Carp Care

[Big Fella]

CARE FOR THE CARP YOU CATCH IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.....NO CARP NO CARP FISHING


When you have netted the fish give it a couple of mins rest in the landing net before lifting it out of the water, especially in hot conditions when oxygen levels in the water are low.

Get a decent unhooking mat, there not expensive, I'm sick of seeing those little roll up, paper thin excuse for a mat things on the bank. Their hardly fit for ROACH let alone CARP and should be banned.

Always lift the fish out of the water in your landing net and return it to the water using you mat or weigh sling. NEVER carry the fish across your peg in your hands.

Wet your mat before lifting the fish out of the water and onto it.

When the fish is on the mat keep it wet, have a pot/bucket of lake water close bye.

Always have some forceps handy as sometimes the hook can be deep or just hard to remove and carry some klinik/antiseptic, check for mouth damage and apply where necessary.

Have your weigh sling, scales and camera to hand so things can be done and the fish can go back as quick as possible.

When taking your photo's kneel down keep the fish as low as you can with the mat directly under it.

Always handle the fish with your bare hands, don't wear gloves or use a towel, there slime is important to them.

When putting the fish back in the water keep hold of it /support it until it kicks strongly and is ready to swim away

I know most of this is commom sense but I still see things that concern me every week.........Please look after the CARP

Please feel free to add anything I've missed.

[booth91]

dont lift the weight sling high off the unhooking mat when weighing, and make sure its fins are flush against the side of the weigh sling.

[Callum91]

dont pour water from a bucket straight onto the fish as it takes the mucus off the fishes body. Pour the water onto your hand and let the water trickle off it slowly

[Callum91]

Korda Carp Care Kit - Only £12.99 - Crazy Carp Tackle Shop

^ they seem quite good.. also seal the area you put the carp care on using bonjella as it is water proof so the original liquids dont rub off

[grubby pants]

Originally Posted by Big Fella

CARE FOR THE CARP YOU CATCH IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.....NO CARP NO CARP FISHING


When you have netted the fish give it a couple of mins rest in the landing net before lifting it out of the water, especially in hot conditions when oxygen levels in the water are low.

I am sorry but I do not agree with this advice. If it is warm and the oxygen levels low, shallow margins are the very last place you want to be resting a Carp for a couple of minutes.

You want to get the fish on the bank weighed photographed and relesed as quickly and efficiently as you can.

Resting a fish in an oxygen depleted environment for a couple of minutes is only going to prolong and add to the stress.

[TEZZA]

Originally Posted by grubby pants

I am sorry but I do not agree with this advice. If it is warm and the oxygen levels low, shallow margins are the very last place you want to be resting a Carp for a couple of minutes.

You want to get the fish on the bank weighed photographed and relesed as quickly and efficiently as you can.

Resting a fish in an oxygen depleted environment for a couple of minutes is only going to prolong and add to the stress.

correct! don't fanny around do what you've got to do, do it quick but don't rush do it SAFELY. be prepared before hand.

[manc]

Carps heart is virtually in-between the pec fins, so when doing photos try and do your best to support more weight at the an@l fins, putting less stress on the carp’s heart. This after the fight and netting is probably at its highest rate and stress levels it’s ever likely to be.

Keep safe

Keep ur brolly up, so when the sh#t hits the fan, none lands on you!

[manc]

If using klinic or other mouth care products smear some Vaseline on treated area, this will prevent it from being washed off when putting the fish back in the lake.

Major one on handling carp I see is people wearing rings and watches whilst doing photos. Damaging the skin, scales and any where else it touches

[incognito]

Originally Posted by grubby pants

I am sorry but I do not agree with this advice. If it is warm and the oxygen levels low, shallow margins are the very last place you want to be resting a Carp for a couple of minutes.

You want to get the fish on the bank weighed photographed and relesed as quickly and efficiently as you can.

