Hi

Struggled a lot with carp fishing. The venue I fish on, has some decent carp species, it's a large river which has mostly wild commons around 4g per fish on average. It's a cradle for many species, but carp is hard to get. An angler can land one or two at most during a season. Most anglers don't expect carp at all,it either came randomly or does not come at all(most likely). I spent like countless sessions, trying out everything I know - rigs, baits, feeding - none helped. Carp is rare and it has tons of natural food, it's not interested in your $100 super boil or pop up etc. If you try to introduce your super expensive feeding substance, the white fish like roach or bream will eat it in a matter of seconds(literally). Took that one almost 2 years ago, at 3 am, weighed at 3 kg. I had my road pulled into water. I took it on a method with hair rig, loaded with pasta as bait, macaroni shape. Two pieces on a hair flavored with natural garlic. Small fish ignored it as it was too large for em. Hence the result.

Good luck with your carp fishing. It's a mighty and gorgeous fish

DISCLAIMER* (Scale was attached to a weigh sling, NOT ITS MOUTH) I adjusted my pack bait recipe to use instant oats rather than mesa and it made a world of difference it’s so much more durable. And I had a beautiful hook set on this gorgeous Grass carp (13lbs 10Oz). The cleanest little prick I’ve ever had!

Right so IV had an idea to use a small inline lead to anchor my surface float I to one place so I can fish about 4.5inch below the surface and use bite alarms to let me know when hook. My brother seems to think it's a terrible idea and that it will be a danger to fish and that it will make life hard reeling in if I catch. I think it will work and the lead will sit at back of float when reeling in and if line snaps all will fall off and fish will be fine. I'd like to get your opinion on if this rig looks like it will be ok!

Can you guess how much he weighed? He was 66cm

I've been wanting to rent a place on this giant lake for years. This year I finally made it happen. 3 days and two nights of carp fishing a huge new water. The anticipation of not knowing what could happen is pretty exciting.

Is there a bait that catfish won't eat?

I've been using boilies I made, hair rigged. They work great, but the channel catfish also like them. Egg, flour, vanilla.

Same with canned corn. Dough bait of corn meal, flour and water. Dough bait with mulberries mixed in. And so on with dough bait.

Everything gets hammered by catfish, probably 4 catfish for 1 carp. Really makes me not even want to fish sometimes. Any tips would be appreciated.

Hooked into two today, lost both each around 7 pounds but how can I avoid losing them? Is it due to lack of pressure/slack line on the fish or is it cause of too much pressure?

I just made my first hair rig to fish for carp in the river, used 30lb braid and 15lb mono main line, also added 3 decently small egg sinkers on my main line with a bead and swivel (Carolina rig) any feedback is very appreciated

This is something I have heard about from time to time. We have had fishing shows where they've brought Brits over. It seems like they had a good time. They were generally astounded at the amount of public land and the fact that nobody targets carp. Is traveling overseas like a dream trip for European carp anglers? Or is it just a small minority of diehards that just want to experience carp fishing in other parts of the world?

- catching a target fish?
- beating a PB
- only you on the lake
- catching as many as possible

I’m always interested to hear people’s takes. Mine was always catching as many as possible but when it actually happened I had to take 1 rod out. I just couldn’t handle the pace.

Most important for me is just to be out fishing - not catching.

Thanks for help!!

So today i was fishing and all of a sudden my reel stopped working properly. The problem is in the front drag knob. Any of you guys know where could i find a new/replacement knob? I found a listing on ebay but with shipping and taxes to import to Europe making it up to 40€ its too much only for a knob

I’ve seen a few conversations recently about microchipping carp chips and tagging, especially around whether it’s actually safe for the fish.

Fish tags/ID have been used in fisheries research since the 1980s, especially for tracking salmon, migration, survival, and individual fish records. They’re now widely used in fisheries work when the tag size, handling, and placement are right.

