BOAT CARPING

by

Tim Marshall

So, Why would anyone want to carp fish from a boat?

It presents a number of challenges, and of course our preferred way will always be to locate and fish from the bank.

I fish from a boat because very few good carp waters locally in NC have decent provision for bank fishing. Access that does exists is often in the wrong place, after years of being hard fished, the carp may even avoid these areas. Night fishing is often not allowed on the bank either, it’s considered “camping” by the agencies in charge...

As carp anglers, we need to get where the carp are, and they do move around a lot, particularly at pre-spawn when they stage near shallows, which can be creeks or flats a mile or more from the bank access. This can apply whether a lake is 100 acres or 100,000 acres. Rivers often have long stretches without bank access too..

So, a boat provides the flexibility to bait up in the right place - for yourself - and can sometimes be safer fishing than some bank access locations (bridges, boat ramps etc).

You may have closer encounters with/certain Wildlife... I have had a large Northern Water Snake swim straight at the boat and then disappear under it. But coyotes, bears and other 4 legged critters tend not to bother you.

I find other boat fishers generally friendly, sometimes even interested. It is slightly unnerving though late at night, a mile from the ramp, to have a Bowfishing boat bearing down on you! (Navigation lights will help here…)

Once on the water, you need to have everything you need on board for the length of session you plan for. That’s a lot of stuff we don’t have to worry about when fishing from the bank.

What kind of boat is best for this? While if fish from a 16ft jonboat I would ideally recommend something bigger, a 20ft Pontoon would be ideal, and a barebones used one can often be picked up very reasonably. Of course there may be practical reasons why a pontoon boat is not viable. I have proved to myself that a 2 night session can be done in a 16ft jonboat.

Your boat should to be set up carefully, and comply with your state regulations (usually, extinguisher, life jackets, throw pillow, lights etc). Of course, the boat has to be stored somewhere, at home or otherwise. It has to be towed to the water (by truck or SUV with towing package) and launched, every time you bait up or fish. This adds time to every fishing trip. You also have to consider trailer safety (lights, ties, transom saver etc.), and how far you feel comfortable to tow to.

When approaching a new water or area of a large lake, the Navionics Boating app is a useful planning tool to determine where to seek out the carp. Now that we are afloat, we will need a depth finder (if installed) or a trailed Deeper type device to refine our decision on where to moor up and place our baits.

I always place my markers and do my initial session baiting before staking the boat out - ensuring that it is within casting range. The markers I use are constructed from 1 inch pvc tube, drilled at the botttom to house a split ring holding one or two x 1 lb sea leads.

For my jonboat, one stake at back and one at the front always ensure a stable platform. I use bunjee cords to connect the pole to the boat, these prevent boat wakes or big winds from pulling the stakes out of the bottom.

The stakes themselves are 1.75 inch pvc pipe x 10 ft. Each one has a dock auger, bolted on. ½ inch holes are also drilled at 2 and 4 ft from the top - I use a bankstick section as a crossbar to wind the augers into the bottom.

After experimenting with onboard rod pods, I settled on large Stage Stands, bolted into the deck. I found the UK style stage stands are not solid enough and was fortunate enough to obtain from Adam Cieplik a pair of bespoke ones he had made for him. I fish with 3 or 4 rods, with short banksticks and buzzer bars

You will need protection out there on the water, from Sun, Wind and Rain. A Bimini cover gives some of that, but I have found an Oval Brolly, clipped to the deck does the job best. Models with door options are ideal....

Weighing and Photographing that big carp can be challenging on a boat, especially if fishing alone. I use a tripod for weighing the better fish. Anything under 25 or so gets a quick matshot, Where a trophy shot is needed it gets more tricky. The usual self take systems work well (camera tripod, remote or intervalometer systems), but on small boats like the 16 ft, it is necessary to ‘clear the decks’ to get a clear view from camera to fish (e.g the Bedchair in this shot has to be closed and shifted to side of boat!)

Baiting up can be both easier and more challenging. I put bait in after setting markers before securing the boat. Temptation is to fill it in! Depending on stock levels that may, or may not, be a good idea. Usually I feed a half bucket at most and then top up when in position using a spod/spomb.. or even a bait boat!

A Camping toilet may also be a useful feature, especially if fishing for more than one night!

Why do I do it…of my 13 NC thirties to date, 11 were boat caught, usually at least a mile away from where I could have cast from.

And some magnificent dusks and dawns will amaze you……...

I strongly encourage you to give it a try if you are struggling to catch the better fish where you are able to fish. A boat does open up possibilities, and sometimes you even finish up bank fishing somewhere completely inaccessible from the shoreline..

I hope you have enjoyed the read and that I’ve been able to give you some ideas about catching carp from a boat. It really does open up a whole other realm of possibilities for the carper…