The Sport of Carp Fishing

http://tinyurl.com/ormrk


It's carp diem

Most 'rough' fans know only one fish can seize their day

06:35 PM CST on Saturday, March 18, 2006

By RAY SASSER / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN – It's a laidback fishing deal at Emma Long Metropolitan Park on
Lake Austin. The lake is really a wide spot on the Colorado River.
Million-dollar mansions are elegantly perched on live oak-covered hills
surrounding the urban oasis. It's the sort of setting that makes the
hills of northern Austin an uncommon place.

Mark Villanova and Donnie Hutchinson are fishing for common carp in this
uncommon place. They've driven down I-35 from their Dallas-area homes
and spent the weekend lounging in camp chairs, playing with Villanova's
two children (Jordan and Jasmine), waiting for the high-pitched alarm
that signals a bite from the rubber-lipped queen of the rough fish.

"Bugle-mouthed bass" is one euphemism for carp. If you look closely at
Cyprinus carpio, you'll understand the description. These Asian imports
have a profile that not even a mother could love. Motherly love aside,
the common carp has an uncommon following among Texas anglers such as
Villanova, who lives in Bedford, and Hutchinson, who lives in Lewisville.

"We all started out as bass or crappie fishermen," says Hutchinson with
a wry smile. "Once you've caught a carp, you never go back. We're on the
verge of a major explosion in the sport of carp fishing."

The carp occurs in virtually every water drainage in Texas. Villanova
and Hutchinson have caught carp from lakes all around the Dallas area.
Grapevine is a local favorite for carpaholics.

Unlike other fishing devotees who fiercely defend their secrets, carp
fans are evangelists. They post internet reports on the Texas Fishing
Forum, often transmitting photos from lakeside. As the men fish, their
cell phones ring regularly. The callers are fellow carp fanatics who are
stuck at work, at soccer games or in traffic and can't wait for updates.

These guys suffer from "carpio tunnel syndrome" or maybe "carpio tunnel
vision." Their distinctive gear draws a crowd wherever they go. At Emma
Long Metropolitan Park, a bass fisherman walking along the bank stops to
inspect the setup. He's carrying a spinning rod with a shallow diving
plug tied onto his line.

"I caught a 17 on the weed line down the bank," he says.

"You caught a 17-pound bass?" shouts an incredulous Hutchinson.

"No, a 17-inch bass," the bass guy responds.

"Oh, well, we deal in pounds and ounces, and our average carp from Lake
Austin weighs about 20 pounds," says Hutchinson, who once caught a
65-pound smallmouth buffalo from the very spot he's fishing.

It's not the biggest buffalo caught on a rod and reel in Texas (state
record: 82.22 pounds), but it's probably the biggest caught by an angler
intentionally fishing for rough fish. Buffalo are native rough fish,
though not as common as carp.

Carp anglers don't get a lot of attention because the American fishing
industry doesn't make much profit off them. The local feed store makes
more money from carp anglers than the Berkley Corporation does. Most
carp guys fish from the bank. They don't own a boat and don't really
need one. Villanova only uses his small aluminum boat to put out bait or
check for bottom contours within casting distance of the bank.

The specialized tackle used by carp anglers is mostly mail-ordered from
Europe, where carp fishing is a big deal. Villanova and Hutchinson both
use rod pods –specialized rod holders driven into the ground and hold
three rods.

The rods are long spinning ones capable of banging out a 100-yard cast.
The rod pod is equipped with battery-powered strike alarms that sound
off when a fish picks up the bait and swims away. The alarm also signals
what's known as a drop-back bite. That's when a fish picks up the bait
and swims toward the bank with it. The setup looks like something James
Bond use to fish.

"We spend a lot of time just waiting for a bite," Villanova said. "Carp
fishing is a social sport. I bring my kids when possible, and we usually
have a few other friends along."

