[SoloFish]

Great site - thank you to everyone for sharing your expertise and fishing reports. I have been a lurker and finally decided to contribute.

Decided to try dedicated carp fishing for the first time while waiting for trout season to start. Did a bit of homework and read up on tips and techniques on this site and around the internet.

Went to Lake Crabtree yesterday and fished for two hours off the rocks along the dam. Must have been beginners luck….hooked 10 carp and landed 8. Smallest was 22” and the largest 32” great day. All were beautiful golden common carp with one silver. Surprisingly, no catfish.

Anyone have recommendations for a fish scale? I would like to know what they weighed.

Here is what I used:

• Hair rig with size 6 octopus stye hook
• 1/2 oz egg sinker with DIY pack bait holder made with drywall anchor
• Canned corn on hair rig
• Classic corn/oatmeal/vanilla packbait

 

[CBower]

Very nice! I'm shocked you did'nt have to fight off the little cats.

 

[TomnNC]

I live right around the corner from that lake and fish there often simply for ease of access. Take your fly rod to the other side (behind you) of where you were fishing.

 

[SoloFish]

TomnNC - Thanks for the tip. I have always wanted to catch a carp with a fly rod. I have a 7WT that should work. I am assuming you walk the shoreline and look for the carp feeding, then drop a fly in front of them? What time of the year is best?

 

[Nat's Dad]

You will want to go on youtube and check out Mack's extreme river fishing. He's done a couple of videos fishing from those rocks for carp. I was with him there once but it was too windy and hot as I recall for good fishing that day.

 

[kevinlj39]

I was fishing for carp at Lake Crabtree on Friday. I was fishing on the other side of the lake where the canoe launch is. I go to that spot as it's so convenient as you can park a few yards from where you're fishing. They were biting for me too. Caught six in a couple of hours. Largest was about 12 pounds. I was using a hair rig set up also with grits pack bait.

SoloFish - let me know if you ever want to get together to fish there in the future

 

[Cam]

Thanks for the share Solo, carp fishing has been on my list for over a year as well and I've yet to go out and try. I just finally bought some pre-rigged hook setups about a week ago to move myself one step closer to trying but I thought it might be a little too cold for them at the moment (based on no research only on when I've seen them the most at places I fish often). Clearly I was incorrect and just need to get out there and try it out. Looks like I need to invest in a net as well to get them on bank safely as well.