CARP RIGS

[hcfliesandjigs 0]

Ok so still relatively new to fly fishing. I have tied a few flies have lots of how to books and watched hundreds of videos online. I don't have very close access to trout so I generally spend most of my time fishing for bass or pan fish in small ponds or old mining pits. I do however live just a few hundred yards from a local lake spillway that is just stocked stupid full of very big carp. Fishing primarily bluegills I only have a 5 wt and 3 wt. What type of gear do you suggest I invest in to catch these carp. There are some very big ones in there pushing 30 lbs or more I would say. The spill way is constantly pumped and the current is very strong. So what do you guys suggest be the outfit to take?

[atxdiscgolfer 0]

At least a 7 weight rod if the fish are in the 20-30 lb range

[mikechell 0]

Put some 10 pound mono on one of your 5 weights, try fishing for some carp. If you hook a big one and it gets away, then go spend the money on a heavier set-up. If you decide that carp fishing isn't for you, then stick to sunnies and bass.

 

I think your 5 will do just fine, since carp flies are generally smaller than you'd throw for bass or pike. Carp are very wary fish and fly fishing for them is a finesse art, maybe even more so than trout. You can't slap a large fly on the water near one like you can with bass ... they'll spook off that spot for several minutes to hours.

 

Good luck in chasing them, and I hope you catch one large enough to take ATX's advice to buy a larger outfit.

[FlyFishin'Jam 0]

True, for fish up to 20 - 30lb in you say 'fast water' a 5wt is going to be a bad idea, sure u can cast a carp bug but if u hook a brute in quick water then your backing is going to disappear pretty quickly and you might not be able to turn it. Might need to put some heat on them with a 7 or 8wt, nice size reel with good backing capacity and decent drag. I find carp an excellent challenge on the fly, they are hard to get to take a presentation and fight pretty damn well!

[hcfliesandjigs 0]

Ok I was thinking that I was going to need something heavier. There really are some big fish in there and was just wondering how big I should go. What kind of reel would you suggest?

[schaef 0]

The last 2 years I started fishing for carp pretty seriously. I started out using my 9' 8wt but then switched to my 10' 7wt steelhead setup and had a much better hookup and landing ratio. If you are serious about getting a new setup for carp I highly recommend going with a longer rod. You can apply more leverage and still have the shock absorption to protect light tippet. You’ll also want a reel with good drag system that has very smooth start up. For reference my setup is a 10' 7wt TFO BVK with a Lamson Guru 3.5 reel (my wife is awesome!). It's not a cheap setup but man does it perform, absolutely love it.

 

I fish a lot of clear rivers and streams for carp so I use 6lb flouro for tippet on a 12’ leader. These fish spook easily so the name of the game is stealth. You need to sneak into a casting position and deliver a soft accurate cast because you may only get one shot. Once you hook up its like trying to stop a dump truck, they don’t have blazing speed but they do have power and endurance. You need to apply side pressure and constantly change the side you’re pulling from to wear them down. If you play a big one like a bass it’s going to take all week to bring it in.

 

Happy hunting!

[Piker20 0]

Schaef mentions it, to stand a good chance of landing lots of big carp consistently you need a rod you can really lean into when you need it but won't pull the hook out of the soft mouth. Plunging your rod tip below the water can often bring a carp up top and avoid those snags they will head straight for. Use a mono you trust, simple knots you trust and have the balls to clamp everything tight and hold on if needed, surprising how many times that brute will turn and come to you.

[Goats 0]

If trying to keep it cheap, get the 7 weight rod for the fight, put your 5 weight reel on it and up your leader strength. You can fight a large carp on a 5 but it will take an hour to land it, and as some have mentioned, you may not be able to turn the fish if it goes on a run.

[troutguy 0]

I fish a 7WT old Fenwick fiberglass 9ft with Camo Clear Cortland sinking clear line. Tie yellow egg pattern flies. Go below the dam in in faster water above a pool. Take frozen corn and throw out to get the carp in the riffles and fish the yellow hatch.

[hcfliesandjigs 0]

OK thanks for so much great information guys, I will probably have to get at least a better reel for my 7 wt now. I am using a cheap $100 start fly fishing today outfit. The spot I am thinking of is a relatively small pool with a big spillway run off at the mouth of it and all the carp seem to just swim up to the mouth in big groups and wait for stuff to come to them. So I wont really be playing the spot and stalk game that others do with these carp. Also the water is coffee stained nasty, if you can see 6 inches down it would surprise me. But I will definitely use a 7 wt and get a little bit nicer reel and see what happens this spring, or as soon as the temperatures get above freezing and I can fish for a little longer than 30 minutes and still have feeling in my hands Once again thanks so much for your replies this site is an amazing spot for beginners and a whole lotta information for everyone wanting to get started.

[JSzymczyk 0]

Just learn to use the reel you have--- I have caught 20 pound carp in rivers on my 7 wt and not one has shown me the backing. Put whatever drag it has on just enough to stop an over-run, and use your hand on the spool. Fight the fish. For cryin out loud, the saltwater pioneers used Pfleuger Medalists to catch giant stripers, redfish, tarpon, and everything else. Now, thanks to MARKETING far above SKILL, any reel which doesn't have brakes fit to stop a train with zero "start up" friction is not fit to catch pumpkinseeds. There isn't a carp alive that will melt your drag. People make WAY too much of using fly tackle for carp. Use what you have- and have fun with it.

 

 

PS I find it interesting how many fly fishermen consider the "take" to be the pinnacle of trout fishing- to the point that some folks actually use flies with the hooks cut, yet when it comes to CARP it is all about what is "needed" to land them.... Just a thought. Me, I want the fish, whatever it is, in my hand.

[utyer 0]

Lamson reels have a very good drag system, and they use it in ALL their reels. The Konic is the least expensive, and has the same drag as the more expensive models. That would be my (and is,) choice for a reel. I have a Radius 3.5, and a smaller Konic.

 

I don't fish for carp, but I have had no problem landing 20 to 30# fish on an 8 weight, and the Lamson Radius.

 

I am not a fan of "undergunning" with my rods. I would rather have a setup that is slightly too heavy that too light. I want to be able to handle and release the fish quickly. Since I already have an 8 weight setup, that is what I would use if I ever did start tying to catch carp.

[TheCream 0]

My current carp stick is a 9'6" 7wt, but I'll be replacing that old (and repaired) rod this winter with a 9' 7wt. The reel on my setup will stay the same, an Orvis Access mid arbor reel. It's handled fish to 34".

[Piker20 0]

I find it interesting how many fly fishermen consider the "take" to be the pinnacle of trout fishing- to the point that some folks actually use flies with the hooks cut, yet when it comes to CARP it is all about what is "needed" to land them.... Just a thought. Me, I want the fish, whatever it is, in my hand.

 

I guess that if a trout is only going to be 8inch max, knowing you fooled it is enough without seeing it. When the fish is pulling back hard the skill is in the landing it.

For me, I'm with you, a fish in the hand is worth two in the water.

[TheCream 0]

I find it interesting how many fly fishermen consider the "take" to be the pinnacle of trout fishing- to the point that some folks actually use flies with the hooks cut, yet when it comes to CARP it is all about what is "needed" to land them.... Just a thought. Me, I want the fish, whatever it is, in my hand.

 

I guess that if a trout is only going to be 8inch max, knowing you fooled it is enough without seeing it. When the fish is pulling back hard the skill is in the landing it.

For me, I'm with you, a fish in the hand is worth two in the water.

 

In my humble opinion, hooking a carp (without some sort of chum situation) is harder than fooling a trout any day of the week and twice on Sunday.