Resting a fish in an oxygen depleted environment for a couple of minutes is only going to prolong and add to the stress.

grubby pants is spot on good advice and something that people who are just getting into carping should take heed off.but here starts another subject, regarding sacking fish in the margins in warm weather big no no,especially when the sun is out and baking hot.have seen this done and is very dangerous to the fish could quite easily cause a fatality

[daveabbott]

Landing net 36” Minimum (For obvious reasons, NO NET NO FISHING)

WATER it always helps to have a bucket of water with you so you can keep the fish wet through out the process keep on applying a little water to the fish and this will help it keep its protective slime and gives a better picture, use lake water never tap water and don’t pour direct onto the fish pour onto your hand.

Unhooking mat (its essential an unhooking mat is used at all times the fish should never be placed on the bank without a good sized padded unhooking mat) when the fish is on the mat DO NOT LEAVE IT UNATTENDED. Get your scales sling ECT ready while the fish is still in the water

Forceps (99% of the time you will never need to use these for unhooking the fish but just in case you should always carry a pair in your bag.

Treatment products (I always carry a bottle of treatment products and I would also recommend everyone to do so, if the fishes mouth is bleeding or if scales are damaged this can be applied and can help with the healing of the wound) Best thing to do is as soon as the fish is on the unhooking mat before pictures or weighing then apply the treatment, this gives it times to settle in whilst you are taking your best trophy shots.

Never ware jewellery (carp are very sensitive and such items could easily cause damage)

NEVER stand up with the fish if you drop the fish it could easily kill the fish


Never leave the fish for long periods of time (I remember walking over to a chap fishing in France who had a unhooking mat he had nipped to the bivvy to grab his scales and the fish burst into life and started flapping all over the place when I was walking over the fish was flapping all over the gravel on the floor and I had to put it back on the mat and cover its eyes to calm it) This is wrong get everything ready before you have the fish on the mat then if it does start flapping you can cover it and apply gentle pressure to calm the fish.

The best thing to do is when you land the carp leave the carp in net in the water for a few minutes whilst you get all your things sorted, then when every thing is ready the put the net down in the water and make sure all the fins on the fish are secure and the fins are facing the body not away from the body as this again can cause damage then roll the net up a bit and lift making sure its free from any rocks or other hazards and lift securely using a hand to secure the bottom of the fish to the unhooking mat where the solution should be applied then pictures then weighing

That’s the best order to do it Solution, Picture then weighing the fish this is because once you have weighed the fish its easy to transport the carp back to the water in the weigh sling.

[Big Fella]

Originally Posted by grubby pants

I am sorry but I do not agree with this advice. If it is warm and the oxygen levels low, shallow margins are the very last place you want to be resting a Carp for a couple of minutes.

You want to get the fish on the bank weighed photographed and relesed as quickly and efficiently as you can.

Resting a fish in an oxygen depleted environment for a couple of minutes is only going to prolong and add to the stress.

I can’t agree with you on this, I can’t see how letting a fish rest in the net for a couple of mins is more stressful than lifting it straight out of the water into an atmosphere where it can’t breathe.

[TEZZA]

Originally Posted by Big Fella

I can’t agree with you on this, I can’t see how letting a fish rest in the net for a couple of mins is more stressful than lifting it straight out of the water into an atmosphere where it can’t breathe.

[grubby pants]

Originally Posted by Big Fella

I can’t agree with you on this, I can’t see how letting a fish rest in the net for a couple of mins is more stressful than lifting it straight out of the water into an atmosphere where it can’t breathe.

It’s simple really! In the conditions you describe a shallow margin would be an "atmosphere where it can't breathe" leave it there long enough and it will die.

In those two minutes you could have made serious progress with your weighing and photography. Its two minutes longer in an inhospitable environment two minutes longer that the fish has to wait until it can get back to oxygen rich water.


Even in times of high oxygen I would question the wisdom of letting a fish rest. Allow the fish to recover, and it will thrash around using up all its new found energy. Not only does that make the whole process a waste of time but in the hands of a beginner it also increases the risk of injury to the fish.

well said

[richk]

When returning the fish always keep the mat as low to the ground as possible and use both hands not just the one that way if anything unexpected happens eg you trip etc you have full control. I see people carrying them back at chest hight and also one handed.