Olfactory Perception in Carp

[JohnF]

I've been reading some more on these monster beasties since getting skunked last weekend by them, and I have some questions that I haven't found answers to yet. They were swimming all around us, nothing shy about these guys, but they wouldn't sample the corn we offered on my DIY hair rigs. The Rock Bass loved the corn though. They scarfed it up faster than the big ole lazy carp had a chance to swim to it. When I chummed with corn I didn't see the carp gobbling it up. They just plotzed around the bottom with nary a care in the world. Mebbe it wasn't the right time of day (mid to late afternoon), mebbe they were in breeding mode, or mebbe they just weren't finding the corn. Do they sniff it out? I tried sight-fishing but they just swam on by the corn I laid in their paths. There were literally dozens of them within 20' of us much of the time, and they were fearless.

 

Since the embarrassing skunking I've built new hair rigs using much lighter line and #8 Gamakatsu Octopus hooks. I suspect my other hooks were too big and perhaps the hair line was a tad stiff. After the fact I remembered the discussion about chumming the area ahead of time with corn.

 

So what's the drill? Do the carp smell the corn or just munch their way along the bottom until they happen to suck in my hair rig? Is the pre-chumming important? All advice will be much appreciated and used when I next venture out to take on these monsters of the deep.

 

In desperation

JF

[Rich]

What kind of corn were you using? They like the sweet flavour of canned corn. Any other corn has to have added sweetener (usually sugar) by some source. Frozen corn, in my experience, simply does not work without being boiled and sweetened first.

[Toronto_Angler]

They could have been spawning. That would explain why they weren't touching it.

[denisk]

try a piece of bread

[Photoz]

For what it's worth . . . (works for me) it may not have been a feeding area, or perhaps they'd never seen corn before? I had a problem trying to catch 'em at the mouth of one of the eastern tribs, 3 times I spent most of the day watching 'em cruise in from the lake, right past the corn I had tossed in . . . not even a slow down and look? I was telling a Brit friend of mine about this, he suggested I SATURATE the area, 3 or 4 times over a period of 10 to 12 days, then try. I went there 4 times, spread over a period of 10 days, flung about 10 - 12 pounds of corn out each visit, with my catapult, equal to a small pailful. THEN I went back with my rod . . . caught 7, missed several!! He explained to me that carp are quite suspicious of anything unnatural that suddenly shows up, thus it may take 'em a while to chow down. Apparently there are areas where they just bask in the sun, which they don't feed . . . the barometer might be high, or a cold front may be on the way, just a few of the reasons they might ignore your bait. If you want to keep the small fish away, use MAIZE, compared to canned or frozen stuff, it's DIRT CHEAP . . . I just picked up a 40 kilo bag, up 50% over last year . . . it's gone from $8.50 to $13.00!! The ONLY thing that will touch that is carp . . . boilies (strawberry & pineapple work best for me) will also discourage the small fry! Most sweet or fruity smelling stuff work well, garlic is another good attractant . . . if ya can hack the smell of garlic flavoured maize in your car! I generally boil mine for about 10 minutes, in strawberry Koolaid & anise, then let it sit for a couple days to soak. You'll need a BAIT NEEDLE to slide it onto your hair rig!

[dsn]

Sounds to me these fish have never been caught before. There for I would chum the area again and just leave. Go back to it next day and see if the corn is gone. If it is, then chum it again with corn and leave the area again. The next day check if the corn it still there. Even if you see them hanging around there and theirs no corn on the bottom... then they have ate the corn. Unless theres gobies in the water. Re-chum the third time and bring your rod the fourth time. When you chum they should be used to seeing food in that exact location and will hang around and make a note of it in their smart little brains where to hang out the rest of the summer. They do have a memory where they have found food in the past.

 

 

DSN

[JohnF]

I used canned corn, but it was cheap stuff - mebbe they're snob carp, and only eat Green Giant. The water was shallow and fast moving, right below a dam, so mayhap they were just groovin' on the sun and getting an O2 buzz on. As for the spawning, I couldn't tell, but none of them had lit smokes so I doubt it.

 

I've got some less travelled areas in mind, and will try seeding the area for a while. Thanks for the advice.

 

JF

[splashhopper]

ummm...

check out "my daughters first catch" posting

[Photoz]

Splurge & buy a BAG of maize (cattle corn) because with either canned or frozen corn, you're only feeding the little panfish, it's expensive as hell (to put out enough to even get the carp's attention, it would likely cost you upwards of $25.00) and most of it would get gobbled by the panfish. On the other hand, the hard corn ONLY attracts carp, and at about $.15 a pound, it would cost you less than $2.00 to put out 4 or 5 litres of it. Although it's not ABSOLUTELY necessary, I bring mine to a boil for a short time, then let it soak a couple days, adding a bit of boiling water as the corn soaks it up. A can of sweet corn chummed in a river or lake will affect the carp about the same as takin' a 'whizz' in 'em will affect the Lake Ontario water levels!

[JohnF]

Splurge & buy a BAG of maize (cattle corn) because with either canned or frozen corn, you're only feeding the little panfish, it's expensive as hell (to put out enough to even get the carp's attention, it would likely cost you upwards of $25.00) and most of it would get gobbled by the panfish. On the other hand, the hard corn ONLY attracts carp, and at about $.15 a pound, it would cost you less than $2.00 to put out 4 or 5 litres of it. Although it's not ABSOLUTELY necessary, I bring mine to a boil for a short time, then let it soak a couple days, adding a bit of boiling water as the corn soaks it up. A can of sweet corn chummed in a river or lake will affect the carp about the same as takin' a 'whizz' in 'em will affect the Lake Ontario water levels!

