So, you want to go fishing for carp. Well, there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of success. First off, you need to know that carp can be quite suspicious fish. Very often they will take some bait, and then promptly spit it right back out. But, when they finally take what you have to offer, you will feel such excitement. That first hit usually takes place in a fraction of a second, and then you set the hook and reel away!

Carp love to eat up near the surface, just so long as the food keeps coming. So, what you want to do is have plenty of things like: bait pellets, biscuits, chic peas, bread, and re-hydrated corn on hand. All of these baits are very inexpensive, so a ready supply is easy to have around. Bread is the best thing of all to bait your hook with. If you want to use biscuits, it is best to soften them first. Just dip them in water for around two minutes, and then slip them in a zip-loc sandwich bag for about an hour. You want the biscuits firm enough so that they hold onto the hook when you cast. So, just do a little trial and error experimenting until you hit on the perfect “formula.”

After you toss some food in, let them get feeding so that they feel comfortable around the bait. Don’t rush things, once they are no longer so picky about what they eat, you will have more chances of getting a strike. If you use a zig rig, this is the perfect plan of attack. Once the carp are feeding, that is when you cast your line. But, be careful; do not drop your bait right on one of the carp as it is feeding. You will only scare them off. Instead, cast your line away from them, and then slowly pulling it into the feeding area. Also, be sure you still keep that free food coming. Almost as with sharks, it will get the carp into a bit of a “feeding frenzy” and increase your chances of a bite.

Now, then there is the matter of how to set things up. First, a hair rig is best to increase your chance of a catch. Also, using Spider Line, fifty pound test, and a leader material is good. With the leader, pick a material that fits your particular situation, they can vary. A float can help as it adds weight, which makes it easier to cast the line further, and it helps to identify the spot where the hook is.

As any good fisherman will tell you, how you present the bait to the fish is more important than what kind of bait you use. An excellent way to prepare the area is by pre-baiting. Visit the same spot every day for several days and feed the carp. Eventually, they will see that area as a ready source of food, and soon there will be great schools of fish swarming there.