Carp anglers bait their fishing area with corn or livestock range cubes.
Hutchinson may use 100 pounds of range cubes in a weekend. Some anglers
customize their own bait, mixing ingredients such as breakfast cereal
and Big Red or other sweet soft drinks. Since the tackle manufacturers
haven't caught on to carp fishing, the anglers are ingenious in adapting
specialized gear to their needs.

Villanova uses a water balloon launcher – an oversized slingshot – to
broadcast a double handful of range cubes even farther offshore than he
can using a plastic throwing stick. Carp may look stupid, but they feed
cautiously and are seldom caught on an artificial lure.

The idea is to bait the carp into an area and get them feeding
aggressively enough that they pick up a baited hook. The hook that
Villanova uses is not really attached to the bait. It trails the bait on
a short dropper line. Carp feed by sucking up small aquatic critters.
They also suck up silt, which they expel. That's when the trailing hook,
called a hair rig, hooks the fish.

"The carp is almost always hooked in the lower lip," says Villanova.
"With this rig, you don't even lose your bait."

The lip-hooking technique is particularly important to carp fishermen,
who go to great lengths not to damage these hardy fish. Carp are handled
on a damp, padded mat that protects their slime coat. The hook is
removed, and the fish is weighed and photographed.

Carp anglers are so concerned about harming the fish that the protocol
for photography dictates the fisherman kneel or squat while holding the
fish. If the fish is accidentally dropped, it won't have so far to fall.
Hook wounds and damaged fins are treated with antiseptic.

During tournaments, carp are staked out in mesh bags while a
weigh-master is called in to verify the catch. The fish are then
released. Holding them overnight in a mesh bag submerged in the water
doesn't seem to hurt the fish.

Villanova and Hutchinson are practicing for the Bassmasters Classic of
carp fishing. The fifth annual Austin Team Championship Tournament is
Friday and Saturday, March 24-25, and the Texas Carp Challenge follows
starting Sunday, March 26. Town Lake is considered the epicenter of carp
angling, and fishermen from as far away as Europe are expected for the
tournaments.

A $250,000 prize awaits the fisherman who can break the Texas common
carp record of 41.5 pounds during the Texas Carp Challenge. Town Lake
produced the current record, and carp anglers are convinced that larger
fish have been caught and released in these waters. A quarter of a
million dollars would surely be considered a cure for the common carp.

E-mail
FOR MORE INFORMATION

"JMC" wrote in message SNIP

"We all started out as bass or crappie fishermen," says Hutchinson with a
wry smile. "Once you've caught a carp, you never go back. We're on the
verge of a major explosion in the sport of carp fishing."

LOL, bet me?
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

"We all started out as bass or crappie fishermen," says Hutchinson with
a wry smile. SNIP


I started out as a crappy bass fisherman.
Haven't changed much,either.

JMC wrote:


Carp anglers are so concerned about harming the fish that the protocol
for photography dictates the fisherman kneel or squat while holding the
fish. If the fish is accidentally dropped, it won't have so far to fall.
Hook wounds and damaged fins are treated with antiseptic.

Down here the protocol is to cut their stinking heads off then let them go.
There's no denying carp are a good fighting fish, but they are a
destructive pest. Anyone releasing a carp deserves to have all their
gear confiscated, and face court.

A $250,000 prize awaits the fisherman who can break the Texas common
carp record of 41.5 pounds during the Texas Carp Challenge.

That *would* be a fun catch on 6lb line. Most spots i go to the carp are
70-100cm+. Killing them is a civic duty.

A quarter of a million dollars would surely be considered a cure for the common carp.
Yes, if it was spent on rotenone to kill them.
E.

I simply cant believe how ignorant you are. If you were just a bit smarter,
you would understand that carp days are coming and coming quickly to the
States. You are simply so completely blinded with whatever all those
colorful fishing magazines tell you that you would not even consider
anything but bass fishing. Bass fishing is a lot of fun, but hey, open your
eyes!

I bet if someone in the USA starts up CarpMaster and put some money into
marketing (and this will happen very soon) you will be the first one to
switch


"E." wrote in message
...

