River Carp Fishing

Carp fishes are found in freshwater sources like lakes, ponds, and rivers as well. As the first two are not as big compared to the rivers, angling carps there is comparatively convenient. But due to the large size of the river, miles and miles are needed to explore for searching a carp river carp fishing becomes difficult.

River Carp Fishing

Things You Need to Know About River Carp Fishing

Difficulty Level

Finding a river carp becomes too hard. The difficulty level makes the whole experience action-packed and adventurous. It has a mystery to it because there is no guarantee that you will get to angle a carp even after weeks of baiting and cast-in. You need to explore a vast water body. Hence it will be time-consuming. Moreover, the carps in the river will have an area too vast to escape, even if you have quickly hooked it in your fish hook. So, once you actually catch a river carp after days of wait and struggle, it feels satisfying, and the feeling is too unique and triumphant.

The Nature of a River Carp

The large area of the river carps traverse makes them nomadic in nature. In general, carp fishes are not known for staying in one place for too long unless it is winter or their spawning period. That is their only time to rest and be sluggish.

When they are active, they roam in every portion of the water body, from the bottom, middle to the upper tier of the water surface. So much so that you will notice the fish fin breaking the surface, and the fish is about to show its being in full glory.

Even though there are plenty of carps in a river, finding them is tough. Moreover, even if you get hold of one, a river’s vast space lets the carp put a greater challenge and better fight while you pull the rod.

The Carps in The River Vs. The Carps in Lakes/Ponds

They are everywhere in the lake and pond for feeding themselves, collecting food, or just for roaming. But there is only a specific area they can wander around when it’s an enclosed water body like a lake or pond. That makes angling carp easy.

On the other hand, a river gives the carps ample space for wandering, exploring, and feeding themselves. So the carps in it you just saw taking the bait might not be there the next time you visit. Even if the time gap is too little, say a few hours. So, you can imagine what an interval of days will result in for you. The one you target will be gone forever.

As a result, you will need to explore and bait the carps in the same spot for days before you are actually ready to cast in your fishing rod to catch a river carp.

Finding The Apt Spot for Carp Fishing in a River

Your search for the right spot might end if you have found a space where people often feed the birds. Or areas with shallow bars near the rocks, the crevices, fallen tree trunk, or thick tree branches. Or you might have gotten the perfect spot by continuously walking along the bank of the river and pre-baiting.

The process could be any, but the end result will definitely be finding an apt location for fishing river carps.

Pre-Baiting a Must

We have mentioned pre-baiting, and it is not something that you do for a few minutes. Not at all, when your target is carps in the river.

River carps never take the bait unless they are convinced that the food offered to them are from natural sources. Fooling a river carp is tough because carp is not just a fierce fish. It has its own mind. The combo doubles the challenge of angling carp.

So, it’s a must for you to at least continue feeding them at the same spot for two days and make them used to it. It is like taming. They will come to the same spot, attracted to the bait, and finally will be easier to angle.

How to Pre-Bait River Carps

The purpose of pre-baiting is to know whether the spot has carps in here or not. To pre-bait, you can use a PVA bag and shove some boilies or baits in it, and use it to cast in the fishing line. If there are fish bites on the bag, you know the spot is apt for carp fishing because carp fishes are actually taking the bait but failing due to the PVA bag. Now, be sure that you are on the right spot in the river to catch carps. It is time to stay in that specific spot and continue trying river carp angling. The number of river carps could be one or multiple. That you will eventually notice after throwing baits or recasting the fishing line with bait hooked on it.

The Best Bait

River carps love their food moving, basically, live baits. But you do not need to collect live baits; instead, use Tiger nuts or boilies because river carps love these as their bait. To make these baits moving, you can hair-rig two or more boilies or Tiger nuts, keeping a thin piece of cork in between each of the two nuts or boilies. The cork will help the baits float and look alive and a moving being. The size of your baits, if boilies, must be something between 10mm to 18mm. The Tiger nuts are mostly of the same size and shape, and they are perfect as they are.

The Fishing Essentials

You are fishing a brute, a gamefish, a fish that will fight. So, everything you will need to catch the carp fish has to be sturdy and well-made.

Mainline

Talking about the mainline, you will need the most robust fishing line available in the market for river carp fishing. Carp fishes are fierce, and river carps are a few notches more. So, once it takes the bait and is trapped, it will put a fight to save its life with full might. That strong pull, a not so sturdy fishing line, will not handle and break. And none is willing to afford to lose a hooked river carp after all the struggle. Our preference is a fluorocarbon mainline, about 15 pounds.

Fishing Rod

Coming to the fishing rod, you need a 12 feet long sturdy fishing rod. The length depends on your comfort, personal preference. But the rod has to be robust.

Fish Hook

About the fish hook, even that has to be sturdy. A size 4 fish hook or more will be best for angling a river carp. Anything less will not work, just like the fragile fishline.

Angling a river carp is about difficulties and a lot more challenges. There is no other way rather than preparing yourself in every which way before the final showdown. Thus, here was the basics we needed to share with you, hoping it will be beneficial to you.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top