European Methods to Catch the Illustrious

photo-Jim Gronaw

favorite.” But, he does “put carp ahead of Largemouth by Marilyn Black Bass and trout, because carp are far more difficult to catch than most people think.” Although he does not eat carp, Gronaw fishes for them, because they are big. “I love big fish,” said Gronaw. For the past 8 years, Gronaw has been for carp Just as Aretha Franklin declared in song, she’s looking for with the European/bite alarm methodology, strictly from respect. Carp fishing in the United States today is also shore. “Carp fishing is most successful with a still, static looking for respect. In fact, carp should be viewed as an presentation, which includes bringing carp to a particular acronym for “Cautious, Alien, Rugged and Powerful,” area by pre-baiting with prepared corn, and then providing which they certainly are when caught on hook and line. The the bottom feeders with sweet items on a hook or hair , current State Record was caught in 1962. said Gronaw.” The fish weighed 52 pounds and was taken from the Juniata River in Huntingdon County by George Brown, Saltillo. European technique The Common Carp species (Cyprinus carpio) originated Methods and equipment developed in Europe have in Europe. Breaded and fried, it’s part of traditional proven effective stateside. Generally speaking, serious carp Christmas Eve dinners in Poland and in the Czech anglers use baitrunner style spinning reels that can easily Republic. Originally introduced to the United States by handle 15-pound-test monofilament line, paired with 9- to the Pennsylvania Fish Commission in the 1870s as a fish 11-feet rods for distance casting. Short-shanked hooks with for human consumption and to relieve fishing pressure hair rigs are tied in combination with inline bait holders on native species, the Common Carp, mirror carp and that contain pack bait with chum. Rod pods, also called cousins are now found in most American warmwater lakes, bank sticks, are equipped with electronic bite alarms. reservoirs and rivers, yet anglers who target carp are in the “With the baitrunner reel on the ‘running’ setting, the minority these days. carp picks up the baited hook or hair rig, feels tension or Jim Gronaw of Maryland is a full-time outdoor writer the hook point, then bolts off, setting the running line in who enjoys pursuing and catching just about every the bite alarm to a loud ‘scream’, indicating a fish is on. freshwater species alongside his son Matt, and then sharing Then, the angler lifts the rod and reel out of the rod pod tips and tales about them in his column in the Baltimore and sets the hook by engaging the reel handle, which trips Sun. He tries not to rank fish species, because he said, the reel into the ‘fighting drag’ to both set the hook and play “The next fish I catch is almost always going to be my the fish,” said Gronaw.

34 Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • July/August 2017 www.gonefishingpa.com His favorite rigs are artificial or real corn kernels on a hair rig or pineapple chunks on the hook. Both are fished with pack bait molded around a wire cage feeder about 12- to 14-inches ahead of the hook and with a 1/2-ounce to 1-ounce inline egg sinker. Jim and Matt prebait with softened feed corn, which has been soaked in water for several days, thus allowing the carp to digest and pass the food through its system without harm to the fish. Corn is placed in a spod, which is attached to a rod and reel and cast, then pulled so it tips over and disburses the corn. Most prebaiting is done several days in advance in order to draw Lichvar photo-Leonard Regulations for fishing in Pennsylvania allow an angler to use a maximum of three lines carp to a specific area. Prebaiting several fished either by rod or hand when fishing for gamefish, baitfish or both as shown here areas is sometimes needed when fishing with this three rod pod. An exception to this rule exist for those fishing through ice in high profile, public waters that get angling winter. See your Pennsylvania Fishing Summary for more information. pressure by folks seeking other species. Tips for Pennsylvania anglers Gronaw has several favorite Pennsylvania waters for catching carp. At the top of his list is Lake Marburg,

Codorus State Park, York County, where he has taken Gronaw photo-Jim several carp in the 25-pound range. He also recommends Gifford Pinchot State Park, York County, and smaller public lakes in York and Adams counties that receive little angling pressure yet have big carp. See page 28 for more on Gifford Pinchot State Park. The Susquehanna River sloughs and backwaters also draw big carp that are vulnerable to the Euro tactics. An important reminder is that you can’t just assume that prebaiting is allowed in a particular waterway. Before mixing the prebait recipe, make sure this technique is legal. Gronaw encourages preparation, patience and enjoying the tussle with this feisty fish. photo-Jim Gronaw photo-Jim

Pack bait is molded w

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o around a ‘method sinker’ r

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m or a cage that will break i J - o t down in the water, thus o h p attracting carp to the baited hook which is inserted into A spod is used to distribute chum or bait particles in the area to be the bait-ball itself. The kernel fished. The spod inverts itself when it hits the water, thus releasing corn is on the hair rig, not the contents to drift to the bottom. actually baited on the hook.

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