In carp waters where I fish, there’s plenty of grass carp. Hardcore anglers on carp are not very fond of them because they are greedy and capable of cleaning feeding spots meant for carp within minutes. They are also challenging fish, powerful, energetic, and known for their wild behavior once they are in the cradle so taking a picture with them can be quite challenging. I like them because they always put up a fun fight. With this being said, I gathered plenty of experience and it’s time to share it with both current and future carp anglers. Read on and find out how to catch grass carp with corn.
Choosing the Right Equipment to Catch Grass Carp With Corn
Before we delve deeper into the subject, I want to point out that fishing for grass carp doesn’t differ much from fishing for common carp. After all, both fishes come from the Cyprinidae family so their behavior and feeding habits are similar.
As far as equipment goes, a reel with a medium gear ratio will suffice. I am using standard 3.5lb carp rods (length depends on the venue). On the spool, I have 35 lb monofilament. The leader is a classic hair rig made out of a 25 lb braid. In the end, the hooks I use are either size 2 or 4 wide gape.
The above setup never failed me and I landed some HUGE grass carp specimens over the years.
Understanding Grass Carp Behavior
Carp fishing is all about observing and understanding the behavior of the fish you are targeting. Once you master that, you’ll land plenty of fish no matter what type of bait you use. Boilies, sweet corn, pop-up corn, tiger nuts, balls made out of bread, anything goes.
Below is a list of the most important things you should keep in mind when this carp species is in question.
Grass Carp Lack Teeth and Feed on Aquatic Vegetation
One of the main reasons why grass carp have been introduced to Eastern European waters and why the grass carp population has been increasing in recent years is their feeding habit. Just 4 or 5 adult specimens can take care of aquatic plants in a 1 acre lake.
In other words, they are the best aquatic vegetation control. The waters where grass carp can be found will have their weed growth under control. This also makes fishing for common carp easier since you won’t lose your leaders in thick vegetation.
Grass Carp Love Sweet Corn
Catching carp on corn isn’t anything new. It’s a fact they love it. But, when it comes to grass carp, their love for corn of any kind, especially sweet corn is on another level. A good thing about this is that you can simply buy a can of sweet corn in a local supermarket, dry it out, and just add an attractor to it. I found out that vanilla or brandy aromas work best (at least for me). If there’s a grass carp in the water where you fish, and you created a nice feeding spot with spod mix, I guarantee that you’ll have one hooked on this inexpensive bait.
Grass Carp Spawn in Spring and Early Summer
Grass carp spawn in spring and early summer, typically between April and June. During this time, they are more active and feeding in preparation for spawning. Anglers may find it easier to catch them during this period as they are more actively seeking food to build up their energy reserves for reproduction. Please be mindful of the spawning season and follow catch-and-release practices to protect the population of this freshwater fish. Especially because it’s one of the non-native species in European waters.
Using Fresh Corn as Bait to Catch Grass Carp
All carp species like corn. However, the average grass carp eats a couple of times a day and the amount of corn it can eat can be multiple times bigger than the body weight of the fish itself. The good thing about this is the fact that the actual bait can be easily acquired.
Corn is by far the most favorite bait of grass carp. From personal experience, I had the best results on vanilla or pineapple aroma. But, I want to point out that when I am fishing in a high-density weed, I use pop-up corn which I spray with attractor.
Attracting Grass Carp to Your Corn Bait
Bait piles are something that will attract this freshwater sport fish very quickly. Large amounts of food grass carp eat draw him to a place where there’s an abundance of it. So my suggestion is that you regularly throw carp food on your spot. That will keep the fish at one location and in most cases you’ll have one on the hook fairly quickly the next time you cast your rods.
One thing I heard, but never tried, is that some anglers use cherry tomatoes to attract grass carp. I don’t know if this works, but you are welcome to try it if, for some reason, other bait presentations with corn don’t work.
Choosing the Ideal Fishing Spot to Catch Grass Carp With Corn
Lakes with several acres in size with a lot of aquatic weeds are commonly the best place to look for grass carp. But that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to catch them in ponds or backwaters of rivers.
The locations I choose when I target this fun-fighting fish usually have very slow or no current, have excessive weed, and ideally, an old log or a tree stump can be seen sticking out of the water. I landed some huge sized grass carps on locations with stumps.
Of course, I am not seeing you won’t find them anywhere else, but this worked best for me.
Best Fishing Techniques to Catch Grass Carp With Corn
Carp System to Catch Grass Carp With Corn
The first technique I recommend is the standard one used in carp angling. Use carp lead, braid, or fluorocarbon as a leader, instead of hooked bait, present it on a hair rig and that’s all there is to it. Very basic, but great results. Of course, lead weight, corn aroma, and texture (fresh, dipped, or pop-up) depend on the casting distance and the venue where you are fishing.
Feeder System to Cath Grass Carp With Corn
The second technique also produces great results and I caught some huge sized fish on it. I am talking about a feeder system where you are attracting the fish with a lot of smells, colors, and ingredients. Just make sure that you are using sweet aromas and add sweet corn from the can into the mixture. That will make grass carp move and fish feeding will start sooner than without the sweet corn in the mix.
Again, the weight and the type of the feeder depends on the location. Usually, a 2oz caged feeder with a closed bottom should do the trick.
Tips for Catching Grass Carp With Corn
- Using grass clipping as additional attraction – A lot of anglers report they landed a giant grass carp when they used grass clippings. I never tried this nor I can visualize to myself how would this work. I suggest you try to find this information online, maybe someone shared a guide.
- Fish during early morning or late evening – Just like common carp, grass is most active at sunrise on lakes and in late evening in rivers. I did catch some around noon, especially in the summer, but those were exceptions.
- Be patient – As I already mentioned, grass carp is an extremely powerful fish with great strength reserves. They will put up a lot of fight so wearing them out can take up to 20 minutes when huge size fish is on the hook
- Handle with care – Once you land the fish and place it carefully into the cradle, it’s time to take a memorable picture. But, grass carp will kick and jump quite a lot, unlike common carp which get quite calm after the first minute or so.
- Uphold catch & release practice – Grass carp is a true sport fish that will never put up a boring fight. Having one on the line is unique experience so make sure that you release every caught specimen back to it’s habitat. That’s the only way to make sure that future generations can enjoy this awesome fish as well.
I hope this article helps you and that you’ll catch some monster specimens. If you like what you read, I suggest you learn how to avoid bream when carp fishing as well. We all know how bothersome bream can be when we are waiting for carp.