Down here the protocol is to cut their stinking heads off then let them
go.
There's no denying carp are a good fighting fish, but they are a
destructive pest. Anyone releasing a carp deserves to have all their gear
confiscated, and face court.


That *would* be a fun catch on 6lb line. Most spots i go to the carp are
70-100cm+. Killing them is a civic duty.

Yes, if it was spent on rotenone to kill them.
E.

"greg" wrote, "I simply cant believe how ignorant you are"

I feel the same way about offtopic cross posters. Please try not to
cross post to other groups. Some groups have charters, FAQ and
posting guidelines, please try to observe them.

On Sun, 19 Mar 2006 19:59:11 -0500, "greg" sent
into the ether:

I simply cant believe how ignorant you are. If you were just a bit smarter,
you would understand that carp days are coming and coming quickly to the
States. You are simply so completely blinded with whatever all those
colorful fishing magazines tell you that you would not even consider
anything but bass fishing. Bass fishing is a lot of fun, but hey, open your
eyes!

I bet if someone in the USA starts up CarpMaster and put some money into
marketing (and this will happen very soon) you will be the first one to
switch


"E." wrote in message
...

Down here the protocol is to cut their stinking heads off then let them
go.
There's no denying carp are a good fighting fish, but they are a
destructive pest. Anyone releasing a carp deserves to have all their gear
confiscated, and face court.


That *would* be a fun catch on 6lb line. Most spots i go to the carp are
70-100cm+. Killing them is a civic duty.

Yes, if it was spent on rotenone to kill them.
E.





I've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it!

Remove the x for e-mail reply
www.outdoorfrontiers.com
www.SecretWeaponLures.com
A proud charter member of "PETAF", People for Eating Tasty Animals and Fish!!!

what is the topic of this thread? carp, isn't?

"Dan, danl, danny boy, Redbeard, actually Greybeard now"
wrote in message
...
"greg" wrote, "I simply cant believe how ignorant you are"

I feel the same way about offtopic cross posters. Please try not to
cross post to other groups. Some groups have charters, FAQ and
posting guidelines, please try to observe them.

On Sun, 19 Mar 2006 19:59:11 -0500, "greg" sent
into the ether:

I simply cant believe how ignorant you are. If you were just a bit
smarter,
you would understand that carp days are coming and coming quickly to the
States. You are simply so completely blinded with whatever all those
colorful fishing magazines tell you that you would not even consider
anything but bass fishing. Bass fishing is a lot of fun, but hey, open
your
eyes!

I bet if someone in the USA starts up CarpMaster and put some money into
marketing (and this will happen very soon) you will be the first one to
switch


"E." wrote in message
...

Down here the protocol is to cut their stinking heads off then let
them
go.
There's no denying carp are a good fighting fish, but they are a
destructive pest. Anyone releasing a carp deserves to have all their
gear
confiscated, and face court.


That *would* be a fun catch on 6lb line. Most spots i go to the carp
are
70-100cm+. Killing them is a civic duty.

Yes, if it was spent on rotenone to kill them.
E.





I've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it!

Remove the x for e-mail reply
www.outdoorfrontiers.com
www.SecretWeaponLures.com
A proud charter member of "PETAF", People for Eating Tasty Animals and
Fish!!!

Yes, but you are posting about carp in the newsgroup
rec.outdoors.fishing.BASS
That is what is known as off topic cross posting.
greg wrote:
what is the topic of this thread? carp, isn't?

"Dan, danl, danny boy, Redbeard, actually Greybeard now"
wrote in message
...
"greg" wrote, "I simply cant believe how ignorant you are"

I feel the same way about offtopic cross posters. Please try not to
cross post to other groups. Some groups have charters, FAQ and
posting guidelines, please try to observe them.

