By Koaw - June, 2021
I’ve been a multispecies angler for 30+ years. This was my first attempt at purposefully targeting species of carp. Though it’s not as if I went into this fishing adventure without any knowledge of carp fishing. I’ve talked with carp fishers before and made myself quite familiar with many of the strategies for catching these strong aquatic beasts. The video shares the story. I’ll fill in some details below, like the gear I bought to make the rigs and the bait mixtures used.
BAIT BATCH #1
The FAILED bait batch.
As important as it is to know what bait batch worked, it’s also important to know which one didn’t work. The following mixture did not seem to attract any of the three species of carp in the lake (common carp, grass carp, or the koi.)
CANNED SWEET CORN - NET WT. 30 OZ.
GARLIC FLAVORED CRUTONS (CRUSHES) - NET WT. 18 OZ.
JELL-O POWDER MIX (STRAWBERRY) - NET WT. 6 OZ.
CORN MEAL - NET WT. 8 OZ.
Below you’ll find the bait batch that did work.
TOOLS/TACKLE FOR THE HAIR RIG & METHOD FEEDER
These are items I researched beforehand and purchased off Amazon. (Each item lived up to expectations!) If you click on a link a end up buying a product, a small commission may go towards Koaw Nature (KNFS). I thank you for your support.
BAIT BATCH #2
This worked on both the days I tested it!
Image of the exact ingredients used in ‘Bait Batch #2’.
Of the three species of carp in this lake, the common carp and the koi (amur carp) were munching on the bait. No grass carp appeared on the underwater footage. This mixture caught two nice adult specimens of common carp.
CANNED SWEET CORN - NET WT. 15 OZ.
JELL-O POWDER MIX (RASPBERRY) - NET WT. 6 OZ.
CORN MEAL - NET WT. 8 OZ.
GARLIC POWDER - NET. WT 1 OZ
CLASSIC STUFFING, HERB SEASONED - NET WT. 12 OZ
These ingredients were mixed together. I first drained the sweet corn juice out, then adding that juice at the end to get the right texture of not too wet and not too dry. You may have to adjust your ingredients (wetness/dryness) so the bait stays on the method lead when casting. I will be adding a syrup for the next time I do this to help give the bait more stickiness when casting.
OTHER GEAR I USED
Keep in mind this is not specifically carp gear; it’s my musky/bass/pike/walleye gear.
The tandem of the St. Croix rod + Shimano reel is my go-to favorite combo because of the versatility it allows; small fish are still fun to play and the combo handles big ol’ lunkers like a charm. St. Croix rods tend to run a bit stiffer than most other brands, so keep that in mind if your looking to get one. Also note the 201 is a left-handed reel so if you’re a righty then get one of the 200; it’s the same series.
LINE I USED
PowerPro currently spools reels most always because it hasn’t failed me. It’s a bit pricier than most other brands but quality fishing line is one area where I don’t buy cheap. I used 50 lb PowerPro Spectra braided for the leaders; then the Abu Garcia is usually spooled with 50 to 60 lb PowerPro Spectra and the Shimano usually has 20 to 30 lb PowerPro Spectra.
