old jon boat, did some mods, added a poling platform, and pretended I was in the Caribbean.








My most successful pattern is a simple leech. It has a glass bead with AZ Simiseal. It lands soft, it is easy to see, and carp suck it up everywhere. To add weight, I use a heavier hook. I think it allows me to control the depth I fish a lot easier.



If you want to learn how to spot fish, become a better caster, or work on presentation, carp are a great fish and a fun challenge. Besides, anyone can catch trout. Do you know the color of your backing?

 

[snow]

Yeah,during the spring run we bowfish here in mn,stream carp run smaller 5-10lbs lake carp we shoot reach 50+ lbs,largest so far boated is 85lbs grass carp 52"long with a 32" girth.they tear up our game fish spawning grounds.one day I plan on a road trip to illinois,goal is a 100lb big head carp on the detroit river. hook-n-line these critters fight well as you know,even when we shoot'em they fight well and will give ya rope burns when the biggins run unless you have the proper equipment .

north dakota has another trash fish like a carp I've seen some darn big "buffalo" fish both large mouth and small mouth.They spawn later than carp but same habitate.

 

[BP338]

With my bow...

 

[Riggen&Jiggen]

Lake Audubon and Sakakawea are full of carp. Plenty of shallow bays to target them in spring and summer. In middle of summer when water warms up good you can also find big schools feeding at the surface all over the lakes, not just in bays.

 

[SDMF]

I'd love to target them with a rimfire rifle, alas, the skippitty-doo-da gives me pause.

 

[Allen]

Audubon has by far the largest average European Carp I know of in the state.

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north dakota has another trash fish like a carp I've seen some darn big "buffalo" fish both large mouth and small mouth.They spawn later than carp but same habitate.

Whether one likes them, or not, at least the Buffalo are native to our waters. Unlike carp and smallies.

 

[snow]

quote:
Whether one likes them, or not, at least the Buffalo are native to our waters. Unlike carp and smallies.

interesting Allen donot know this,sak has some monster buffalo fish.seems smallies have taken over many fresh water lakes around the country and canada,very aggressive feeding fish.

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I'd love to target them with a rimfire rifle, alas, the skippitty-doo-da gives me pause.

seen plenty of vids of folks on the detroit river shooting silver carp as they jump when the boat crusies through an area stacked up with these carp,they just jump at random as the boat spooks them some make it in the boat,a few get tagged by bow,i'm thinking shotgun.

 

[SDMF]

seen plenty of vids of folks on the detroit river shooting silver carp as they jump when the boat crusies through an area stacked up with these carp,they just jump at random as the boat spooks them some make it in the boat,a few get tagged by bow,i'm thinking shotgun.

Shotgunning the jumpers is about the only option unless you change your name to Ad Topperwein or Tom Knapp. Anyone who's been on muskrat patrol during high-water/high-population years knows that rimfire bullets skip better than what a big-league side-armer could get out of even the flattest of rocks.

 

[Lando]

I wouldn't mind targeting buffalo-I have never seen one swim. I would like to figure out how to get some drum on a fly as well. We have some here, but I haven't spent any time pursuing them. Do you have those around as well?

 

[Fly Carpin]

I wouldn't mind targeting buffalo-I have never seen one swim. I would like to figure out how to get some drum on a fly as well. We have some here, but I haven't spent any time pursuing them. Do you have those around as well?

Fish drum like you would smallies. Minnow and crayfish patterns. Buffalo are a very cool, very long lived native fish, and harder than a carp to get to eat a fly. If carp are freshwater bonefish, smallmouth buffalo are freshwater permit as far as difficulty to coerce into eating a fly.

 

[guywhofishes]

I've only seen buffalo a few times - along the shoreline in McKenzie bay on rare clear water days back in the 80s.

They were big bastards and they'd go ghosting along in packs of 7 or so right along the steeper shore banks - 4-5 ft down and moving right along. Just barely visible - like you were watching a mirage. I hunted carp pretty seriously back then and thought "holy cow what a challenging fish to bowhunt". I never had my gear along at the time.

Can't imagine successfully targeting that sort of behavior with a fly rod - but it'd be interesting to find them doing that and just randomly cast along the shoreline with proper fly fishing streamers or what have you (I have no idea how fly fishing works).

