Skunked Today.

[hammercarp]

I may be wrong but I heard the largemouth bass was the most popular freshwater sportfish

You heard wrong.

[hammercarp]

Sorry for the thread hi-jack AwolRJ, but it does happen time to time.

Thanks for the invite HC, if I'm available no problem Niagara may not be the world, but it's one of the best fisheries in the world. I only know a few people who chum the night before, as it does require an extra trip and some leg work, picking out potential spots, but when done, you get into them. Of course you are going to have an off day where nothing is biting, but most times it's extremely productive, because the fish are still in the area search for food.

Of course your not going to chum a fast flowing river or channel. There are all kind of slow moving bodies of water around Niagara you can chum the night before and get into carp the next morning.

Many people I have met fishing for carp, don't get into them, mainly because they never fished for carp and don't chum the water that day, and wait for them to arrive. Then I see people chumming with 20lbs of meal or corn and some get into them, some don't.

Chumming the night before with a small bag of corn, in a area one knows there are carp increases

the hook up a hundred fold. The fish are still there looking for an easy meal.

I'm not going to belabor the point. Try it, it works.

Dan

Oh really. Actually it is even more important to bait in moving waters.

[hammercarp]

In match fishing for carp snagging is a legitimate but time consuming method of catching them ( and snagged carp do count for your total). Just another reason to reject the foulest of our finny friends as a target for your fishing entertainment and make efforts to keep these pests from any sort of sportfish status. Best be like Minnasota where returning a caught carp to the water is illegal (like gobbies are here)

The law which you mistakenly stated here is that all rough fish ( they still have that outdated definition ) if taken by spear or archery cannot be thrown back in the water or on the bank. This law was passed to stop wasting fish that have been killed.

[steve-hamilton]

"I am not even aware there are distinctions anymore between coarse fish and sportfish. I thought that was "old school" thinking. Carp are protected by the law."

There are. The distinctions are what determines the angling methods allowed for that species.

[steellee]

I may be wrong but I heard the largemouth bass was the most popular freshwater sportfish

Maybe in America but largemouth are not nearly as widespread worldwide as the carp are. If we are talking about unintelligent, easy to catch fish largemouth must rank near the top from what I can see. You can be right above them in your boat, 3 feet of water, 50 pd line and a huge plastic lizard and they are more than happy to bite it most of the time.

[hammercarp]

"I am not even aware there are distinctions anymore between coarse fish and sportfish. I thought that was "old school" thinking. Carp are protected by the law."

There are. The distinctions are what determines the angling methods allowed for that species.

This is directly from the regs.

Angling

Angling means fishing with a line to which one to four hooks are attached and that is held in the hand or closely attended.

How is that different for carp?

[steve-hamilton]

not all species of fish are allowed methods aside from "angling"

ie. spearing.

see page 11 of the summary regulations on Non Angling methods of capturing fish.

Those species listed are the ones generally referred to as "garbage fish" or "coarse fish". However, i wish Dogfish (bowfin) were not in that category.

But then again, i'm sure you wish carp isn't there....so, each to their own.

The law that protects carp is not the same law that protects, what many consider, "sport fish".

[hammercarp]

Sorry for the thread hi-jack AwolRJ, but it does happen time to time.

Thanks for the invite HC, if I'm available no problem Niagara may not be the world, but it's one of the best fisheries in the world. I only know a few people who chum the night before, as it does require an extra trip and some leg work, picking out potential spots, but when done, you get into them. Of course you are going to have an off day where nothing is biting, but most times it's extremely productive, because the fish are still in the area search for food.

Of course your not going to chum a fast flowing river or channel. There are all kind of slow moving bodies of water around Niagara you can chum the night before and get into carp the next morning.

Many people I have met fishing for carp, don't get into them, mainly because they never fished for carp and don't chum the water that day, and wait for them to arrive. Then I see people chumming with 20lbs of meal or corn and some get into them, some don't.

Chumming the night before with a small bag of corn, in a area one knows there are carp increases

the hook up a hundred fold. The fish are still there looking for an easy meal.

I'm not going to belabor the point. Try it, it works.

Dan

"It's not magic Denis, it's well known if you chum an area the night before,

carp and catfish make their way to the food, and are still in the area the next

morning."

You are not exactly right in this and I don't understand how your two statements jive.

Here's a tip. Chumming or baiting an area for carp works best if you chum at the same time of day you intend to fish. If you are going to fish in the evening, bait during the evening on previous days. Also continue to bait while you are fishing to hold the fish there.

[steve-hamilton]

i do agree w/ the folks mentioning IF the kids are doing it with carp, they are probably doing it with other vulnerable species, which is not good.

you can always explain the non-angling methods for course fish, but they would probably get confused, and start spearing everything in sight.

tough situation.

[hammercarp]

not all species of fish are allowed methods aside from "angling"

ie. spearing.

see page 11 of the summary regulations on Non Angling methods of capturing fish.

Those species listed are the ones generally referred to as "garbage fish" or "coarse fish". However, i wish Dogfish (bowfin) were not in that category.

But then again, i'm sure you wish carp isn't there....so, each to their own.

The law that protects carp is not the same law that protects, what many consider, "sport fish".

Okay. How about this, those other methods are by definition not "angling".

And

The same laws that prohibit someone from wasting fish that they have caught apply to carp as well. I can say that if someone caught a mess of carp and was caught throwing them on the bank , they would be charged. Same goes for snagging.

