Carp care

[nigewoodcock 1,623]

With the spring now upon us (apart from looking out the window to a foot of snow), I thought I would start a new thread so people can post up there do’s and dont’s regarding fish care and looking after the fish on the bank. 

There has been an influx of new members that are new to the sport or carp fishing in general. It would be a good thread for them to read through tips from experienced anglers so there is a chance to prevent rather than solve.

fire away boys 

[ianain 1,069]

Get organised on the bank:

Decide where you are going to play the fish so that you are prepared for overhead and underfoot obstructions

Make sure that you have your landing handy where you intend to play the fish so that it won't snag at a vital point

Have all of your post landing fish equipment in a sensible place, free from obstructions and in arms reach to your cradle / un-hooking mat (carp care medicine, lake water, forceps / disgorger, weigh sling)

Photos, set up in advance so that the fish is out of the water for the least amount of time; if something goes wrong whilst trying to take the picture - put the fish back rather than put the fish through any more stress just to get a trophy shot

Edited March 18, 2018 by ianain
Coz I can, coz I can - coz I can

[dayvid 644]

Dont play the CARP to to such an extent it comes into the net flat on its side , then after all the weighing and photographing magic buckets of water over it , it then needs 15 mins to recover because you have very nearly killed it in the first place.

So Carp care to me and others is not just about when you have it out the water, it starts from the moment you hook it.

[muftyboy 1,314]

10 minutes ago, dayvid said:

Dont play the CARP to to such an extent it comes into the net flat on its side , then after all the weighing and photographing magic buckets of water over it , it then needs 15 mins to recover because you have very nearly killed it in the first place.

So Carp care to me and others is not just about when you have it out the water, it starts from the moment you hook it.

I don't understand the 1st part.

Are you saying to bully the carp into the net then mate?.

 

[ianain 1,069]

Thought a few pictures might help:

Unhooking mat

Cradle

Spray or use carp care drops where the hook entered

Spray or use drops on lesions

 

Edited March 18, 2018 by ianain
Cos, I can...

[dayvid 644]

You dont have to bully any fish , just be competent enough to get the fish in without tiring it out to just a dead weight ,which Many "Carp" anglers cant do , 

Its a hate of mine , hearing how people have to recover their fish , i have never through the course of normal angling ever had to recover a fish , 

[B.C. 1,982]

Be careful when lifting fish out of the water, double check that all their fins are laying right

Been using a cradle type mat for a few years now, but I still take my old beanie mat with me and leave it near the water's edge. I use this to support and carry a netted fish up the bank, to an area where my cradle is. A quick release mechanism on a spreader block is also something I've found very useful to help close and detach  the landing net head  in a second, rather than trying to pull the net arms out, which might get stuck now on then with grit.

I have used various medi care solutions Kryston, Korda, Gardner........ I don't have a preference, just what ever is available in the shop... But if you haven't got any and money is tight, a tube of Savlon is what we used to use. Before anyone jumps on that one, I can tell you now that it works a treat and doesn't harm the fish at all, it's human grade and you only need a tiny smidge on a hook hold, or a little bit on an external wound..... Something is better than nothing. £1 a tube.

 

 

[B.C. 1,982]

6 hours ago, dayvid said:

Its a hate of mine , hearing how people have to recover their fish

I always recover them, I like them to kick off strongly having been rested and taken in some D.O. through the gills. It only takes 5 minutes. I feel much better seeing one kick off, than if it just sits in the edge. Seen one or two released too early, listing to one side, not good.... Better to rest them first imo..... Besides, it gives you an extra 5 mins to admire your catch in the water. Never a bad thing if catches are rare.

No offence meant Dave, but , not recovering a fish is bad advice to anyone new to the sport. That's not an opinion, it's fact.

[dayvid 644]

My point is it should swim off freely upright and quickly ,  and no be so knackered that it leans to one side has to be rested X amount of mins , if people are recovering fish then its been played to long , out the water to long or a combination of both.

We are going to have to agree to disagree 

[muftyboy 1,314]

6 hours ago, dayvid said:

You dont have to bully any fish , just be competent enough to get the fish in without tiring it out to just a dead weight ,which Many "Carp" anglers cant do , 

Its a hate of mine , hearing how people have to recover their fish , i have never through the course of normal angling ever had to recover a fish , 

Not trying to start an argument mate but surely the carp ends up in the net when it's ready.

