# Grass carp basics



## mojo

So I think my summer project will be to finally check the grass carp off my species checklist. I target common carp fairly frequently and successfully but I've never even tried for a grass. I know of a pond stocked with them 2 years ago. It's about an acre in size and usually very weedy. I personally have not seen the carp in the pond so I'm not sure on the size of them, but I really just want to land one regardless of size. Anyone have some basic tips to start me off? Rigs, baits, chumming techniques? For the commons I usually just chum out a can of corn or some bread on the surface, and use really small hooks with a kernal or a glob of bread on them. I've never tried the hair rigs and the like. I know I should but I've just stuck with what I know.


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## PAYARA

If they were only introduced 2 years ago its not worth the 
effort...as they won't be any size.But find a place that has had
them for over 10-15yrs and you will likely be dealing with fish
going anywhere from 30-50+lb!


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## liquidsoap

From what I hear Grass Carp dont bite bait unless its a freak accident. Never even seen one in person before.


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## schwing343

Caught about 30 grass carp last year, I chummed the water with bread and waited till they were there, then I just put bread on a treble hook and casted it out, and waited. Biggest was about 30 pounds. Gonna try the hair rig for them this year. Treble hooks tear their mouths up pretty good. Fun as he** to catch.


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## MothAudio

You didn't mention what tackle you're using but I'll share my grass carp story. Have a friend with a nice pond a couple of hours away that has a few very large grass carp he put in. So before heading out I stopped by a fly shop and picked up a few grass carp fries. The looked like a surface diving fly with a deer hair tail. The head was lime green and the tail moss green on a large stinger hook. 

I waited for the fish to cruise into the shallow end and I casted ahead of it and waited [these were surface flies]. He came over slowly and sucked in the fly. I waited a couple of seconds and set the hook hard by ointing the rod straight at the fish and stripping the tight line hard with my left hand. Was using a 9' / 8 wt. Sage graphite III rod. Immediately the fish did a summersault out of the water. This fish was huge and headed straight for the deep end. My line went limp and when I stipped the fly back [using 20lb tippet] the stinger hook was straight! He bent that sucker like it was nothing. I'm guessing that fish was 25-30 lbs and I bet that was the 1st time he'd ever been stuck as this pond receives very little pressure. 

Haven't been out there in about 4 years. I had some custom grass carp flies made up but on a much stouter hook. I'd love to find some closer to Columbus.


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## Carpn

Chum with bread till you get em feeding on the surface. Once they are feeding take a piece of bagel and put it on a hook and cast it out where the fish are feeding.Not too close thouh cause you'll spook em.....I've found for surface fishing pieces of bagel work great cause they are tougher and stay on the hook better when casting. and the float good.


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## peple of the perch

do u have to get them in the area first before u try to throw out bread


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## schwing343

If u know they hang out in a certain area then u may not need to throw anything but ur bait, But it never hurts to chum. I was fishing for them last year right before sunset and i casted my bait and within 5 seconds i get one, couldnt even set my pole down, almost pulled it out of my hands.
good luck


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## tpet96

> From what I hear Grass Carp dont bite bait unless its a freak accident.


Sorry to tell you.......they do  Worked these guys on a loaf of bread. Finally took the hookbait after they devoured the rest of the loaf. LOL. This one was 35lbs


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## bimhoff07

I've always seen how people hold the carp in pictures, but what is the best way to handle them while taking the hook out? What is their mouth like?


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## Darwin

Dang tpet96, nothing like throwing a "life size" picture in a post to rub it in our face on a big fish! That is a nice one!!
I caught a few like that in college but they were caught in a sein  as we were doing a species check on a private pond.......Nice picture!


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## swantucky

I have caught them in my pond on a wax worm by mistake. If the pond you are fishing is full of weeds it is gonna be tough to get them to bite. They have kept my pond pretty weed free and I have seen them eating grass clipping that have fallen in. They are VERY spooky so approach them like you are stalking a deer.

When they get big they are not as effective in keeping the weeds down so I remove and replace with young ones every 3-5 years. I found that even when they are not in a feeding mode I can get them to "bite" on an aluminum arrow tipped with a thunderhead 125.lol 

If you want to try your luck on them in my pond mojo give me a holler...I think you have my #, if not pm me. I only have 4 in there but you should be able to get them....when it warms up a little bit more they will be crusing the topwater. Three of them are only around 18" but I left one big boy from the last batch in there that should be around 40" Randy


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## River Dweller20

Yeah, they're a blast to catch. They fight so hard. I've caught them a couple of times on nightcrawlers, once on a piece of vienna sausage, in my grandfathers pond and in my frineds pond they'll bite chicken liver on a floater. "Grass" carp my foot!


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## tpet96

BP...LOL...sorry about that pic. I didnt' realize that the forum doesn't resize pictures when you hotlink them from your own webspace. Once I posted it, I thought "I'm not going to resize that again". LOL.


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## tpet96

The best way to handle them....if you are fishing a smooth grassy patch without any rocks, just lie them in the grass gently and do not let them flop around any. The hooks will pull out just fine. If you don't have grass and only rocks, we use padded mats to prevent them from any damage. You definately don't want to hold them by the gills. Imagine trying to hoist a 20-30lb largemouth by the gills. You'd break them and cause damage to the fish. Same with a carp.


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## CarpFreak5328

What i normally do is a throw out a bunch of cat/dog food in the water along with some bread, and a few cans of sweet corn and wait for the grass carp to come up. Then i cast out over the area with sweet corn on the bottom. Normally only takes about a hour to get the first one. Just be ready when you see them disipear! I have caught up to 10 grass carp a day doing that.


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## schwing343

When do grass carp start biting? Always caught them during mid summer, wondering when they first start hitting.


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## tpet96

You will see them in extreme shallow water, on their sides, in early spring sunning themselves. They almost look like they are dead laying there sideways. Anytime after the waters start to hit 60, is a decent time to start looking.


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## PAYARA

We have caught them in Feb. at one lake and in late Dec
in another....But generally they really start going in the heat!
Its kind of wierd,as your larger commons will just about shut
down in the extreme heat of the day.And the grass carp will
be most active and feeding heavy!Though you can still catch
a rake of them at night too!


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## bigcfisher

i do not fish for grass carp. they are god for the water, they kill bacteria and bad plants and fish in the water. now all others, especially the common and bighead carp; they kill good water plants. i know people who put grass carp in their water to kill bacteria

i helped my buddy get in a 20+ carp at lake monroe, i almost fell in trying to net it


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## schwing343

caught two 30+ grass carp today, and a small one about 12 lbs. Had another one on, think it might have been a cat, it was tearing line out of my reel. Then the hook came out.


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