That's an awesome catch! Always wanted to catch one.
This happened to me a few times. I always enjoy it. Big surprise to say the least.I was catching small palm size bream once for catfish bait in a pond with my 4 1/2' trout spinning rod with 4lb line and with small trout hooks.(tiny pieces of hot dog) Then it happened, a carp hit and it was larger than that one. It took me 35 min or so to land that thing. I don't know who was more tired, me of the fish? Massive fight on an ultralight and 4lb line!
Congrats.
Never knew this lake to have them in it. Just goes to show ya I haven't caught every fish in the lakeLooks like a grass carp. Wherever you were fishing, someone must have put them in there for aquatic flora management. I manage to catch at least one a year at my honey hole on top-water.
So NCWRC says they sometimes eat small fish and occasionally will take slow-moving lures.And catching one always perplexes me. If they are triploid-hybrid grass carp, placed in ponds/lakes for veggie mgmt., why do they hit my minnow imitations? Rapala, Zara Pups, Heddon Excalibur, Rebels.... All of these have landed me one of these fun-to-catch boogers. They usually hit upon the initial "plop" in the water (Goodies falling out of a tree?) but I have gotten the hit at the very start of the retrieve, never during, so it's not like they actively pursue baitfish.
Many times people entertain themselves by tossing popcorn or other food into water where the carp are and watching them slurp up the meal. Maybe the lure hitting the water looks that way to the carp and they hit out of a conditioned reaction?And catching one always perplexes me. If they are triploid-hybrid grass carp, placed in ponds/lakes for veggie mgmt., why do they hit my minnow imitations? Rapala, Zara Pups, Heddon Excalibur, Rebels.... All of these have landed me one of these fun-to-catch boogers. They usually hit upon the initial "plop" in the water (Goodies falling out of a tree?) but I have gotten the hit at the very start of the retrieve, never during, so it's not like they actively pursue baitfish.
I don't know if they're actually purposely trying to eat a bait fish but I've battled several that grabbed a rapala or something similar during mid-retrieve. Go figure.And catching one always perplexes me. If they are triploid-hybrid grass carp, placed in ponds/lakes for veggie mgmt., why do they hit my minnow imitations? Rapala, Zara Pups, Heddon Excalibur, Rebels.... All of these have landed me one of these fun-to-catch boogers. They usually hit upon the initial "plop" in the water (Goodies falling out of a tree?) but I have gotten the hit at the very start of the retrieve, never during, so it's not like they actively pursue baitfish.
I was fishing a red eye shad and hooked it bottom of the mouth so not sure it hit it or just got snagged as I was retrieving very slow. It was a great fight for sure my heart was racing the entire time hoping to land whatever it was. It stayed down deep the whole time sort of like the all time bass I caught last year. This is the only fish I have caught since end of January, I was out from feb11-22 but haven't had a nibble last three times out. Hoping this warmer weather hangs around and gets the girls moving.I don't know if they're actually purposely trying to eat a bait fish but I've battled several that grabbed a rapala or something similar during mid-retrieve. Go figure.
The "grass carp" that we cannot possess is the white amur, which I do believe is the invasive species so common in the Mississippi/Missouri/Illinois basin; Those are the ones so numerous they fly out of the water as your boat is ripping up the river, often landing in the boat.So NCWRC says they sometimes eat small fish and occasionally will take slow-moving lures.
http://www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/Species/Fish/CommonCarp.aspx#5216598-overview
http://www.ncwildlife.org/Portals/0/Fishing/documents/Common_Carp_profile.pdf
Course that is for the common carp. Probably works for all carp but digging lead me to grass carp which we can't posses but triploid grass carp we can.![]()
http://reports.oah.state.nc.us/ncac...er safety/subchapter c/15a ncac 10c .0211.pdf