On Sun, 19 Mar 2006 19:59:11 -0500, "greg" sent
into the ether:

I simply cant believe how ignorant you are. If you were just a bit
smarter,
you would understand that carp days are coming and coming quickly to the
States. You are simply so completely blinded with whatever all those
colorful fishing magazines tell you that you would not even consider
anything but bass fishing. Bass fishing is a lot of fun, but hey, open
your
eyes!

I bet if someone in the USA starts up CarpMaster and put some money into
marketing (and this will happen very soon) you will be the first one to
switch


"E." wrote in message
...

Down here the protocol is to cut their stinking heads off then let
them
go.
There's no denying carp are a good fighting fish, but they are a
destructive pest. Anyone releasing a carp deserves to have all their
gear
confiscated, and face court.


That *would* be a fun catch on 6lb line. Most spots i go to the carp
are
70-100cm+. Killing them is a civic duty.

Yes, if it was spent on rotenone to kill them.
E.





I've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it!

Remove the x for e-mail reply
www.outdoorfrontiers.com
www.SecretWeaponLures.com
A proud charter member of "PETAF", People for Eating Tasty Animals and
Fish!!!

"greg" wrote in
I bet if someone in the USA starts up CarpMaster and put some money into
marketing (and this will happen very soon) you will be the first one to
switch

I bet I wouldn't, nothing and I mean nothing beats the excitement I get from
chasing bass down, I've fished for a lot of different fish, freshwater and
sal****er alike, nothing gets my blood pumping faster than a bass hitting my
lure or bait... Tuna come pretty close, but that's about it, but pound for
pound the Bluegill might be the hardest fighting fish. I wish we had some 5
pound bluegills. Bluegill Master, I would sign up for that :-)


"E." wrote in message
...

Down here the protocol is to cut their stinking heads off then let them
go.
There's no denying carp are a good fighting fish, but they are a
destructive pest. Anyone releasing a carp deserves to have all their gear
confiscated, and face court.


That *would* be a fun catch on 6lb line. Most spots i go to the carp are
70-100cm+. Killing them is a civic duty.

Yes, if it was spent on rotenone to kill them.
E.

greg wrote:
I simply cant believe how ignorant you are. If you were just a bit smarter,
you would understand that carp days are coming and coming quickly to the
States. You are simply so completely blinded with whatever all those
colorful fishing magazines tell you that you would not even consider
anything but bass fishing. Bass fishing is a lot of fun, but hey, open your
eyes!

I bet if someone in the USA starts up CarpMaster and put some money into
marketing (and this will happen very soon) you will be the first one to
switch


As soon as carp become a "game fish", you can start to write off all
native fish, the damage to the water, and habitat, to native fish, that
carp cause, is well known, trying to control their numbers, by killing
every carp caught, is the only thing that helps keep them in check, some
DNR's have poisoned whole bodies of water killing everything , just to
get the carp out, then restocking native fish. When carp become a game
fish, they will start putting limits on them, and IDIOTS will start C&R
them, it won't take long, and they will become at least 80% of a body of
water's fish bio-mass. actually they are doing this now, with no
protection. This is a "PROVEN" FACT !!!!!!!!!!!

Sure carp are fun to catch, shooting coyotes is fun too, and here, in
the south, where coyotes are not native, that they have no place in our
eco-system, we have fun eradicating them. Just like we do with the
imported starlings

If you like carp fishing ,, fine,, have at it, but remove every carp you
catch, eat them , give them away, plant them in your garden, there sure
is no shortage of them, and there never will be, untill we convince the
DNR's to poison them "all". At least you crap fishermen can help control
their numbers, then we bass fishermen, would not bad mouth ya'll so much.

Another solution, is there becoming a commercial market for them,
netting them in huge numbers.
--
Rodney Long,
Inventor of the Mojo SpecTastic "WIGGLE" rig, SpecTastic Thread,
Boomerang Fishing Pro. ,Stand Out Hooks ,Stand Out Lures,
Mojo's Rock Hopper & Rig Saver weights, and the EZKnot
http://www.ezknot.com