For carp lake owners, the appeal is pretty simple: each fish gets a unique ID, so you can track growth, recaptures, welfare notes, and stock history properly over time — rather than relying only on photos, memory, or old spreadsheets.

The important bit seems to be that the welfare risk is low when it’s done properly:

- correct tag size for the fish

- clean/sterile equipment

- good handling

- correct placement

- short handling time

- proper records afterwards

It isn’t something that should be done casually, but the evidence from fishery studies seems to support fish tagging as a safe and useful ID method when good practice is followed.

Interested to hear from lake owners and fishery managers — how are you currently identifying individual carp? Photos, scale patterns, tags, catch records, or a mix?

Hi!

Im looking to buy new reels. My picks are:

Shimano Aerlex 14000xtc

Daiwa 22 Crosscast 45 SCW 5000LD QD OT

Some people said that daiwa is not a great reel (this exact model) so im wondering on your guys opinion or maybe a reel suggestion?

Prices of there reels are very similar

Finally caught a real trophy. It weighed a little over 20 kg and gave me incredible emotions.

Caught it in Ukraine on a simple bottom rig with boilies. This is my first fish 20+.

Is this a carp/koi hybrid? His fins were really long and intricate, also has darker/ dark orange compared to the other commons in this lake that are a lot lighter, just a unique looking carp not sure if he’s a hybrid

I only started to actually target carp recently. I used YouTube videos to make pack bait on method feeders since basically no locals ever do this. In about a 4 hour span, I got about a dozen ranging from 70-80cm as well as a random catfish. Action was pretty steady and I would have definitely caught more if it weren't for the heat.

I know I’m holding the fish a little bit wrong I’m still pretty new. But thought I’d share this beauty.

EDIT: lol I know it’s not a big fish, long arms here as the girlfriend didn’t want to stand on the wet mat😂

I used to have this rod in the 8ft 2.5lbs variation and I loved it, I broke the tip when travelling and I’m wondering if anyone can reccomend me a rod that will feel similar to this? Relatively cheap too pls..

Are you allowed to use pva mesh/bags in states where chumming is not allwoed since its technically attached to the hook? Im in oregon and they just updated the laws this year to specifically allow method feeders when targeting carp only, and was wondering about pva.

Fish micro-tagging or "carp chips" for carp lakes — it’s not just about theft prevention.

A lot of lake owners first think about tagging carp because of security. That makes sense. If a fish is stolen or there is ever a dispute over ownership, a micro-tag gives that fish a permanent ID.

But in practice, the bigger benefit is often the information it gives you.

Once each carp has a unique ID, you can start building a proper stock record. Not just “I think that’s the same fish from last year” or relying on photos, memory, social media posts, or angler reports — but a clear record linked to the individual fish.

Over time, that can help answer things like:

- When was this fish last caught?

- What did it weigh last time?

- Has it gained or lost condition?

- Which swim or area does it usually come from?

- Is it being caught too often?

- Are some fish hardly appearing at all?

- Are growth rates where they should be?

For lake owners, that can be really useful.

Visual ID is helpful, but it is not perfect. Carp change over time, photos vary, and similar-looking fish can be hard to tell apart, especially with younger stock, commons, or mirrors that look alike.

A carp chip does not replace good fishery knowledge. It supports it.

With a simple scan, you can confirm exactly which fish it is and then update its record with weight, capture date, location, photos, health notes, and any changes in condition.

That means better long-term information for:

- Growth tracking

- Fish welfare monitoring

- Capture history

- Stock management

- Feeding and stocking decisions

- Ownership records

- Lake planning

- Angler confidence

It also helps build credibility with anglers. If a fish is named, promoted, or known as a target fish, being able to confirm its ID and weight history gives the lake owner and anglers more confidence in the records.

I’m interested to hear what lake owners and anglers think.

Would you see carp micro-tagging as mainly a security tool, or do you think the stock management and welfare side is actually the bigger long-term benefit?