I've had smaller carp go absolutely nuts when they see the net and take ages to get and also bigger fish that just swim straight into the net.

No point of trying to force it in if it's not ready.

[dayvid 644]

Thats hte question ,"when is it ready " many seem to think when its flat on its side and lifeless.

[muftyboy 1,314]

29 minutes ago, dayvid said:

Thats hte question ,"when is it ready " many seem to think when its flat on its side and lifeless.

Not something I've really noticed myself.

But then again I fish on my own a lot as I'm Billy no mates.

 

[chillfactor 2,499]

1 hour ago, dayvid said:

Thats hte question ,"when is it ready " many seem to think when its flat on its side and lifeless.

Only the angler with the rod in there hand can answer that one , loads of things make the battle what it is ... lillies/ snags / weed / depth of margin / size of fish / zigs /  list goes on & on .

Don't see any issue with resting fish we all should know when there ready , but thst also ties in with what sort of fight to the net it was . I like to unhook them in the net if I can , get all the end tackle out the way before any thought of lifting them out  , great point by BC on the fins check check & check again just before lifting . 

Barbel fishing it's a must to hold & rest the fish , if you don't & it's fast water it could well go belly up . Even after holding & resting them your still find them laying up out the flow somewhere. 

[B.C. 1,982]

2 hours ago, dayvid said:

out the water to long or a combination of both.

Have to agree with the "out of the water too long".... That's something I see a lot of. It makes Ian's point of getting things organised in the first place, a very valid point. It makes me wince when I see someone faffing about , looking for what they need, when it should be at the ready, while there capture is flapping about on the mat... 

[salokcinnodrog 2,560]

When I land a fish I fix the landing net so the fish is still in the water, so I can get everything ready. The cradle and mat are ready, but I may want time to get my camera positioned as that is one thing I will not leave outside.

 

I have my forceps attached to my bivvy door, so I can reach them quickly after netting the fish, the sling is already on the unhooking mat and cradle. I put the baitrunner on, I then lift the net and fish onto the cradle and unhook the fish, putting the hook and my forceps out of the way and although the fish is on the mat, slide it into the sling. Its then easy to do pictures quickly and get the carp back in the water in the weigh sling.

 

My night time pictures may not be perfect, but I much rather have the fish back quickly.

[smufter 1,600]

4 hours ago, salokcinnodrog said:

When I land a fish I fix the landing net so the fish is still in the water, so I can get everything ready. The cradle and mat are ready, but I may want time to get my camera positioned as that is one thing I will not leave outside.

 

I have my forceps attached to my bivvy door, so I can reach them quickly after netting the fish, the sling is already on the unhooking mat and cradle. I put the baitrunner on, I then lift the net and fish onto the cradle and unhook the fish, putting the hook and my forceps out of the way and although the fish is on the mat, slide it into the sling. Its then easy to do pictures quickly and get the carp back in the water in the weigh sling.

 

My night time pictures may not be perfect, but I much rather have the fish back quickly.

I'll try, whenever possible, to remove the hook from the fish before lifting the net out of the water.

Only needs the fish to start thrashing around in the net with the hooklink snagged in the netting to do some serious damage to it's mouth.

[muftyboy 1,314]

8 hours ago, B.C. said:

Have to agree with the "out of the water too long".... That's something I see a lot of. It makes Ian's point of getting things organised in the first place, a very valid point. It makes me wince when I see someone faffing about , looking for what they need, when it should be at the ready, while there capture is flapping about on the mat... 

A lot of so called expert anglers are guilty of this.

Most of the fishing programs on tv they will be holding the fish for minutes while waffling on about how they caught it.

[Highy 508]

5 hours ago, smufter said:

I'll try, whenever possible, to remove the hook from the fish before lifting the net out of the water.

Only needs the fish to start thrashing around in the net with the hooklink snagged in the netting to do some serious damage to it's mouth.