 

[Fly Carpin]

Randomly casting gets you nowhere. Need to hunt down actively feeding fish, put a stalk on them, and cast the fly close enough that they see it but not so close that it spooks them. And holy crap buffalo are spooky.

 

[JayKay]

Lots and lots of "regular" carp in and around Bismarck, on the Missouri. I routinely see them when wading. Also, directly south of I-94, on the west shore, is a bay that we used to call Diaper Bay. During low water, you can't get in with a boat. You'd have to walk. But if you DO get in, there are lots and lots of carp in shallow warm water. would be a hoot to fly-fish in there. As a teen, we used to chase and sometimes catch them, in very shallow water by hand, in the cattails.

I seriously need to learn to fly-fish. That diaper bay is often protected from the wind, by the trees and elevated highway. It's warm and shallow. Would be a great place to spot and stalk.

Pete, what's a guy gotta spend on a starter set, for hunting carp around here?

 

[Iwhackwheat]

https://youtu.be/Bmv89JypBME
Good info on Buffalo.

 

[fly2cast]

I've tried fly fishing for carp a few times with a float tube. I had a number of them on but never landed them. They broke the line every time. They took a scud looking fly pretty easy. I used to fly fish quite a bit but haven't for awhile.

 

[Fly Carpin]

Lots and lots of "regular" carp in and around Bismarck, on the Missouri. I routinely see them when wading. Also, directly south of I-94, on the west shore, is a bay that we used to call Diaper Bay. During low water, you can't get in with a boat. You'd have to walk. But if you DO get in, there are lots and lots of carp in shallow warm water. would be a hoot to fly-fish in there. As a teen, we used to chase and sometimes catch them, in very shallow water by hand, in the cattails.

I seriously need to learn to fly-fish. That diaper bay is often protected from the wind, by the trees and elevated highway. It's warm and shallow. Would be a great place to spot and stalk.

Pete, what's a guy gotta spend on a starter set, for hunting carp around here?

Diaper Bay. That name makes me laugh every time.

Rod - $100-$1200. 6-8 weight. Sky's the limit. Casts are short if you're doing it right, no need to spend big money on a super lightweight fast action rod. I've switched to an 8 weight custom glass rod for carping. It's a blast.

Reel - $75-$450. Large arbor, lots of backing capacity, good drag system. I have a few saltwater setups with spare spools that pull double duty as carp reels.

Line - $35-$110. any general purpose line to match your rod weight. Again, if you sneak up close like you should, the line plays a very small role.

Leaders/tippet - $15-$50. 9 foot, 0x to 3x mono leader with corresponding size of flouro tippet material. Go as high quality as your wallet allows. This is the crucial connection. For big fish like on Audubon and the canals, I switched to a bimini twist leader/tippet connection.

I'm planning a trip back home this summer. We should make Dane trolling motor us around while we chase ol' rubberlips

 

[Lando]

Buffalo are a very cool, very long lived native fish, and harder than a carp to get to eat a fly. If carp are freshwater bonefish, smallmouth buffalo are freshwater permit as far as difficulty to coerce into eating a fly.





........I'm planning a trip back home this summer. We should make Dane trolling motor us around while we chase ol' rubberlip

That's what I've heard. I have a buddy in MT that is starting to get them figured out, so now I want to play as well.

Say when.......I have boat, willing to travel.

For rods-make sure it has a fighting butt. I usually run about 6' straight 12 lb floro for a leader.

 

[SDMF]

I seriously need to learn to fly-fish. That diaper bay is often protected from the wind, by the trees and elevated highway. It's warm and shallow. Would be a great place to spot and stalk.

Should be some Gar and panfish in there too. Marina Bay was full of gar the last time I was in there (about 10yrs ago).

 

[raider]

g&s marina up at last mountain lake in sask have guided carp packages in baited spots - didn't know it was a thing b4 i went up there... course that's a soaking bait deal so not really relevant here...

by the looks of their website they catch some bigguns...

 

[Mr. Stevenson]

This is a good thread. Per your queries I recommend you head directly to Audubon. Carry two rods as pike, carp and smallmouth (nice freakin smallmouth) will likely be in front of you at all times. Don't be surprised by a walleye or two.