We seem to have the opinion in the UK that you yanks fish for carp like neanderthals.

I'd be interested to see if this is true?

Do you guys use unhooking mats to protect the prize whilst on the bank?

....and is bowfishing still really going on?


Regards

Carpy

Quite a first post...

Some of us use unhooking mats, yes.

It generally depends on how serious a carper the individual angler is, how much funds they can devote to the sport, how knowledgable they are about the carp fishing methods of other areas of the world, and whether or not they've gotten around to "upgrading" to Euro gear.

Keep in mind unhooking mats aren't even commercially available in this country that I know of. Unhooking mats and weigh slings have to be purchased online, either from the few speciality shops in the country, or from Euro sites.

Yes, unfortuanately Bowfishing still occurs, and is still quite legal for some species. Sadly, that includes carp.

Though you need to understand that instead of 10 acre lakes with 30 specially managed fish...

We have lakes in the 10,000-50,000 acre range, and larger...With literally hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of carp in some of the lakes.

Also, Carp Fishing is a VERY small sport right now, and the vast majority of the angling population regards them as "trash fish."

Why..I don't know. Here in Texas, most people prefer bass...Which, oddly enough, don't get very big, and don't fight worth anything compared to carp! Pretty sad.

But, that's the way it is.

Around here, most lakes you can simply go out with a can or two of sweet corn, chum with a few handfuls, put a few kernals on a hook, and catch plenty of carp.

It's almost a totally different world from UK carp angling.

Oh...and did I mention you don't have to pay to fish lakes with big carp around here?

I always use a mat. After I take the arrow out, I set the carp on the mat to keep the guts off the dock while I gut the fish.
JUST KIDDING!!
Seriously, Since I don't have a mat, I wonder if a wet burlap bag would be good substitute unhooking mat.

Anything soft and padded would work. The idea is just to keep the fish from banging itself up on the shore, especially if the shore is rocky. A big fish flopping around could damage it's internals pretty easily, and end up dying later on. So the main idea is just to prevent that from happening.

First of all..

Carpin' "Euro-Style" is still unheard of by most american anglers and alot of people ask if my carp anglers group sticker is a joke! It's a whole different world over here. There are people who make money by guiding bowhunting, i mean, bowfishing trips for carp and other rough fish. Hell, there's even people who are tryin' to get our state's 2nd most fished game fish legal to be taken by bow!
To call us neanderthals sounds harsh, but a correct analogy in many cases. The carp club I fished a few years ago used gafs to carry around the carp to weigh them. The fish were weighed by the hook on the scale. I didn't hear about any of this Euro stuff until someone in the area came in one day with some Euro gear and such.
There's not the info and knowledge readily available for carp like there is for largemouth bass...so of course the general population and general game fish angler's not gonna have the slightest clue. I have yet to get an unhooking mat...just started tryin' to fish on a regular basis again this past fall. Hey UK guy, what's the deal with the debates I've seen on t.v. with Tony Blair and other government officials? They stand up and rattle somethin' off and sit down and just as quick as that happens, another's rattlin' off some hooby gooby. Just messin' with ya. How big are the carp you have access to in U.K.?

-Alan
and P.S. I ain't no frickin' yank! Down south, we call people up northeast yanks. Some call anyone north of Texas a yankee!

Forgot to mention...

There is a long list of "more desirable" fish that are caught in freshwater so there's no want for many anglers to stray away from what they're accustomed to fishing. Remember, carp have been considered trash fish for generations and are considered a problem, rather than a sportfish. It'll take a while before the "I have a dream" speach on carp rights to enlighten the masses.

I'm a redneck and a neanderthal at best yet I have just started pursuing carp and since my first secession have been using an unhooking mat. Not the posh commercial ones that you guys have but rather a blue foam sleeping pad that I commissioned into service for this purpose.

Oh, and I tie my own hair rigs, make my own snakebite rigs, construct my own ringed blowback rigs, I make my own bait and will soon be making my own boilies as soon as I acquire all the ingredients I'm seeking out.

Oh yea, I brew my own beer from grain as well.

So, if that is determined to be barbaric to you then I've got two fingers I can show you should we ever meet. LOL Just joking around don't get your panties in a wad.

I don't shoot them with arrows anymore, I don't blow them up with homemade pipe bombs anymore, I don't shoot them with a .22 rifle while they're spawning any more nor do I break canoe paddles over their heads like I used to. Oh, my misguided youth.

I now treasure these fish and release all that will survive their ordeal. I will take care to ensure their ability to survive the battle by using only single hooks and netting all fish and using a padded surface for unhooking.

It seems we or at least I am evolving.

If you saw the bank where we are currently "bivvy'd up" you would not question our love of the fish. Many mats, fish safe nets, slings to support the fish when weighing and bottles of antiseptic on hand. We care greatly for the Carp and Buffalo and are trying very had to make others in the US care for the fish. We spend out hard earned money on more items to protect the fish. Many of us speak out against BF and try to protect trophy fish from being eaten.

hey, give me a break, I'm learning. Why, just last week I swore off concussion grenades.

We seem to have the opinion that British men wear pantyhose whilst fishing.

I'd be interested to see if this is true.

Also, do you still marry your cousins?

Regards,

caveman

pretty strong first post!!

some do some don't the sport is really just starting to catch on over here, we are in our "richard walker days" if you will

Richard Walker Days, lol. Nice.

...Richard Walker, Texas Carp Ranger...

lol

ACS Deluxe Unhooking Mat here!

Chad

quote "We seem to have the opinion that British men wear pantyhose whilst fishing.
I'd be interested to see if this is true.
Also, do you still marry your cousins?
Regards,caveman" - yes we do - do you still vote in Presidents who allow thousands of their own people to drown (New Orleans) and who constantly invades poorer countries who cannot defend themselves purely to steal oil (Iraq). Also do you still lead the world in the development of illegal chemical weapons???

Neanderthals....Since this is your FIRST...and I assume LAST post I will just let this one go.