Why do Carp anglers always kneel when holding a large carp?

[scuro]

I just noticed that most Carp anglers kneel when holding a large Carp for a pic. Large Pike, Muskie, and Salmon fishermen don't do that. There has got to be a reason.

[Beans]

Not me !!!...A bit too old and decrepit for that...Too hard to get back up !!!

 

 

[MJL]

I personally do it purely for fish safety. Carp are large, heavy, slimy and the often kick a lot when you've got them in the net. If you accidentally drop a fish, it's a long way down to the ground if you're standing straight up. I generally don't lift steelhead and salmon very high either.

[Rich]

It makes them look bigger.

 

No really for me it was because I had usually just pulled it out of the net on the ground and was already crouching anyway.

Edited July 30, 2007 by Rich

[lazybum]

Additional reasons are:

- carpers don't hold their fish up using the gill plates to prevent then from moving around. They're slimy.

- carpers are 99 percent fishing from shore with lots of room around compared to being in a boat with a muskie or pike

- serious carpers tend to be sensitive to the well being of the fish to the point of using cushioned landing pads. Close to the ground means less chance of hurting the fish if it falls

- crouching also minimizes how much of the background is seen in your picture. In a boat you see water.

[ccmtcanada]

I'm kneeling for most of my pictures as well....for a couple of reasons....

 

1) Takes out more of the background to help hide where I'm fishing, and elminates the need to photoshop.

2) Any large fish, it's easier for me to kneel, and put my elbows on my knees to help support the fish.

3) What MJL said...dont want to drop them from high up.

 

The only fish I'll stand up for are ones where I have to hold them by the gill plate...I feel I have more control over them....but I generally do not like to handle a fish near their gills.

[Shelley Cooper]

LOL Beans....

 

Nice picture too...

[POLLIWOGG]

Put your shoes under your knees, makes the fish look bigger.

[Carpe Diem]

Thanks for asking the question scuro. Learned a couple things i didn't think of. Good for the fish that i learn as much as i can. The thought of dropping one..... Ouch.

Edited July 30, 2007 by Carpe Diem

[bigfish1965]

The carp are so massive, that standing fully upright risks blowing out a knee. Don't do it, man. It's like hockey....sure it's fun, but remember you still have to go to work tomorrow.

[wolfville]

What MJL said.

 

Also, you may find that most carpers don't look at the camera either, instead they look at the fish. Some say it's to react faster if the fish starts to roll around carper's arm. For me, I just want to look at the fish as much as I can before I release them.

[bassjnkie]

You could all be right. BUT, the crouching started in the UK and carpers just follow that.

 

1-It is saftey.

2-If you look at carpers from the UK, they crouch and look to the side in every picture, this is to show respect for the fish, since a 1 week Paylake trip (thats all they got, and it BIG $$$$$) they will probably, if they are lucky, catch 3 fish each, using 3 rods each.

3-For me, it looks cool.

 

Daniel

OCH

 

Oh ya, carpers don't hide spots, we don't photoshop out pics. NO crouching is not done not to minimize the background.

[Squid]

They kneel because they pray that the next one will be a muskie.

[Roy]

If I had anything that looked like a carp on my line I'd crouch too...it called the shame factor.

[English]

A lot of us brits do it because we got poor teeth, that way we aint got to smile at the camera

 

seriously though what a lot of the guys said earlier is all true, my personal reason is I think you drop a 20lb upward carp when standing and it is more than likely going to die plus when they flip you just can't hold them Danny a mate pictured above had one flip on him when we were out and it ended up going over his shoulder, after a lot of huffing and puffing when it got to head height he just laid on the floor and it rolled over his back very funny to watch, fish was fine as well.

 

50lb carp are extremely dificult to get to pose upright as well you can see the strain just starting to tell and he is sitting on a bait bucket with his arms on his knees. Fish safety is probably the main reason but everyone has a point so guess we are all right.

 

 

Just look at the strain on this guys face would have been much better if he ws looking at the fish:rolleyes:

 

Edited July 30, 2007 by English

[aplumma]

It is so your buddies don't see what kind of fish you caught.

 

 

Art the carpless fisherman

[Photoz]

AW W W W W W W . . . . c'mon Roy . . . . be nice, eh?

[Steve]

hiding your carp spots?

 

From who?

[MJL]

hiding your carp spots?

 

From who?

 

Probably from the people who leave behind: empty cans of corn, sharp can lids, empty plastic bags of frozen corn, empty hook packages, empty packages of egg sinkers, worm containers, discarded fishing lines, beer bottles, empty water bottles, discarded fishing rigs (with rusty hooks attached), snotty Kleenexes and soiled paper napkins, empty cups from timmy's (usually with matching lids), paper bags from fast food joints, cigarette butts, cigarette boxes...I can list more things that I've found in my carping spots if you would like

 

It can be assumed that not everyone who reads these posts (or sees these pics) on OFC is as appreciative of the environment as we hoped they would be.

Edited July 30, 2007 by MJL

[scuro]

British anglers look sideways? That's gettin a little weird. So I go looking for British Carp photos but instead find bloopers on carpanglers group forum. Looks like the large ones are a squirmy fish.

http://pictures.carpanglersgroup.com/bloopers/

 

 

 

 

 

I have grabbed carp by the mouth. It works better with medium sized carp. Now I am thinkin that this photo might be a british carp angling faux pa?

What could I do, I was by myself? Besides who wants carp slim all over your hands?

Edited July 30, 2007 by scuro

[MJL]

Here's another way to hold them

 

[English]

who on earth thought that up

[dsn]

As for me if a small carp and I have a camera man I'll stand. If its a big fish its hard to stand up with it once you have it in your arms (craddling it) and then you have to bend back down to properly release it. Not great for your back bending over holding a big slimmy fish. Already have back problems.

 

dsn

[Golfisher]

Here's another way to hold them

 

 

I love carping, but that's just not kosher!

[Crazyhook]

Here's another way to hold them

 

this is a family site!!!!!!!