Update

[tomstoneradio]

I use my own homemade carp bait (there are tons of variations you can find on the web, and I have yet to try even close to all of them). Carp are strange fish...very smart, and a lot of times, very hard to catch, especially the big ones. It's all in the presentation. For example, when we were out, I dropped down my bait into a school of a few carp that were below the boat. One of them swam over to my bait, leaned to the side (as if it was LOOKING at my bait), and then swam away. I pulled up my bait, and just the very tip of the hook was exposed out of the ball of doughbait. I'm convinced the carp saw the tip of the hook, and decided it was a bad idea to eat it!! lol To be honest, I've been fishing for carp in Mead for a little bit, and they are very smart, wary fish overall. They'll eat pretty much anything that normally gets dropped in the lake around the harbors, especially bread, corn, hotdogs, etc...and of course my special bait. But in my experience, they can see fishing line, hooks, sinkers, swivels, and anything else you throw in there that doesn't look natural. My best success has been with 8lb. fluorocarbon line (or 10-15lb braid with a minimum of 10ft fluorocarbon leader), hook, and bait...that's it...fished on a slack line so there is a minimum of resistance when they pick it up. And even then, you only hook about 50% of the ones who pick it up because they spit it out at the slightest feel of anything they're not used to.

But when you get into a good one...they'll give you one hell of a fight! Carp fishing is some good, relaxing fun, and really a challenge trying to figure out what they want and how they want it...especially when you can see those huge monsters right below you!!
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