Biggest Carp Ever Caught (with video)

If you are a regular reader of this blog you will know that carp are not my favorite fish in the world. Don't get me wrong they are a great angling target in their rightful place, but they actually illegal to catch and release in my country (Australia) and must be disposed of away from the water because of the environmental impact.

There is heaps of (mis)information about the biggest carp ever caught, but it seems to me the world record carp was caught by Graham Slaughter (what a great name!!) of Britain. His carp weighed in at a whopping 88.6lbs and is believed to be the only carp caught over 40 kilos in the world. To put that into perspective the women Chinese Olympic divers weigh in at around 37 kilos!

Here is a picture of the world record fish (click to enlarge)

It is an amazing fish and I have never seen anything like it. It looks like it has been seriously pigging out on anglers baits for years and years without doing any exercise!

Here is a video of the previous world record carp, which weighed in at 87lb 2oz and although it isn't 40kg it is still a great fish. The video is well worth a watch if you like giant carp!

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Knotless Knot - Hair rig (carp fishing knots)

Fishing knot posts probably make up the highest percentage of this blog - and there is a very good reason for that. Tying good knots can make the difference between landing or losing that fish of a lifetime. Ever since I lost a huge Spanish mackerel to a dodgy knot I have been on a crusade to help others with their knot tying.

The knotless knot (also called the hair rig because it is more of a rig than a knot) is very popular with carp anglers, but many other types of anglers are starting to see the benefit of this knot in other forms of fishing. I have used it fishing for many freshwater fish and it also works in the saltwater equally as well. It is easy to tie with a bit of practice and can be tied with most types and diameters of line such as braid, fluorocarbon and monofilament.

If you are a carp angler then this knot is one that you should have in your arsenal, but don't discount it even if you never plan on catching a carp as it is more versatile than people realize.

The following video shows how to tie a hair rig.

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Carp fishing videos

There has been lots of interest in the few carp stories I have posted on this site so far and this post is another for all you carp lovers out there. I have tried to find the best 3 carp fishing videos I could find that are not only great to watch, but might help new anglers learn a little something too.

Video 1
The first video is more instructional in nature, but also shows some great close quarters carp fishing action. It is presented by semi famous fisherman Matt Hayes who I have always enjoyed watching. In this video he is fishing less than 3 yards from his rod tip and looks to be an exhilarating form of fishing.



Video 2
The second video is fly fishing for carp and has been very well done for an armature video.



Video 3
This video shows the most popular technique for carping by placing your rod in a holder and using a bite alarm.



I hope you enjoyed this post.

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Carp night fishing

Carp fishing at night can be a cold and miserable time if you don't make the necessary precautions, but night carp fishing can also be a rewarding time with some thumping fish available for the dedicated angler.

There are two ways to fish at night for carp:

1. Stay awake and use audible and visual bite indication.

• Visual bite indication can be as simple as a glow stick attached to the tip of your rod or you can purchase specially made illuminated floats.
  

2. Sleep and rely on audible bite detection to wake you up.

• For this method you need bite alarms. These come in a variety of form with increasing prices, but they all do a similar job - alerting you to a hookup!

Staying warm
This is the biggest problem with night fishing anywhere (I was cold when I went night fishing the first time and that was in the tropics!). You need a good shelter (read tent), and something to sleep in like a heavy duty sleeping bag. It is probably also a good idea to use a camping bed (stretcher bed) to raise yourself off the ground to be a little more comfortable and warm.

Tackle for night carp fishing
This remains basically the same as day time fishing with the addition of light in the form of glow sticks, and illuminated floats. Attach a glow stick to the tip of your rod and you have a cheap bit detection system - you can even buy specially made ones for this job. Always take a torch and lantern to see what you are doing!

Methods for fishing at night
You know I could tell you some fancy secret, but it would be a lie. Catching carp at night is really not that much different from catching carp in the day time. However, they feel safer at night and will come much closer to the margins to feed. Some experts recommend throwing a bait in only 3 feet from the bank!

Bait for night carp fishing
There is one rule here - make it as smelly as possible so the carp can find it. Oily fish is great for this!

One last night carp fishing tip
Like the scouts motto always be prepared. Rig your lines up before it gets dark and always have a spare rod or two rigged and ready to go just in case something goes wrong.

I hope this little post will help you with your night carp fishing - Good luck

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Fishing Video of the week - Carp

In Australia these fish are an introduced pest. They have taking over the native waterways, muddying up the rivers and basically making it hard for the Australian freshwater sportsfish. They are causing so much trouble that it is illegal to return a carp to the water dead or alive. A carp fertilizer has now been developed called "Charlie carp" which puts the dead fish to good use. They were introduced originally to make Australia seem more European and they have also been introduced into our rivers by well meaning pet owners who could no longer care for their fish.

From what I understand the problem also exists in the United States and I would love to hear more about it.

However, after saying all that, carp are a popular angling target in Europe and they grow mighty big and put up a very strong fight. This great video is for all those people that like to catch carp.

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