The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Having recently removed this lure from bank side branches at our local club lake water, I was not only shocked to find it was being used in a lake that contained no predatory species. But one of our younger club members saw no reason why it could not be used for catching carp! . . "but Carp will take lures, no different to fly fishing in a way. And is fishing for Carp with artificial baits, be it spinner for fly prohibited?", he wrote.
I have not answered the gentleman's questions, because I just don't know where to start. I personally see a vast difference between fishing with a fly rod, but using marshmallows on a fly rod for carp, as opposed using a spinner, something I simply would not have dreamt of.
The lake in question is stocked full of carp, some running to high teens in weight, although the majority are in the three to ten pounds mark. Anyone attempting to catch these fish on a 5" lure/spinner, would surely realize that there is a high chance of snagging fish and damaging the fish stocks that you have.
Some how it just does not seem the thing to do, or am I just old fashioned!

Stour Otter

there have been many occasions where carp have been taken on not normally recognised methods... FJ Taylor used trebles for carp when he'd overcooked the potato baits and they wouldn't stay on the hook, I have personally caught a carp that was fairly hooked in the mouth on a sprat deadbait intended for Pike, I have also caught on a fly rod with a hair-rigged cork ball whilst feeding dog mixers, that said I wouldn't use a lure....

Harry wrote: ↑Tue Jul 30, 2019 2:30 pm there have been many occasions where carp have been taken on not normally recognised methods... FJ Taylor used trebles for carp when he'd overcooked the potato baits and they wouldn't stay on the hook, I have personally caught a carp that was fairly hooked in the mouth on a sprat deadbait intended for Pike, I have also caught on a fly rod with a hair-rigged cork ball whilst feeding dog mixers, that said I wouldn't use a lure....

Harry. I tried some "Deer Hair" tied, dog biscuit imitations on my last visit, from an auction site. While they greedily accepted the real thing, I couldn't get them anywhere near the artificials.

That must surely have been a poacher, I find it difficult to think that a club member would have resorted to such tactics?
I had no idea that carp would take an imitation bait like that, they don't eat frogs do they?

Stour Otter wrote: ↑Tue Jul 30, 2019 2:47 pm

Harry wrote: ↑Tue Jul 30, 2019 2:30 pm there have been many occasions where carp have been taken on not normally recognised methods... FJ Taylor used trebles for carp when he'd overcooked the potato baits and they wouldn't stay on the hook, I have personally caught a carp that was fairly hooked in the mouth on a sprat deadbait intended for Pike, I have also caught on a fly rod with a hair-rigged cork ball whilst feeding dog mixers, that said I wouldn't use a lure....

Harry. I tried some "Deer Hair" tied, dog biscuit imitations on my last visit, from an auction site. While they greedily accepted the real thing, I couldn't get them anywhere near the artificials.

I bought some of those when I went to Canada years ago... I too never caught anything on them

Jeremy Croxall wrote: ↑Tue Jul 30, 2019 2:54 pm That must surely have been a poacher, I find it difficult to think that a club member would have resorted to such tactics?
I had no idea that carp would take an imitation bait like that, they don't eat frogs do they?

They absolutely love tadpoles including when they almost look like a frog with legs and hardly a tail, so I would imagine they do. But I must admit I can't ever remember seeing one take a frog. I will keep a closer eye this year on my pool.

When I was a youngster fishing the old Brooklands lake at Dartford I saw a swimming frog taken by a huge fish by the island lily pads, it shocked me at the time and was probably a Pike but there were some big carp in there so who knows.

Sounds like you have a poacher who has no idea what fish are in your lake. No right minded angler would think about let alone use such a plug for carp fishing.

A carp would take anything that’s in a lake when hungry,that would fit in its mouth,the lure has a weed guard that would stop foul hooking,but in my eyes for pike or perch only ,mike

Many coarse fish take live baits ~~ and lures be they fly or spinner.

Marshall- Hardy recommended a tandem spinner for rudd! I have caught bream, chub and roach on tiny spinners whilst fishing for perch. As said above carp can/will eat live or dead fish - protein.

Strangest captures a fish bait was a tench and big bream from Grafham on a sunken fry fly! Plus a huge salmon on a spinner - on the front of book.

The frog spinner - note the weed free hook - is for ploughing through the lilies - for pike.