Just because other methods of taking fish are allowed for some does not mean that there are not laws protecting them. You can net smelts. But that does not mean they are outside the law.

I agree with you about bowfin. I have only caught a couple incidentaly but they are tackle busters and anglers should not ignore the fun they can have fishing for them.

[pauly]

Maybe in America but largemouth are not nearly as widespread worldwide as the carp are. If we are talking about unintelligent, easy to catch fish largemouth must rank near the top from what I can see. You can be right above them in your boat, 3 feet of water, 50 pd line and a huge plastic lizard and they are more than happy to bite it most of the time.

Just not during tournaments!

[steve-hamilton]

didn't say they were outside the law.

see my last sentence on your quote.

i said the same laws did not apply.

remember, you originally only asked if there was a difference between sport fish and coarse fish. i said yes there was, and showed where and why.

no one is talking about rotting carp on the banks.....simply how different laws apply to different fish.

[hammercarp]

That's fair enough Steve.

[tonyle87]

Maybe in America but largemouth are not nearly as widespread worldwide as the carp are. If we are talking about unintelligent, easy to catch fish largemouth must rank near the top from what I can see. You can be right above them in your boat, 3 feet of water, 50 pd line and a huge plastic lizard and they are more than happy to bite it most of the time.

What does intelligence have to do with being the most popular game fish? Are you implying that carp is the smartest fish roaming these waters? Is that how they came here from overseas, they went online and booked a flight with WestJet.

[fisher]

What does intelligence have to do with being the most popular game fish? Are you implying that carp is the smartest fish roaming these waters? Is that how they came here from overseas, they went online and booked a flight with WestJet.

i would put my money as carp being the smartest fish in the water, anyone who has targeted them seriously would most likley agree.

[vesko]

What does intelligence have to do with being the most popular game fish? Are you implying that carp is the smartest fish roaming these waters? Is that how they came here from overseas, they went online and booked a flight with WestJet.

My favorite reply

[Nik]

Snagging a carp is just as bad as snagging a Salmon, or Trout.

Every fish has different qualities, and they range from great taste, to great battle, to easy to catch/readily available. Some have more than one trait but being fishermen/women there is no reason to totally disregard the carp, and be so disrespectful as to want to waste them - by killing them.

I am willing to bet that there arent too many people who have had the pleasure of bringing in a 15+ pound carp. I have only once and i fought the fish for a long time on trout tackle and I enjoyed every minute of it, and when done I treated it no differently than I would a 15 pound trout gently letting it go to be caught another day.

[steellee]

What does intelligence have to do with being the most popular game fish? Are you implying that carp is the smartest fish roaming these waters? Is that how they came here from overseas, they went online and booked a flight with WestJet.

Just trying to make a point, as this thread started to get interesting when someone first mentioned how easy carp were to catch... If you look into it carp fishing and see the detail experts involve in catching them and also targeting the larger specimens it is over and above any other freshwater species.

[steellee]

The greatlakes floatfishing which has exploded in popularity lately is pretty much brought over from european coarse fishing and has been refined for the market here. Sensitive floats, centerpin reels,long rods, light line and detailed shot patterns are something relativly new on the great lakes. The first centerpins and float rods we had here were ones people brought over from europe which adapted well from coarse fishing there to trout fishing here. So alot of us have alot to owe to those carp fisherman and it shows the sililarities to catching 2 very important sportfish we are lucky enough to have in great numbers around here

[steve-hamilton]

Just trying to make a point, as this thread started to get interesting when someone first mentioned how easy carp were to catch... If you look into it carp fishing and see the detail experts involve in catching them and also targeting the larger specimens it is over and above any other freshwater species.

Or you can drop a weightless dew worm on bottom and hook into a 30lbs + monster. The two 30lbs Carp that have made it into my boat were caught on a worm/weightless hook method and on a tubejig in the kawartha's. Both incredibly simple methods.

Like most fishing, it can be as easy or as difficult as you want to make it out to be.

[steellee]

Or you can drop a weightless dew worm on bottom and hook into a 30lbs + monster. The two 30lbs Carp that have made it into my boat were caught on a worm/weightless hook method and on a tubejig in the kawartha's. Both incredibly simple methods.

Like most fishing, it can be as easy or as difficult as you want to make it out to be.

2 carp does not make an expert. People show up at the niagara with 6 foot rods 15 pd test and a big canadian tire red devil spoon on a huge snap swivel and might catch a steelhead but they are not regarded as experts.

[steve-hamilton]

i said the two "30lbs" carp.

not the only two carp.

geez, some of you guys sure are sensitive.

fishing is only as difficult as one makes it out to be.

[Nik]

Or you can drop a weightless dew worm on bottom and hook into a 30lbs + monster. The two 30lbs Carp that have made it into my boat were caught on a worm/weightless hook method and on a tubejig in the kawartha's. Both incredibly simple methods.

Like most fishing, it can be as easy or as difficult as you want to make it out to be.

My personal best carp was caught on a minnow while fishing for steelies at the grand - it was hooked right in the mouth so it did take the bait. That being said its not overly common to catch them on such bait.

This does not make them easy to catch or boring for that matter. That being said when salmon are spawning if you get a nice hole to yourself you can catch 20 fish in a night. Does that make them easy to catch? No - they may be easier to catch at times but not always.

Cheers

[xBrianx]

With all this carp talk

I cant wait to get out with the compound bow, and spool.

[Aster Rick]

With all this carp talk

I cant wait to get out with the compound bow, and spool.

Spears and clubs are more fun