Originally imported into the United States for its possible food quality, the common carp (Cyprinius Carpio) has become the topic of many heated discussions.  Widely thought of, at least here in the states, as a “trash fish with no useful qualities”, the carp is rapidly gaining a world wide reputation as a smart and formidable game fish.  In Europe it’s actually the #1 game fish.

There is a small portion of the North American angling community (probably more than will admit to it) that actually fish for carp on a regular basis.  Organizations like the Carp Angler’s Group and the American Carp Society, as well as books and magazines like Fly Fishing for Carp and North American Carp Angler, have added to the ever increasing popularity of carp angling here in the US. 

What ever your feeling about carp, the truth remains they are every where.  So, when the fishing gets slow and you still want to bend your pole, we suggest making up some bait with the kids, and taking them shore side for some carpin’.  If you really want to have some fun, bring your trout gear, with a full spool of line, and those strong, oversized goldfish will surely put your drag to the test.

The SNAP’r is a perfect fit for carp angling; it triggers fast and is built to withstand the brute force of larger fish.  The Chum Strip, when loaded with a fish attracting scent, will disperse much more scent near your bait, and will attract carp from a greater distance over to your hook’s location.  The Chum Strip has been an invaluable feature when fishing waters where traditional chumming for carp, like throwing particles of bait into the water, is prohibited.

To rig the SNAP’r for carp fishing, we suggest a Carolina Rig.  You can fish most waters with a 10lb mainline and a medium action rod, but you’ll need to choose a leader that provides some sort of stealth, hence the “formidable game fish” part. 

Carp are a wary fish, so leader choice is critical.  If you are fishing for carp that are in the under 5lb range, you can use a 4-6lb fluorocarbon leader and do just fine.  However, if you are fishing for larger specimens in say the 20lb and up category, then you’ll need something stronger, while still maintaining your stealth. 

A widely accepted European method is to use “braided” line or “spectra” for leader material.  It offers a thin diameter and is very strong when compared to monofilament or fluorocarbon lines of the same diameter.  The braided line is also much more flexible and colors can be chosen to match the bottom of the lake or river you’re fishing.  

The amount of weight to use is not always as important and will be determined on the distance you want to cast or the conditions you are fishing (ie, wind or a river’s current).

You should always use the sharpest hooks available and you’ll usually have better luck using hooks that are on the smaller side, like a size 8 or 10 “J” hook, or even smaller, when using a treble hook.

Sometimes carp will be feeding within five feet or less of the shoreline, you’ll see them right in front of you, in this case you should forego the weight entirely and lightly flip the, carolina rigged, SNAP’r, out there just a few feet or so.  If you set down your pole, make sure to secure it well.  When the SNAP’r engages, you’ll be hooked into a very strong fish that has a reputation for stealing people’s favorite fishing poles.

A lot of carp anglers will position their pole nearly horizontal to the water’s surface with tip pointed towards the bait.  Then they’ll snug up the line and loosen the drag down to about 2 or 3lbs.  That way when a carp is hooked it can make its initial run without breaking the line, straightening the hook, or stealing your dad’s lucky pole.  There’s nothing like the sound a reel makes when it starts singing… zzzzzzzzzzz!  Fish on!

When you pick up your rod to fight the fish you’ll need to tighten the drag back down so you can gain control and get back the 100ft of line that the carp ripped off your reel before you got out of your chair.  But be careful not to over tighten the drag or you may get broken off when he decides to run again.

A wide variety of baits can be used to catch carp.  We’ve done well using corn kernels, hotdogs, balled up bread, or cheese puffs.  But nothing works better than a good homemade dough bait.  

Recipes for carp dough baits can be found by the thousands online, some are easy to make and some are very complex, but most are usually made to be very sweet and use some type of corn or wheat base.

Our CEO’s daughter, Maddy, is a six year old, carp angling, bait-making, aficionado, and here are her two favorite carp recipes to make and use:

Peanut butter and Jelly sandwich

White bread
Creamy peanut butter
Strawberry jelly (carp love strawberry jelly, the sweeter the better)
Goldfish flakes

Make a PBJ sandwich like normal, but before putting the two sides together sprinkle some goldfish food in the middle.  Keep it in sandwich form until you’re ready to use it, then pinch a piece off, mash it up in your hand, and press it onto the hook. 

For a whole day of carping you’ll need to make about six to eight sandwiches.

Sweet ‘n Creamy Corn Glob

1 8oz can of creamed corn
3 Tbs Brown Sugar
4 Tbs Goldfish Flakes
½ Cup of the sweetest breakfast cereal in the cupboard (stay away from chocolate)
About half a loaf of bread made into crumbs

Mash the cereal up into small crumbs (dust would be better), then mix it with the goldfish flakes, brown sugar, and creamed corn.  Add the bread crumbs, while mixing with your hands, until the dough can be rolled into balls and won’t stick to your hands.

Put it into a resealable plastic bag and your glob of bait will be good for weeks in the refrigerator.

**SNAP’r Fact**
The SNAP’r was originally invented in Brad Matz's kitchen and was made out of various components found around the house and a ballpoint pen. It was first tested on the large but overly shy carp of Lake Elsinore, CA.  After three hours of testing, twenty three carp were caught and released, two poles were lost to the murky depths forever, and "fishing" turned into "catching".