Carp fishing is probably like nothing you've ever fished for and it is definitely a learning process! I'm constantly learning new methods,etc! Dont give up on it...try fishing in a different part of the lake or trying various baits/ rigs till you hone in on a productive combo for your situation.
Carp on a fly is ever growing sport and I believe it could be possibly the most exciting carping available! unfortunately its not possible on every body of water...I don't personally have much experience in this are but there is alot of good info on the web regarding this. You ay also want to check out each monthly issue of www.uscarppromagazine.com There is an article in every issue called "fluff chucking" and its specific to carp on flys...the rest of the mag is also great reads! Keep at it!

Well I went out on Sunday and Monday. I tried my boilies. NO luck. I saw about 1,000 fish no joke. No takers. I'm thinking I might want to break out the bass fishing flyrod on these guys. I see them mouthing at the top all the time but, those fish seem to be feeding its in large groups and seems to be some social type of behavior. While i was hanging out with the carps though I did see fish that seemed alittle more turned on. They were striking at the surface like bluegill. These didnt jump and play they would bum rush the surface quickly pick something of the surface roll and shoot straight back down and out of sight. This seemed more like feeding to me than anything else I had seen them do all day. Here's the million dollar Question are they eating bugs or organic material the strike is so quick you cant tell what it was after. I am going to check out the fly fishing section of the site and see what kind of offerings I can tie up and I'll let you know how it goes next trip out. Did some musky fishing also on sunday and monday drew two follows I couldnt get either to eat. Thats how it goes sometimes/most times. Your either HERO or zero.
Later
Muskyslime

Hello fellas, I am by no means new to fishing but I was incorrectly raised to beleive that carp were some kind of trash fish not worthy of a sportsmans time and effort. However last year while picking off some hybrid striped bass in the fall I witnessed several carp actively feeding on a school of 1" or so long gizzard shad. I could not believe it! These fish arn't supposed to be chasing bait there supposed to be mucking about distracting me with their splashes. So I continue to cast for my hybrids which were a school of fish all the same size around 1lb or so with my 8' microlite rod and a very small mitchell spinning reel thankfully loaded with some fireline. I spotted one of these agressive carp slowly cruising around the outer edge of the bait ball so I figure what the heck lets see if this fat sucker will bite. So I case my little suspending crystal rapala glass minnow past and well in front of the fish I reel it in closer to her adding in a twitch or to and then I see her spot it. I responded by picking up the pace a little as it was passing infront of and then passing her the fish watching and turning slowly then I paused and that carp clobbered it. I thought holy smokes what have I done now! After a amazing 25 minute battle over and around wooded cover and moments where I was forced to palm the spool to try and carefully keep the fish from stripping off every inch of line from my mitchell. Forearms cramping and on fire I finally landed a 11.5 lb carp that was nothing short of being the Ivan"The Ironman"Stewart of fish. I was so proud of myself, my equipment and amazed by this fish you would have thought I just landed a 50" muskie or broken some world record. I have been hooked on the memory of that fish ever since. I have questions but unfortunatly have let my story take to long and will have to stop here. Thanks for listening to my story and based on the content I have seen from those involved with this site I'm sure I have found the resource I need for future success.
Muskyslime

Welcome muskyslime, Thats a great story and congrats on a nice fish on microlite gear! Surprisingly enough, my love of carp fishing began in a simlar way...

I was a die hard bass fisherman, and was also taught those myths and lies about carp ever since I was a kid.

I was down at my favorite local lake fishing a shallow, weedy, cove. I was pitching a 7" shad colored culprit worm texas rigged. I pulled a couple 2-3 lb. bass off a nearby treestump, the third time I set the hook into a brickwall...my line began to peel off my shimano bantam at a rate never before seen. After a good 20-30 min battle I was shocked to see a 18lb carp! After that, my outlook on carp had forever changed!

Carp have gotten a bad rap for a long time, and here we like to help alieviate some of the myths and promote conservation of carp.

Thanks for sharing your story, and please feel free to ask any questions you might have.

