timing strikes when carp fishing

[blackwater]

hi

I am coming to England from Northern Ireland on holiday and i would like to do a bit of carp fishing.

I am puzzled when to strike for carp?
Do you let the fish run like a pike? or do you strike quikly like ruud or roach?

[Norfolkboy]

Carp are not a shy biting fish, they will eat and swim basically. So when float fishing the float will maybe bob a couple of times then just zoom under and a carp will head off, strike when the float is under.

If using baitrunners strike as soon as the fish runs, there's no need to wait like when pike fishing, the carp will have the bait in it's mouth.

[aks19]

I fidn that when fishing for carp which although isnt very often, I find that if I dont strike but tighten up to the fishj then i aviod any excess damage that the force of teh strike can do to the fish's mouth but I know people who cannot use my method at all lol, all dependant really

[Rob M]

Originally Posted by Norfolkboy

Carp are not a shy biting fish, they will eat and swim basically. So when float fishing the float will maybe bob a couple of times then just zoom under and a carp will head off, strike when the float is under.

If using baitrunners strike as soon as the fish runs, there's no need to wait like when pike fishing, the carp will have the bait in it's mouth.

Dan is bang on, especially on the float, in fact I got tips from him when I was starting out on the carp quest. Try using a hair rig on a float rig, it works a treat I love the sound of my baitrunner screaming off

Rob