Carp - The Definitive Guide

All varieties have four barbels protruding from their snouts. The body generally resembles the shape of the bream but there are variations.

On the inside of the roofs of their mouths there is a small pad wiich is covered with taste buds this helps them dertermine what is food and what is not.

Habitat

They are mainly found in lakes, canals and man-made fisheries but can also be found on the slower reaches of rivers.

They tend to be bottom feeders but will also take food from the surface particularly in the summer months in the UK.

Cyprinus carpio used to be quite a rare species in the UK but due to the upsurge in commercial fisheries it is fast becoming the most caught fish in the UK by pleasure anglers, match anglers and specimen hunters.

Most commercially available baits will catch these fish and all are available from your local tackle shop such as maggot, caster, worms, boilies. The method feeder is a particularly good method which entails filling a swim feeder with ground bait an having a small hooklength either buried in the ground bait or hanging just outside of it.

In summer floating baits such as breadcrust work very well.

If you would like to submit a picture of your latest carp catch Click this link