Carp is a type of freshwater fish. It is a term used for fish that are from the Cyprinidae Family. They originated from Asia and Europe and they can grow very big, up to 20 pounds.
Common carp species that are fished are Silver carp, Grass carp, Catla carp and Mud carp. If you’re new to carp fishing and thinking of taking it up as a sport this article will help you understand the basic fishing equipment required to get you started.
Although carp fishing is similar to many other types of fishing, there are some specific techniques and fishing accessories needed to increase your chances of catching one.
Essential Carp Fishing Tackle
Rods – There are various types of fishing rods, with the common ones being Composite, carbon fiber, or e-glass fishing rods. Carbon fishing rods should be avoided because they can easily break under the pressure of large carps. Suitable carp fishing rods should be between 10 feet and 14 feet. Longer fishing rods are good for fishing in dams, so that the rod is away from the wall of the dam. Shorter ones are best suited for fishing carp in rivers to avoid getting stuck in the trees. You should have one or two durable rods for carp fishing.
Bait – For bait you can use sweet corn and boilies. Corn is most commonly used because of the flavour, color and texture. Sweet corn from a can is better than straight from the cob. Boilies are prefered by others because they are not as messy as sweetcorn. Boilies are made from milk protein, eggs, and artificial flavours. The dough is boiled until it hardens. They have a longer shelf life and are versatile. Live bait such as maggots and worms can also be used.
Line – A strong line is needed preferably a braided line or strong monofilament of about 8-10 pounds. The line is used to bring the fish from out of the water.
Hook – It is important to select the right colour hook. Do not use shiny hooks in murky waters because the carp would notice it and stay away from it
Reel – The fishing reel is where you wind your fishing line from. The fishing line is laced along the fishing rod where it is controlled from the reel. For carp fishing, select reels with a ‘bait runner’ facility. These types keep the rods in place during a violent strike.
Rod Pods, Tripods and Banksticks – These are used to rest your rods on while waiting for the fish to bite. Bandsticks are perfect for soft banks. The Rod pods are more suited for concrete and rocky banks.
Nets – Use a landing net to land the carp safely and a keep net to contain the carp you have just caught.
Tackle box – A tackle box is necessary to keep all your supplies in such as hooks, weights and swivels. Use one that has separating compartments.
Rod bag – This is to place your rods, rod rests, and umbrella in.
Tackle bag – This is simply a backpack to place most of your supplies in so you can move around with ease.
Rigs – The most common type of rig used is known as a hair rig. It hangs from the hook and this is where the bait is placed.
A landing mat or unhooking mat – These are very important to have. They are needed when you have just caught the carp. Carp are very fragile fish and due to their huge size, they can easily injure themselves when they flop around on the banks.
Scale and Sling – The scale is used to weigh the carp so you know how nig it really was. The sling is used to place the fish in and it hangs from the scale.
Barrow – This is optional, but if you have a lot of fishing equipment it might help to put them in the barrow and transport them to the fishing bank.
Camera – Carry a camera to capture the carp that you have caught
Chair – Bring along a comfortable chair because waiting for the fish to get caught may take quite a while.
Scissors – These are essential for trimming or cutting the line.
Disgorger – This is used to safely remove the hook from the mouth of the fish.