Spring Carp offer anglers a chance numbers of fish weighting in the double digits. Simple hook, line and sinker tactics produce big carp–although not just any setup will do. The right line, hooks and baits fool wary carp into biting. Then hang on tight!
Spring Carp Tactics
The set up for spring carp fishing is pretty simple.
1/0 VMC octopus hook with about a foot and a half of thirty pound Sufix 832 camo braid as a leader. Then the leader is attached to a barrel swivel, and then I have a bead and then an once and a half slip weight. We also use Sufix 832 30 lb braid as our main line. The braid helps cut through the weeds.
When carp fishing you are better off using a heavier weight, because the carp will often hook themselves when they take the bait. If you were to use a little weight there is a good chance the carp would feel the weight and drop your bait without getting hooked.
Like most fish in the spring, carp move into the warm waters of the shallows to feed and spawn.
That is where we are targeting them today. We are using crawlers and because we are fishing a muddy bottom we are putting a little bit of air in our crawlers to keep them up and out of the mud. It makes it easier for the carp to find our bait. Other good carp baits include corn, oatmeal, and other varieties of dough ball baits.
When fishing in this shallow water being still and keeping your noise down is key. Carp are a very wary fish and if you are making a lot of nose it can often spook them.
Utilize these spring carp tactics to land some of these hard fighting fish after ice out!