Lately we have been mixing in some carp fishing between crappie trips. Last summer a group of Asian kids showed us how to make oatmeal dough balls that stay on the hook. It has been remarkably successful. Sweet corn doesn't hold a candle to oatmeal (it has to be the 1-minute or quick kind though). Nice to have a bait that doesn't die on you, stink or rot.

It is amazing how soft carp bite. The pattern we have found is a preliminary peck, peck, peck (no heavier than a dink sunfish even when the carp run over 10#, a short run which is dropped then a return to peck and then the take on the second run, which is when the hook is set. The oatmeal stands up the process very well if properly kneaded in the beginning. It seems like you have to wait them out while they make up their minds, although not always. Sometimes they will just lay there, too, with out a run, and then it is a matter of "gee, that line isn't behaving properly".

This is slackline fishing on the bottom for which I use a 32nd oz jig head with a size 6 steelhead hook. The oatmeal doughball sinks and provides enough extra weight for decent casting on medium light spinning tackle. My partner uses a 6 or 4 circle, we both use light lines no more than 6 or 8# test and have found that hi-vis is very helpful, since much of this is line watching.

Where we have been fishing there is very little current but where there is any the junction point between moving and still water, especially if it is deep, almost always holds some carp, if there are any there. This also works as well in lakes where carp some times cruise, provided you can establish their cruise pattern.

We do not see that carp are line or leader shy, but they will drop real quick, if they feel the rod through a tight line, if there is too much weight, or the hook is too big. The dough ball doesn't need to be over a nickel size in diameter either. Almost no carp we take are deeply hooked, nearly all only in the thick of the lip. A hook set on the second run works best for us, although with a circle hook a strong first run might be enough. Be sure to stay around your rod, or a strong take might give it a swim.

Be sure to have your drag set properly, it will be needed.

All fish we catch in the metro are released including the carp, although we will give one of them away once in a while. Our biggest to date runs around 12 - 14# and we hit one spot where the crappies and carp alternated (although on different baits).