 

I'll give it a try. All this talk about carp has got me interested. I watched a guy flyfishing for them down in St.Marys one day. Ian James may be a familiar name to some of you. He swears they're even more fun on a flyrod.

 

JF

[Marko]

I catch them on light equipment, they are a lot of fun.

Down in St mary`s they bite on corn fairly well, so if you get a chance try it out you should hook into some.

I fished right downtown underneath the bridge.

 

Now back to your spot, if they are not hitting corn, try changing up your bait, try worms or bread.

Also try chumming the area, how often depends on how close you live to it, gas isnt cheap anymore haha

Maybe they just werent hungry that day you never know.

Good luck on your next trip

[wolfville]

Carp are suspicious fish although a lot non-carp fishermen won't agree. They don't grow to that size for no reason. If you see them clearly, they probably see you too. They won't be shy of swimming around with your presence, but they won't feed. Try the spot that you know they'd swim through but out of sight. Also, for very shallow spots, they will not feed when it's too bright. Try fishing those spots in the evening starting from an hour before dark or around first light.

 

Also, pretending you are there fishing for other species, you often get "disappointed" catching them that way. Works for a lot of people ;-)

[Rich]

Ahh, fast water. I find in faster waters these fish are "drift feeders" and are more likely to take the corn if it's weightless, drifting towards them. Try drifting a half a french fry, bread ball or doughball weightless as well. The french fries can be cool - topwater carp! haha.

 

You may even want to experiment with worms or minnows below a float. Fast water carp are awesome, and act more like a predatory fish than a scavenger. I've caught them on spoons, grubs and spinners in areas like you describe.

[JohnF]

I catch them on light equipment, they are a lot of fun.

Down in St mary`s they bite on corn fairly well, so if you get a chance try it out you should hook into some.

I fished right downtown underneath the bridge.

 

Now back to your spot, if they are not hitting corn, try changing up your bait, try worms or bread.

Also try chumming the area, how often depends on how close you live to it, gas isnt cheap anymore haha

Maybe they just werent hungry that day you never know.

Good luck on your next trip

 

I started off right below the dam and later wandered down under the bridge and a bit beyond. I used corn and Rob used worms. We both caught lotsa rock bass. I wondered if the schooling meant they were in spawning mode cuz there were dozens of them in groups everywhere below the dam and just the usual singles cruising below the bridge.

 

I'll be back there plenty of times. I live in Stratford (12 miles away) but I grew up on the river in St.Marys just a block from the dam so I know it pretty well. It was my playground. We still go there a few evenings a week looking for bass or pike farther below the dam.

 

JF

[JohnF]

Carp are suspicious fish although a lot non-carp fishermen won't agree. They don't grow to that size for no reason. If you see them clearly, they probably see you too. They won't be shy of swimming around with your presence, but they won't feed. Try the spot that you know they'd swim through but out of sight. Also, for very shallow spots, they will not feed when it's too bright. Try fishing those spots in the evening starting from an hour before dark or around first light.

 

Also, pretending you are there fishing for other species, you often get "disappointed" catching them that way. Works for a lot of people ;-)

 

That answers a few things then. Thanks. We'll head over one evening this week before dark and hunker down in the shadows.

 

Thanks

JF

[JohnF]

Ahh, fast water. I find in faster waters these fish are "drift feeders" and are more likely to take the corn if it's weightless, drifting towards them. Try drifting a half a french fry, bread ball or doughball weightless as well. The french fries can be cool - topwater carp! haha.

 

You may even want to experiment with worms or minnows below a float. Fast water carp are awesome, and act more like a predatory fish than a scavenger. I've caught them on spoons, grubs and spinners in areas like you describe.

 

I often see big ones cruising the surface right downtown in Stratford. Mebbe I'll try floating some grubs and worms by them.

 

JF

[Headhunter]

In my past lives fishin carp, it's been my experience that when they are active as you described, they're getting in spawning mode. It is very difficult to get them to bite anything when they are tearing up the shore line etc... my only success for them when they are like that, is to move to another area, in relative close proximity. with access to deeper water. I believe that that area, acts somewhat as a holding area for them and they will tend to bite. As mentioned, if you can see them, they can see you and they will not bite.

Try seeking out slower water deeper water areas relatively near where you are seeing active carp spawning and you may do better... also, crawlers may be a better alternative at this time of year.

HH

[Marko]

I am not 100% sold on the fact that if they see me they wont feed.

I caught a lot of fish in fast moving waters with just a split shot and some corn on my hook and they bite.

I`d see them swim in the current and just cast ahead of them and let current take the bait right to them, its worked.

 

I love sight fishing for them so i look for shallow spots that will hold them and its produced, i am sure they saw me as well but they did bite.

[bassjnkie]

The area I fish, Dover, the spawn is done. You catch the odd 30lb with roe. I would suggest to buy a small bag of cattle corn. This is how I prepare it, put it in a bucket of water for 24-48 hours, add sugar, then boil till soft, don't make it crack open. Put in bucket with the boiled water, let sit and your ready to go. You can use it on the hair and use it to chum. The pan fish will hit once and never again, too hard.

 

When you get to your spot, chum your area. Set up, take you time, the best thing is to fish out of the chum, big fish are not stupid, and hang around the outside of the chum, while the smaller carp feast. Then every time you land a carp, chum out again with some free offerings. That will keep them in the area.

 

If you do all this, you will never use canned corn again.

 

 

Hope this helps,

 

Daniel

www.ontariocarphunters.com

[bassjnkie]

Oh ya, carp feed by scent. Caught a 20lb and a 18lb with no eyes. Makes you think.

 

Daniel