Grass Carp

[cycler68]

The grass carp are now in the shallows at Bacon Creek. Last night I was fishing off that steep bank on the west side of the lake & had one surface withing casting distance of my 15 ft tenkara rod so I cast my micro jig/strike indicator rig over there. I let it set for maybe a minute but didn't have a take so I cast of another spot a little further up the bank and let it set. After a little while it began moving on it's own so I set the hook. At first it felt like a snag but soon I realized I was connected to a powerful & heavy fish that I had little control over. I tried to bring it to the surface so I could see it before it broke off. It got close, the float was well off the surface, but then it came loose which under the circumstances was probably a good thing. I didn't get to see the fish so I can't say for sure a grass carp but I am 90% sure it was because I did definitely see one before the hookup and because the tactics I was using are as good as anything I've read about for catching grass carp. And another grass carp did surface in front of me before I left the area.
That got me to thinking; grass carp are notoriously spooky and will spook if you cast fly line over them but my fish didn't probably because the line was too thin for them to notice. That leads me to the conclusion that a person could enhance his or her chances of catching a grass carp if he used a long 12 ft leader like are used for bonefish. I also think a fly that looks like moss and/or coontail would work for them.
P.S. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than smart.

[Bluegill222]

They are spawning (commons, anyway) here right now, so you see pods of them all over, but they aren't even remotely interested in taking a fly. It's the most frustrating thing ever!

[cycler68]

Bacon Creek carp definitely are grass carp because, at least as far as I know, there aren't any commons in there. I would love to catch one of those monsters but know it will be very difficult with any tackle let alone a fly rod.

[Uncle Jesse]

I have catch several on dropper nymph type flies when bream fishing. I don't know if they are any spookier than any other fish really however, we tend to see them in shallow water, I have seen them extend their entire head out of the water to get grass off the bank. They do get large, the first I ever heard of anyone catching was back in MS in a state park lake, it weighed 58 lbs. the guy catch it fishing a plastic worm and wanted it certified as a record catch, at the time the state of MS did not consider it a game fish and did not maintain a record for grass carp.

I landed a 7.5 lb. on a 3 wt. several years ago with a 4 lb. tippet, it was fun for several minutes.

[cycler68]

Uncle Jesse,

Were you just letting the nymph drift or were you giving the nymph action when they struck?

[Uncle Jesse]

It was under a popping bug or similar fly, one I think hit almost as soon as the nymph sunk under the fly the other was probably being stripped along slowly. There was not a "drift" option these were in lakes with no water movement. This one was in October I think it was, it was cold enough I had on neoprene waders and a field jacket.
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