I've been wearing out the sandbass and caught 3 carp while doing so. I spied a pool with a large number of carp last week, so I decided to try my hand at just catching a carp that I could see. I spent an hour or more trying, Saturday. I have some more studying to do!
On my way back to the parking area, I came across a pool of perch feeding on the surface. I switched flies and caught perch and small lmb for 30 minutes or more.
I changed tributaries and went to a spot I'd never fished before. That water gave up a small channel cat, a drum, a lmb or two, perch and a half dozen or so sandies.
Any of you carp chasers care to share some tips for a newb?

I went looking for his website and didn't find it. But Shannon Drawe out of Denton guides carp trips. Dave Speer used to be on here long ago (Longhaireddave). To summate their technique, it's stalking mud flatsin no more than knee-deep water, looking for carp with their tails up, rooting for bugs in the weeds. Dropping something brown and fuzzy under their noses.
Of course getting out there and doing it isn't quite that simple. But these guys have had steady success with this technique.

The biggest trick is to find feeding fish.A lot of Carp are getting ready to spawn and are not much on eating right now. Look for fish that have their head down, rooting around on bottom, puffing up mud plumes. The fish you see cruising around out in the open "usually" will not eat and you can waste a lot of time casting to them. Cast to feeding fish will greatly increase your odds. And don't give up. You can make a perfect cast with a good fly, present it just right... and they still won't eat. But if you keep the faith and keep casting, sooner or later, one will pounce on it. Good luck!

Keep fishing and good things will happen!

Smaller flies than you think.

Great information in this post and others. Fishing for feeding fish is the key. If you are a purist, keep casting and watching and eventually you will get one to bite.

If you are willing to alter the setting, then throw out some range cubes or even bread to see if they are feeding. Either way, they are out there and even with breeding approaching, some are actively feeding.