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Carp Fishing Tips Rod and Reel To attract carp, chum (bait) a spot using corn, rotten potatoes or soaked oats. One to two pounds of bait per 10 feet of fishable shoreline per day is plenty. Results should be noticeable within six hours aer baiting. Carp fishing should be done with a slack line. e bait should be cast out, allowed to sink to the bottom, dragged for a short distance to straighten out the hooks and then 3-4 feet of slack line should be spooled out aer the pole is in position. Set the reel drag low; otherwise you risk having your rod pulled into the water when the carp flees. When you feel a steady pull, set the hook, adjust the drag, and get ready to do battle with one of the toughest fighters in the fresh water! Rods designed specifically for carp fishing are available but not necessary. Choose a casting or spinning reel that will hold 120 yards of 8- to 12-pound test fishing line. e weight of the line should match the weight of the fish you are hoping to catch. Use a medium weight rod at least 5½ feet long, with some flexibility. A No. 2 bait-holder hook on a 12-inch leader below a split shot or swivel and sliding egg weight is a very good rig for carp. e sliding sinker allows the carp to pick up and sample the bait without feeling resistance. Avoid using bobbers since carp will quickly move on if resistance is detected when sampling bait. Rig Bait Canned corn or homemade dough balls are inexpensive and effective baits. Dough baits can be prepared with just about anything in the kitchen cabinet, and proven recipes abound online. Follow this basic recipe from NGPC's own Greg Wagner, transcribed from NPR's All ings Considered (2006), then get creative with your own additions like molasses or anise seed to enhance your doughbait's appeal! Wagner: And I'm in the kitchen, bringing three cups of water to a boil, and I'm adding about, ah, three tablespoons of strawberry-flavored Jell-O. And then I'm slowly adding, while stirring, a couple cups of yellow cornmeal, one cup of flour. I turn down the heat, and then still kind of stirring, cooking for about five minutes. I let this dough cool, and then I refrigerate in a plastic bag. Wait a short bit. We're off to carp fish.