2 Asian carp found in ponds near Toronto waterfront

[MuskieBait]

I have personal experience catching them in Florida.

They are very spooky with amazing eyesight. One afternoon, I found a school of 10 Grass Carp sitting under a berry tree. The Grass Carp would take fallen berries off the surface of the water. I tried to collect some berries to fish for these fish, using 8lb fluorocarbon, #14 octopus hook and absolutely no split shot or other terminal tackle. I put two berries on the hook to conceal the hook. However, they would only look up at my berry baited hook sitting on the surface. The closest I've came to catch one that day was a fish that rolled toward the surface after I dropped the line from the tree (to imitate the berries falling from the tree), but the fish refused it at the last second. These fish were able to spot my fluorocarbon line, or perhaps the slightly unnatural drift of the berries in the water.

At another canal a couple of years later, we found some Grass Carp feeding very shallow along the margins of the lake. I noticed that they would come up to eat the algae off the rocks. I tried to collect some algae and put it on the hook, but as with my previous experience, the fish appeared to be able to see something unnatural about my rig. They would work down the shoreline and then suddenly spook when they got close to my rig. They would also avoid the shoreline if they spotted me standing by the shore.

Finally, we caught some at yet another canal where the water was much deeper and coloured, so you were unable to see the bottom. In this situation, the Grass Carp that were cruising a couple of feet below the surface would refuse to bite. However, if we freelined a piece of bread naturally using 8lb fluorocarbon, #8 octopus hook buried and covered by the bread, and let the bread sink out of sight to the bottom, Grass Carp would pick up our bait and we caught them successfully and repeatedly (over two separate trips a year apart).

In Texas, my cousin caught one using creep feed while we were fishing for Smallmouth Buffalo and Common Carp. The water was very murky where we fished so fish were less line shy in general.

The number of baits that can be used is long, but sweet corn, boilies, livestock feed pellets, fruits (apparently they love strawberries...) and bread are common.

People have caught them using method feeder, hair rig, Carolina rig or simply freelining the bait of choice. The technique is largely dependent on your fishing location and clarity.

They are fun...even small ones.