This is exactly what i do....then detach the net and roll up...but at the moment i use an oversized beanie mat with spare buckets of water...release by rolling net down in the water (no retention sling yet)..Carp Care kit No.1 on list.

Ive heard Propolis from H&B is a good liquid ???

[greekskii 1,861]

42 minutes ago, Highy said:

Ive heard Propolis from H&B is a good liquid ???

yes it is, it's used in the koi industry a lot. I've been using it for a while now and its great. 

Personally for me it's unhook in the net, on to the mat and weighed and photographed. In the recovery sling for a few mins and then released. 

Sometimes things are delayed like getting shocking pics or bad weather so I'll put it in the sling prior to taking pics. No way you can take the pics straight away so you need to leave them to settle on the mat for a few mins. 

One of my pet hates is seeing people using mats and nets too small, or not being able to unhook a fish proper, or even hold it properly so when it decides to flap it hurts itself

p.s. I use a cradle but I still call it a mat.

[harpz_31 179]

its very rare I take a fish out of the net

I think its easier for me and the fish I weigh it in the net and transfer it back to the water in the net

ive never really timed it but id say its less that a minute out of the water

and is it just me or does anyone else hate it on fishing shows when they say "lets get it straight back" when it looks like they've had it out for ages while rattling to the camera and taking hundreds of pictures

 

[emmcee 606]

17 minutes ago, greekskii said:

yes it is, it's used in the koi industry a lot. I've been using it for a while now and its great. 

Personally for me it's unhook in the net, on to the mat and weighed and photographed. In the recovery sling for a few 

One of my pet hates is seeing people using mats and nets too small, or not being able to unhook a fish proper, or even hold it properly so when it decides to flap it hurts itself

 

Totally agree.  Though I feel some of the mats on the market are way too small and thin for the fish so the company's making and selling such items should take some blame. Also fishery manager's bailiffs don't always do enough. If had a lake and an anglers turned up with what I felt was inadequate mat etc I'd tell them to get on their way. Also any angler without carp care kits or such like shouldn't be fishing in my opinion. No excuse not to have anything like this in your tackle bag. 

 

[chillfactor 2,499]

1 hour ago, harpz_31 said:

its very rare I take a fish out of the net

I think its easier for me and the fish I weigh it in the net and transfer it back to the water in the net

ive never really timed it but id say its less that a minute out of the water

and is it just me or does anyone else hate it on fishing shows when they say "lets get it straight back" when it looks like they've had it out for ages while rattling to the camera and taking hundreds of pictures

 

Once fish get to the size where weighing them is on the cards , personally I would never use a net fella  , always a more supportive weigh sling with no mesh for dorsal fins to get snagged , net mesh can really dig into Heavy fish & offers little support & can lift scales . Which is why you should always support the weight of the fish with one hand under the net ,  when carrying them  .... well that's how I like to do it, with the net rolled down tight to the fishes back . Then it' just a case of into the cradle with the sling in ready then  gently slide the net out  & the fish is ready for weighing .

 

 

[harpz_31 179]

23 minutes ago, chillfactor said:

Once fish get to the size where weighing them is on the cards , personally I would never use a net fella  , always a more supportive weigh sling with no mesh for dorsal fins to get snagged , net mesh can really dig into Heavy fish & offers little support & can lift scales . Which is why you should always support the weight of the fish with one hand under the net ,  when carrying them  .... well that's how I like to do it, with the net rolled down tight to the fishes back . Then it' just a case of into the cradle with the sling in ready then  gently slide the net out  & the fish is ready for weighing .

 

 

out of the 80ish fish I had last year only 2 were over 20lb+which is way I put its rare I use a sling

but I weigh and photo all fish for records

[B.C. 1,982]

2 hours ago, emmcee said:

Though I feel some of the mats on the market are way too small and thin for the fish so the company's making and selling such items should take some blame.

Make you right there. The average size of fish tends to be a bit bigger than ,say 10 to 15 years ago. Lots of 20 plus fish about nowadays.

[greekskii 1,861]

43 minutes ago, harpz_31 said:

out of the 80ish fish I had last year only 2 were over 20lb+which is way I put its rare I use a sling

but I weigh and photo all fish for records

whether its 1lb or 50lb, I treat all fish with the same respect.