I'm trying to set up my current catfish rods to ALSO catch carp without having to restring everytime. So the question is, are carp line shy? Will they be scared off by the Hi-Vis mono I usually use for catfishing?

For the setup I'm going for would you recommend braid or mono?

Thanks for any help.

I use the green braid. I have also used hi vis mono so that I could see light bites when using conventional tackle. Both work. I do not think that the carp are terribly line shy. That said, I prefer the braid.

What pound test is the mono? Typically carp fishermen in Europe use 12lb test. Since our waters are a bit more rough around the edges I recommend 15lb for mono or 20-30lb for braid, both of which I use. Line color is subjective, some say it doesn't matter and others swear by concealing their rigs as much as possible. I haven't noticed a difference but I typically use a leader.

Well since I'm trying to use the same rod and reels for cats as well, I was considering going with a nice 25-30 pound mono., with a clear mono 40 pound leader. However if I have a hi-vis line coming out of the top of my method feeder (and a clear leader out the bottom to the hook. I wondered if the hi-vis would spook them?

carp are much different than cats ,one factor is the lips are softer and will tear when horsed resulting in a win for the carp ,if fishing from shore sometimes you need distance with a lighter weight (2 oz) and with heavy line you will lose distance , heavy line coils easily on the spool which effects the resistance when casting where lighter line not as much they are two different type of fighters when hooked with the cat you can put more pressure on it and with carp you use your drag for when he lunges on a fight i would definatley use two different set ups if possible personally i mostly use berkley big game in 12 lbs test with a 20 lb omni flex mono leader about twice the distance of what ever rod im using carp you should really tire out before trying to net where a cat no so important just my 2 cents

as far as your color question , color does not matter with carp

+1. Attempting to horse in a carp will cause a lot of headaches for you (and the fish) as you'll lose most of them and their mouths will likely be badly torn. Distance is great to be able to achieve and can make or break you in certain situations, but most of the time you'l be fishing 60yds out and closer. Most of my fish come from the 10-30yd range.

Appreciate the advice. It sounds like you all are saying that Catfishing gear (line and rods) are just too heavy duty for carp, I can't really afford to but dedicated rods for carp right now so maybe I'll wait to start targeting carp. Thanks for the advice.

When I first started I didn't have dedicated Carp rods, either. I used mostly medium-heavy bass setups but also had 2 catfishing setups and I still use them on occasion for friends/family. I would go ahead and give it a try, I'd recommend watching some Carp fishing videos to give you an idea of how it's done. This one is one of the best IMO:

Even with a heavy rod you can still set your drag in a way that you won't be exerting too much pressure on the fish. I use a very stiff rod, one of the heaviest for carp fishing at 3.5lb Test Curve. When I'm fighting a fish I'll slowly decrease the drag as I bring it closer and closer to shore. Doing this I've never lost a fish to a hook pull close in, which stiff rods are notorious for doing as the fish doesn't have the leverage it does when it's farther out.

My rods are currently spooled up with 25lb braided mainline down to a ~3ft leader of 30lb copolymer, and for my hooklinks I use 15lb coated braid.

You don't have to wait - you don't need specialized gear to catch carp. I started out with simple carolina rigs and sweet corn loaded on the hook using a MH Shakespeare rod. Chum the spot you're fishing (this is more ideal for ponds where you may not be casting very far and can reach your spot by tossing the chum corn by hand). This is super simplistic and works but I like the Euro style (hair rigs) more and these can also be simple. they make specialized leads to hold your pack bait/chum but you can use an egg sinker as a substitute. Hair rigs are easy to tie once you practice-tie a couple and you can use leader material from some braid you have laying around or from your reel. IMO the hook is very important, you definitely want a good quality (strong/sharp) hook. I usually carry sizes 6 to 10.

If you're looking for a budget-friendly carp rod/reel combo - I have an NGT 8' Carp Stalker rod I bought from BCT that was about $30 paired with an NGT Carp Runner reel which was also about $30. It works well for me and I landed my PB common on that setup pictured below (20+ lb river carp when I lived in NJ), although on the reel side I'd recommend stepping up to the Daiwa Regal BRI for an extra $20. I will say the rod is only a 2.0 TC so you're a bit restricted with how much weight you can throw.

As for the original question, for hair rigs I always use braid because of its suppleness. All of my reels and thus leaders use the dark-green color and they aren't spooky about it. I can't speak to the high-vis red/yellow color braids; I think the green just blends better with the bottom.

Did not mean to discourage you .you can use anything to fish for carp .i am using catfish cats poles and a bass pole as we speak ....the cat poles have 12 lb mono with.20 lb as a shock leader .please use what you have amd dont listen to me

I'm thinking hi-vis line for night catfishing, but i'll put a clear leader above the method lead, maybe a foot or two.

So, hi-vis mainline to a swivel, then clear (or low vis green maybe) leader line through a method feeder, then another swivel below the method feeder, down to the hair rig hook.

Sounds like a winner! Instead of the top swivel you can use a line to line knot - I like the uni to uni or albright. I'd still use the swivel to the hooklink, though. I used to use Powerpro in 3 different colors on my rods, mostly to remember which bait I had on which rod lol. Never seemed to get less fish on the red or yellow Powerpro compared to the green

You think a line-to-line knot would do better? I thought about that too. Sounds like it'd be less cumbersome as far as casting. I bank fish of course and its always a bit of a hike so I try not carry TOO many rods with me.

Thanks for the help TX, and everyone else too!