For Keenan

[TurtleCreek]

lol....  thanks PD

[Bevan R.]

How do you dry them TC? What do you do after you skin em?
I plan on getting my own this spring.

[TurtleCreek]

  I filet the fish out, scrape all remaining fat/flesh on the "inside" of the skin, then take all the scales out with needle nose pliers(pulling from head to tail) starting at the tail section and moving towards the head.  Then I soak them in soapy water to help get out any remaining oils/fat, and rinse them several times to get rid of any traces of soap.  To dry them, I place them on a piece of cardboard that's big enough for the skin and "smooth out" the scale pockets with my hand going from head to tail.  The skin will stick to the cardboard by itself, no need to tack it down. Then I place them in front of a fan.  You'll know that the skins are dry enough to take off the cardboard- because the skins will shrink slightly when they completely dry, thus pulling the cardboard into a shallow "reflex".  When they are dry, start at a corner of the skin to get it to lift and they will peel right off.  Sometimes a little fuzz from the cardboard will come off with the skin, but some super fine sandpaper will take that off with no problem and not damage the skin.  The carp skins end up being about the thickness of the plastic used in a plastic gallon milk jug.....  Hope that answers it for ya Bevan R.

[Bevan R.]

Thanks TC, I think I can handle that. Seems simple enough, and with the size of carp we have here, the pulling of the scales won't take as long as yours does.

[RidgeRunner]

OK TurtleCreek.

How do you go about catching a carp???

David

[paulsemp]

this works every time, take a can of corn and throw half of it in the water to chum it up. set up a crappie rig (weights on bottom) and load the hook up with as much as you can. Grab a cold one and wait. Been working for years!!!

[Bevan R.]

I am waiting for some of our English friends to chime in on this.
There is a serious catch/release policy on carp there (or so I understand).

[TurtleCreek]

  If I fish the main river, I will drift fish with a heavy split-shot and a ball of night crawlers or worms.  If they are running up the creeks, then I will sight fish em' with the same rig.

[bcbull]

turtle u mean to tell me u dont keep the fillets   me i take em and brine  em smoke yep ya got it poor mans salmon and yes there damn good as long as they come outta cleaner water ill eat em brock

[TurtleCreek]

The rest of the fish is used as fertilizer or bait for crawfish traps