OK guys. Admittedly, I'm not carp fan. I've bow fished for them growing up in lake whitney, texoma,lake arlington, etc. I fished for them a couple of times in lake proctor and it was actually kinda fun. I've moved to south texas and been bass fishing lake amistad for a couple of years now. There are some submerged islands on lake amistad (which is tap water clear) that are very good for bass. Almost every time we approach these islands, HUGE carp by the hundreds (it seems like) scatter. While my daughters don't like bass fishing because of the bordum, I thought with the numbers of carp I've been seeing out of my boat, this type of fishing may get their interest up. Have any of you fished for Carp at Amistad? They sure seem bigger than the ones I'm used to seeing in NE TX where I grew up. If I do, I'm guessing sweet corn for chum and bait? Thats what I've always heard. Please forgive my carp ignorance I do remember, they fight like pitbulls. Some of the Alligator Gar I've seen on amistad are down right spooky.

I don't think they any of us have carp-fished Amistad...Yet...

But it's been on our radar for a while because of stories like this! And because in my experience, deeper, clearer, or colder lakes, and lakes with a population of Smallmouth Bass, tend to have some HUGE carp in them.

They grow more slowly and spawn less effectively in cold and deep water, which tends to help balance the population, and let them get huge!

Sweet corn will work great for both chum and bait, yes. And you're right, they do fight like pitbulls! That's why I love catching them so much, gotta love the sound of screaming drag!

So make sure to keep your rods well secured, tied to the boat or whatever you can, otherwise you can kiss them good bye! Lol.

Yes I have seen them going crazy in evans creek where the water is cut off to the main lake up under hwy 90 bridge and also along the ramp on spur 406 in califoria creek/castle canyon area!!!!!

I have never fished Amistad, but that is one HUGE lake. If you know hwere they are, your chances of cathcing them are better than good!


Go get them!

OK, you guys have got me interested. If I can make it, I'll go test the waters next week if I can convince my girls to go with me.

JasonP,

A bowfisher, Mark Malfa, told me that out of all the lakes that he bowfishes Lake Amistad has the largest buffalo. I think you should focus on this species. In the process you will still catch many many carp.

very deep water!

ya know my grandmother used to live on cedar creek lake. That was my catfishing paradise. I would fish with whole or cut shad and tear up the catfish. Every once in a while, I would accidentally catch a drum and buffalo. I wouldn't know how to target a drum or buffalo. Unfortunately the thing that makes amistad so nice is it's water clarity. That clarity also makes it almost impossible to catch shad with a cast net. What do you use for bait?

Flavored maize or sweet corn.

Boil 5 lbs of maize (deer corn) for 2 hours and add anise extract and rum extract, both are in the grocery store next to the vanilla extract, and during the last 10 minutes add 16 oz of corn syrup for a sweetener.

You can use this to chum with and on the hook/hair. Combine this with range cubes and you will call them in.

The buffs 2 most favorite flavors are range cube and anise IMO.

THERE are some really big fish down there a carp fishing guide from NY caught some really nice fish...like some 30's

Yeah Zach, my dad and I have been talking about a multi-day session down there some time...

Good advice already posted on catching them. Now for some good natured humor...

I'm pretty sure they cannot be carp. Bowfishermen have convinced me that carp make every water they inhabit very, very muddy. You mentioned crystal clear water... so those carp simply cannot be carp.

Just kidding of course. You are seeing exactly what many of us carp anglers have observed. That some of the biggest carp come from some of the clearest water.

I know for a fact just north of Amistad on the Devils River there are some big carp. My stepdads ex father in law had a place right on the river. He made up some special kind of dough bait using chocolate and cattails. He would throw the soured maize out and turn on the big lights at night and we would catch them all night long. Biggest one he said he ever caught was 45lbs.

I have heard time and time again that there are huge carp in that section of the Devil's River.

45lbs is a true monster and a fish of a life time for most of us!!!!