Are Carp Easy to Catch?
Carp are coming on strong in the USA and Europe so are they easy to catch? The answer to this question is yes but it does take some time, patience and a bit of practice. But if you are willing to put in the work it is possible for you to catch them, as long as you have the right equipment and bait.
Some of the most common ways to catch carp include using boilies, pellets and a range of soft plastics including natural-looking minnows and grub tails and paddle tails. If you are a little more creative and want to try something different then zig fishing with floaters or bread is another great way to target carp.
Boilies are a common and effective bait for carp, these are simply small round shapes of flour or fish meal, eggs and food additives that are hard-boiled to make them resemble a live boilie. They are a good all-round bait that will not only get carp to come close but also get them to bite more often.
Pellets are a great alternative to boilies and can be a huge hit when used with a hair rig. The pellets are packed with protein and will give the carp the energy they need to keep on feeding. They come in a range of flavours and colours and are a great bait to use at any time of the year.
They come in both frozen and shelf life options so it is up to you which one you prefer but either option will definitely catch carp. You can either bury them in the water and let them sink naturally or place them on a float.
A float is the easiest rig to use to catch carp and can be rigged up with a size 6 bait keeper hook or a size 10 long shank hook. These rigs are also great for fishing off jetty and pontoons and will be much easier to retrieve than a weighted rig.
These floats are a great alternative to boilies and have a much higher chance of getting a bite when compared to a straight weighted rig. You can also add a few pieces of bread or a couple of worms to the float for extra attraction.
There are many things that can influence the amount of success you have when catching carp such as weather conditions, air pressure, and time of day. All of these can have a massive impact on the movement of the carp in the water column and can make it difficult to catch them.
During warm clear conditions carp will often be found on the bottom of the lake during the morning and move up in the water column as the sun sets. However, at other times of the day they are more likely to be on the surface.
Zig fishing with floaters and/or bread is a fantastic method to target carp on the surface as they will tend to feed more during the early afternoon than during the morning. This can be a great way to pick up a few fish when there is low water pressure and you have a large window of time to catch them.
