3 Reasons to Give Carp Fishing a Chance

Carp fishing has long been looked down upon in the United States, but carping (as it is often called) is one of the most popular types of fishing in all of Europe.  How is it that a fish that is so despised in one place by anglers can be revered in another as one of the most popular?  The following are three reasons why American anglers should grab some carp fishing gear

photo credit: talras

 and give carp a chance.

Reason #1: Carp grow to large size.  The world’s biggest largemouth bass is barely over 20 lbs.  Carp, meanwhile, can grow up to 50 or even 60 pounds or more, making them as large as any freshwater fish in the United States other than catfish.

Reason #2: Carp can live almost anywhere.  These fish aren’t nearly as sensitive as many other types of fish, meaning that while trout and bass might be found in limited areas, carp can be found virtually anywhere.

Reason #3: Kids love big fish.  If you want to get your kids hooked on angling, think of how much fun it’ll be reeling in a 2o or 30 lb carb.

These are just three of the reasons that American anglers should give carp a chance.

Bass Fishing Gear Tips

If you are experienced enough, or lucky enough to have somebody experienced to help you, you should have the best possible bass fishing gear setup you can for your specific fishing situation. But almost more important than having the right bass fishing gear is knowing how to use it. Proper operation of any kind of equipment is very important for it to reach it’s maximum potential. This is extremely true when it comes to fishing gear.

Before hitting the water, make sure your bass fishing tackle is properly set up. The line should be seated on the reel evenly, knots trimmed, tackle organized, and reel lubricated. Once that’s done, concentrate on your casting skills first. If you cannot cast well, you may as well give it up because you will be catching more trees and rocks than fish.

Live Bait Fishing Tips for Largemouth Bass

The largemouth bass is a voracious and cunning predator. Concealed in cover, they often lye in wait for unsuspecting prey to swim, crawl, or float buy. Then they explode into action, sucking the unsuspecting victim into their over sized maws. When fishing for bass, one of the best ways to illicit this explosive action is with the use of live bait. Some of the more common live baits for largemouth bass are shiners, crayfish, juvenile sunfish, suckers, minnows, shad, and nightcrawlers.

Knowing how to use various luve bait rigs is one of the biggest bass fishing tips. Often when anglers are after trophy largemouth, they will employ what is known as a shiner rig. A shiner rig consists of a large, oblong bobber with an unweighted hook a couple feet below. A large shiner is hooked through the nose and allowed to swim freely under the bobber. As bass get close the shiner will become agitated and begin swimming erratically, further attracting the bass. Bass fisherman in rivers however often employ large crayfish hooked through the tail or upper shell, due to the crayfish’s increased importance as a prey item in these fisheries.