Oklahoma bone fishing.

[poke flyfisher]

Dave,

I'm not a fisheries biologist, but I don't think so. I think a closer relative might be the redfish since they're a member of the drum family which I think is a distant relative. I've fished for permit, bonefish and redfish and it's amazing how similar all their feeding behaviors are. Trust me, carp are every bit as spooky as permit and can be even more finicky feeders. I'm not sure I will ever spend the big bucks again to go after the saltwater species when I have "Golden Bones" so close to home. As for great carp flies, I'd like to add a Poxyback Olive Stone to the list. The guys at the local flyshop here in OKC said that was one of their favorites for carp and I've had great success with them. I think last year about all Robert and I used were prince nymphs with great success, but this year we've both branched out a little experimenting with new patterns. I've also followed the advice of Long-Haired Dave and started using bigger sizes (#8 & #10) with about the same results. In fact, I caught my biggest carp to date (a fat 27 incher) on a size 8 chain head marabou pattern about two months ago. I think you should have as many tools in your tool box as possible to address anything these fish can throw at you and that's kind of what I've been doing as I learn more about them. Carp should get more respect but even the guys in my local flyfishers club still give me a hard time about my passion for these wonderful fish.

Carp are in the minnow family, so they are about as closely related to redfish or bonefish as any fish is to any other fish.

The one thing you have to be careful about when comparing carp to redfish or bonefish is that both of those salty dogs will chase bait but a carp basically won't. So retrieve wisely.

Carp rock!

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--playin' with my piscatorial pals--

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[OkieBass133]

Careful LHD. Carp usually won't. . .

[Robert McMahan]

Okie,
I got the flies. Thanks man. I knew you'd come through. Now I'm pumped. I just know those things are going to slay them.
Okie, you know, I've been thinking. I am a lawyer and I do name changes from time to time. That's part of my job. What would you think about changing your FAOL name from Okiebass to Okiecarp? I would file the paperwork and handle everything to accomplish the name change at no charge to you. Let me know.
R.

Okie; you're right, carp will sometimes chase bait, it is just extremely infrequent. The biggest mistake I see anglers make is fishing for carp the way they'd strip a fleeing shrimp away from a bonefish or redfish. Too fast.

Now I had an awesome experience about 9 years ago in the reservoir for a small town in Iowa, I kept hearing these crashing sounds as I was fishing for bream, upon closer inspection carp were herding up and chasing minnows into the banks feeding on them. The carp were practically beaching themselves going after the little guys.

But that's why I say they "basically" won't chase bait... because it's nothing for any of us to speed up, but it sometimes seems near impossible to get people to SLOW DOWN.

[flybugpa]

The tailwater I fish is loaded with carp mup to about 8 lbs. Right now, the tricos are on that river and I have been enjoying good sucess with carp on dry flies. The carp are schooled up and feeding in the eddys to suck up all the spinners the can gulp down. My largest to date has been a 26 incher on 6x tippet. I have had a few more big ones on that have broken off at the terminal knot, The hot fly seems to be a black double foam beetle. I am using a 7'9" 3 weight blank from hook and hackle. cant wait till tommmorrow!