How to Catch North American Grass Carp

Catching grass carp requires the right combination of bait and stealth.

To catch a grass carp, toss a salad. That's the advice of Keith "Catfish" Sutton, an avid angler and writer whose work has been published on the ESPN Outdoors website. The grass carp, a fish eaten worldwide and introduced in the U.S. in the 1960s to control aquatic vegetation, is a feisty foe that can grow to more than 4 feet long and weigh in excess of 100 pounds. The grass carp is a vegetarian (with the exception of the odd worm). Canned corn, cherry tomatoes, French fries and, of course, grass are all on the North American grass carp menu. The grass carp's large size and Jekyll-and-Hyde personality--a combination of shyness and bad temper--make it an attractive sport fish, sought after by anglers in public waterways and (with permission) on private property across the U.S.

Things You'll Need

• Bait for the water and for your hook
• Light to medium weight fishing rod and reel
• Light monofilament fishing line, 6- to 8-pound test
• No. 1 hook
• Slip sinker

Instructions

1. Bait the site before you fish. The Missouri Department of Conservation recommends emptying five to 10 cans of corn a distance off shore (10 to 20 feet is thought to be best). The more economically minded can use the equivalent amount of feed corn. Corn works best if it's spoiled and smelly. To ferment feed corn, fill a bucket half-full with corn, cover the corn with water and leave the mixture in the sun for three to four days. Ferment canned corn by opening the can and leaving it in the sun.

2. Choose the bait to attach to your line. Bread dough balls--either on their own or mixed with fermented corn--and earthworms are favored methods. Other recommendations are cherry tomatoes; watermelon (including the rind); catalpa worms; dog food; grasshoppers; and beans (green, kidney or Lima). Use just enough bait to cover the hook.

3. Think like a grass carp. This fish is particularly wary and elusive. Approach the water quietly and don't make any excess noise while fishing. Use only enough weight on your line to cast and always leave some slack in your line, since any tension will cause the grass carp to drop the bait before you can set your hook.

4. Keep an eye on your line. The moment you see it tighten, set the hook.

5. Be prepared for the fight of your life. Once hooked, a grass carp will run far and wide with the line. Keep the fish hooked by using a fairly loose drag. Fish in an area where there are no obstructions to avoid losing your catch when your line snags on a bush or other shoreline obstacle.

Tips & Warnings

• You can hunt grass carp using a bow and arrow, but make sure you bait the area ahead of time with corn. Grass carp that have been hunted are particularly shy and will need some coaxing to come into range.

• Grass carp are considered an invasive species in Canada and the U.S. If you catch one, you may have special responsibilities as an angler. For example, you are required to remove the intestines of any grass carp you catch in Texas unless you have a valid Triploid (sterile) Grass Carp Permit. In Ontario it is forbidden to possess or sell live Asian carp, including grass carp; if you catch a fish that you think might be a grass carp, keep it so that it can be identified and call the Invading Species hotline at 800-563-7711.

References

• ESPN Outdoors: The Fish That Eats Salad
• Invading Species: Invasive Carp
• Texas Parks and Wildlife: Grass Carp
• Missouri Department of Conservation: Catching Grass Carp

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish