My First Euro-Style Carp

Comment

Comment by Andre Sturkey on May 4, 2011 at 7:14pm

That is a very ugly bluegill !! LOL  Cool Catch Buddy!

Comment by Jim Gronaw on May 4, 2011 at 6:50pm

I am quite the rookie on carp...just getting into it, actually. I have several places where thirty-pounders are close to home, so I thought it would be cool and challenging to catch one that big. My son got a 24 lber on a jig when he was about 13 and I got a 25 from a local ponds about ten years ago. Looks like fun but there is much to learn from the boys across the pond!

Comment by Jon McLean on May 3, 2011 at 7:58pm

I want to hear more, Jim.  I got crazy about euro carp fishing.  I have in line rigs and helicopter rigs, korda rigs, everything.  I boiled particle bait.  I tie my own hair rigs and make my own boilies...or I should say I used to tie my own hair rigs and make my own boilies.  I tried and tried, but nathan shakin'.  I never caught a carp on a boilie.  I learned to catch carp on just plain ol' sweet corn, but I would love to have the hair rig/boilie method work.  I just figure our carp don't know nothing about boilies like they do in the UK.

Comment by Jim Gronaw on May 3, 2011 at 7:15pm

'Euro' is the manner/tactics that I used to catch the fish...hair-rig and boilie. Most carp I have caught while fishing for panfish or bass. This one is only about 14 pounds. Twenty to twenty-fives are common catches at Marburg, and the local carp anglers there are always in quest of thirty-pound plus fish.

Comment by Jon McLean on May 3, 2011 at 4:27pm

That's a common.  Do you call it a Euro-caught carp because you use a hair rig and boilie?  I have caught many many commons, but I have never caught anything but cats on a hair rig and boilie.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on May 3, 2011 at 2:56pm

I always like to remind folks that carp were brought to this country in the late 1800's. They were initially seen as a food source. That is one heck of a nice fish.

Comment by clint johnson on May 3, 2011 at 2:47pm

Bet that was fun to catch. We have a few carp around NW fla,I have never caught one.we use them to help control grass problems in ponds

Comment by Jim Gronaw on May 3, 2011 at 5:37am

I was actually the student of Mr Bob and used his gear...12 ft  rod at 2 lb test curve, pack-bait sinker with artificial boilie on a hair rig. He uses the electronic bite idicators and all. He is an expert.

Actually, Tim, we have many lakes in our region that have populations of big carp that are very well in ballance and do not interfear with other gamefish like bass, walleye, and panfish specie. Every lake is different, but our best bass lakes in the region have huge carp populations...no problems!

Comment by Tim Overbaugh on May 2, 2011 at 8:07pm

Definitely a healthy one with nice colors. Not to happy about what they do to lakes but they sure are fun to catch.
What type of Euro- caught technique did you use to catch that one Jim?

Comment by Greg McWilliams on May 2, 2011 at 7:53pm

Jim, These great fighters ( try one on  a fly rod) . Friend of mine in the fly club sets up carp tournements all over the USA he is going to love this picture!!!!!