In a local pond that's about 5 acres, there's a red and white fish that is around 22-inches long. It has to be some kind of carp. It comes out at 8PM every night and will surface now and then and swim near the top for a while and go back down. I have thrown commercial carp bait that looks like a yellow corn kernel, using one or two kernels. I've thrown little bread balls and dough balls. This fish swims right on by. Doesn't really show any interest. I've tried the bait 4-inches deep and every two-inches up to a foot deep. He won't take it. Any suggestions, tricks?

Sounds like a koi carp. Since we don.t know your commercial carp bait you might try going with tried and true canned corn. Chum the bottom with a handful or 2. Then thread a few on a small hook like size 6 or so and fish the bottom in the area you have seen him. Its hard to find a carp that wont eat canned corn and if they dont, they probably dont want to feed maybe cause of the heat. Even if he is on the surface they will smell it and go down and get it. Good Luck!

If it is a pond that the kiddos feed the ducks, you should maybe use some plain old bread balled up onto a small single hook.

It sounds like you are using a bobber. I think Curt wants you to float the bread ball right on the surface!

Either way. It will be hard not to use a bobber to keep the bread in the feeding zone as it will soak up the water and sink. Use as small a bobber as you can to keep the bread suspended within a foot or two if the surface.

Thanks, I'll give it a whirl and report back!

All good advice. Try throwing out a half piece of bread in front of the fish and see if there is any interest. The fish may be coming to the surface because of oxygen levels and not for food. It is really fun to catch a fish like that. Good luck and let us know how you do.

That fish maybe use to that float fish food, I have been out with ranchers that drive up to their tank and throw that out. They do it on a regular scheduled time frame everyday also. Their freaking fish would come up and it was a feeding frenzy, had to lol. Was like my old hound, a bunch of pet fish.

Yet, still I think you need to catch this fish and exercise it some lol. I would be trying some popcorn and a small hook with one worked one all the way and then just one on the hook. See what happens then. Usually they are not far from deep water in this heat. The deeper water has more oxygen in it. Osbornfishing is right, they will surface at this time, but they are going to be right close if not right over the deep, least I have noticed that.

Now that sort of fish, heck who knows popcorn on a thin wire hook and free line that out there, it floats and it being white, well; it's loud lol. I would be like you though, I would have to figure how to catch and exercise it a little lol.

Thanks for the tips. So far it won't take anything. Corn, bread, commercial carp bait. I'm going to keep after it. It has to eat eventually.

If the water level is down and with this heat that fish just may be in survival mode. Hopefully well get some rain if the pond is low.

If you can catch the koi on a hook
Please get a picture
Good luck