Thanks for the response CH420. I have a question for you, but first some qualifying info. The lake I’m fishing is a hill-land reservoir in southern Ohio. Common carp are found all over it but I have found the greatest concentrations of them in the northern pool area in 2 shallow bays with a lake bed that is sandy to mud with small amounts of grass type vegetation on the outer most edge and only milfoil on out. Water temps are ranging in the mid 60’s and up to this point the fish have been very visible however completely unresponsive to any offerings. I believe they are spawning which I have assumed is why the fishing has been poor. I have however noticed this past weekend a few smaller schools of carp at the mouths of these bays near open water slurping at the surface. Is this a sign of the beginning of the post spawn period? Also for future reference most fish determine the beginning of the spawn period by the amount of light they get every day and water temps. Are there known statistics regarding water temp in particular to help judge this period? Based on your past experience during the post-spawn to summer periods do you find it is most productive to fish the shallow flats themselves where the fish can be seen or the deeper shelf just outside? I’m sure trial will tell but.
I have one last topic. I have learned the correct rigging techniques from your website and have purchased some bollies 2 flavors honey and the other banana-big fish. Are these types of baits productive “stand alone” or must I do some type of socializing of the fish to these baits? chumming or other? If so how?

I look forward to hearing your insights and talking with you again. Thanks! Muskyslime

You are on the right track already! Being observant and paying attention to detail is key to scouting out a good carp water. IE: bottom composition, vegetation, etc. You are probably correct in regards to the spawn. When they are spawning they have only one thing on their mind, and will blatently ignore most offerings and baits during this period. I don't know exactly what the criteria is to trigger the spawn, but obviously temp is a huge factor. It's usually quite obvious when carp are spawning as they will individually, or in pairs cruise the shallows and shorelines splashing and rolling as they prepare. Typically spawn occurs around April in N. Illinois. When carp slurp at the surface, they are feeding on food source of whatever kind...insects, seeds, etc. Carp can be very finicky or very gluttonous depending on their mood. In early spring I would suggest only light baiting and smaller hookbaits. As the temps rise and the fish's metabolism increases, then more aggressive baiting and larger baits could be used. I would suggest starting in one of the shallow bay areas where you've seen fish group. Each water is different and thus trial and error will tell, but I' ve fished waters where the carp were seen grouped and cruising, but impossible to catch fish in those spots. Where the carp group isnt always where they feed, but definitely a good place to start...just something to think about. I believe barometric pressures and temps have a large effect on where the fish will be(shallow or deep. cover or open water) You will get the feel for what works best for you and when. In regards to baits, there are 2 basic types. 1) Short term(corn, maize, worms, etc.) these baits offer instant attraction qualities and are the best choice for fishing new waters. 2) Long term(boilies, etc.) These baits sometimes require a bit of training the carp to accept them. If you have a fairly clean bottom, bottom baits could be the best bet, but if you have debris or weeds on the bottom, a popup(floating bait)fished just above the weeds may be the best bet. A small piece of yellow foam cut into a corn shape along with 1-2 kernals of corn is a quick way to make a boyant or semi-boyant popup. Size 8 hook is a good starting point. Here is a couple links on prebaiting www.carp-usa.info/carp-fishing-forum/30-...r/98-prebaiting.html
www.carp-usa.info/carp-fishing-forum/30-...ebaiting-part-2.html
Here is a cool article on understanding carp www.carp-usa.info/carp-fishing-forum/36-...erstanding-carp.html
There are also some very good video tutorials in the video section.
I hope I covered all your questions...I'm sure theres something I forgot, lol...If so, just let me know.

Thanks for the response! Great info from you and those articles. I read all 3 of them and I think I'll need to learn to make my own boillies if im going to prebait like that.Premaids are out of the question for sure I'd have to cut into my stash to afford that. I'm getting pretty pumped though. I'm going to start with corn on my next trip and I think i'll graduate to boillies once I learn how to make those efficiantly. No time to be wasteful you know. Hey thanks again 420 you have already been very willing and helpful not just to me, but practically everyone who has posted on this site has benefited from your experience. Thank you! Youre not to far from me in Cincinnati. Once I get these fish sorted I'd be glad to share the boat with you or if you'd rather we could chase some Ohio/Kentucky muskies.
Later
Muskyslime
I'll keep you posted on my progress.

No problem Musky, glad to have you here! If you need anything, just let me know and let me know how it goes for you. Practice your hair rig and check out the Matt Hayes and Alexander Niclojavitch videos in particular are very good info. Click on videos/categories/tutorials.
I'd love to hammer some muskys with ya! Been a long time since I've been musky fishing!