Carp fishing

Carp fishing is not so popular in the US. However, it is huge in Asia and Europe. Often my American friends ask me about carp fishing. Here is my Carp fishing101:

1. Tackle
-Hook: treble hook. #6 works fine.
-Line: You can still catch with you 8lb or 12lb lines. But over 20lb braid line is safer.
-Rod: Medium is fine. MH or H is recommended. Reel, which matches with your rod.
-Sinker: Weight depends on where you fish. Bullet type sinker works good.

2. Bait (Matured carp prefers vegetarian diet)
-Bread: believe it or not bread works great.
-Boiled Potato: Make a small bait ball with mashed potato. You may want to add some bread in it.
-Baked and milled cereal: I use this. I add water on it and make small ball with this bait. Traditional Korean bait.
-Boillie: It is a traditional carp bait which is often used in Europe. Its main ingredient is corn meal.
-Carp bait on market: there are some pre-maid baits here in US. I found Uncle Josh carp bait works great.
**Important tip: Be parsimonious about bait! Just barely cover your treble hook with your bait. It is important in order to easily hook carp. If bait ball is too big, there is rare chance to set hook.

3. Rig
Treble hook –(header line: about 1’)-swivel- (main line)- sinker –(main line)- rod – reel
**I usually attach small bell on my rod to detect nibbling. You also may want to loose your drag. Carp can easily pull away your rod and reel. Always, be alert!

4. Bait change
You may want to change your bait in 15 to 30 minutes. It depends on water condition and firmness of your bait.

Here is my carp album that my fishing buddies and I caught this season. My goal for this season is to catch more than 10 carps. So far, I caught 7.