Big headed carp

[primitivefrn]

where around boonville mo. can you find them. does the lamine river have them, want to fish the missouri river this year, just wanted to see some and get some bait. how does one find boat ramps on missouri does , Mdc. have location map or who.
Thanks
for any input

[jnjmeyer]

Primi....I answered a little while ago, but guess the post is in never-never land. I talked to MDC Monday and asked if there was anywhere all launching ramps were available. The answer was to go the the link below and enter "County" you wish to see. Perhaps they will show up....ha ha! Think the best answer is to contact the MO Water Patrol @ 573 751 1333. They're always putting in at odd places to catch the bad guys. Good luck.....


http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/applications/moatlas/AreaList.aspx?txtUserID=guest&txtAreaNm=s

[crazy]

To answer your question about carp. Yes lamine river has them. Every creek or river that dumps into the missouri has them that i have been on. As far as catching them on the missouri river it's self. Your best bet is behind the dikes throwing a cast net. Or you could go around in circles and let them jump into the boat.

[Hannibal Mike]

The big heads and silver carp like slower current, so they are usually in chutes off the main channel (on the Mississippi) or in the main slow channel of the Illinois River. This time of year they are probably a bit tough to find, but they feed on plankton, so a slow moving current with some warmth that promotes the plankton growth would be the place to find them. Now in April and May, these carp move upstream and stack up at the dams. You can often see them jumping like salmon trying to go up the rush of water through the gates. We snag them on the Mississippi at this time of year and catch a lot. Here they average 15 to 20 lbs, but 30's are common and a few 40's are caught. The national record is 90 and the MO record is 75 lbs. So, I think that you'll have better luck in the spring. They are plankton feeders, so traditional hook fishing is not too productive (but possible). We sometimes catch small asian carp with our shad net in the small creeks that enter the river. The small asians feed just like the shad, so they are in the same area sometimes. Hannibal Mike (I guess a guy might find a bait shop or go on line to find the giant red wiggler plankton and get the plankton hooks from Catfish Connection for fishing this time of year.)

[BKS72]

There's a pretty good ramp on the Lamines river, I thint it's right of exit 96 or 98 off I70. Can't remember if it's hwy 40 or hwy 42 exit. It's about a 3 mile ride to the MO down the Lamines from the ramp. You'll probably have 2 or 3 carp in the boat by the time you get to the MO River during the summer.

[primitivefrn]

Thanks for info Guys, plan on doing something different this year, Than I normally do. like fish a few rivers that I havent fished, looking at north grand and lamine and missouri. wonder if their is any skip jacks, in that part of the missouri,
Spent most of my life on Osage and Sac river.

[NANNER]

[QUOTE=crazy] Or you could go around in circles and let them jump into the boat.[/Q
I thought I was the only "nut" that used this method. LOL. During the warm water months this is a great method. Usually only takes me 2 or 3 minutes to get one in the boat. You have to be really carefull doing this as its easy to get banged up when the fish hit you. I've been hit twice. I dont recommend this method while fishing alone, as these fish come from so many directions its impossible to see it coming sometimes. I would imagine a 30 pound fish coming down from an altitude of 15 feet on your head doesnt feel to well. As well, these these carp go absolutely nuts when they land in the boat, so its best to get them subdued as quickly as possible. Some of these fish are big, and they will break up your rods and other equipment in rather short order, as well as leave your boat looking like you slaughtered a hog. They dont jump much on the Mississippi during cold water conditions, but I've found them below the dykes in 30-40 feet of slack water by throwing my cast net and letting it go all the way to the bottom.

[Blue Bruiser]

I can say that from personal experience rollin in circles with the motor trimmed way up is the most productive way of gettin them suckers around here. I can alo say that getting hit in the head by one of those kamikaze carp is sorta painful and very dangerous. TRUST ME!. :conc-big:

[NANNER]

Thats how I do it also Chris. I trim the motor almost all the way up, and make as big a wake as possible. It drives them nuts. I must admit, it is a little dangerous when you get a dozen of those things airborne at once. But, I'll risk life and limb for some good catfish bait. LOL.:sad:

[bootr1]

do this fish make good bait do you use them live or cut up

[Blue Bruiser]

Fillet them out and use strips of it. I have always found the asian carp to be a last resort bait. But thats just me.

[NANNER]

I fillet them out just like Chris "Bluebruiser" does. In summer time, I will then take the fillet and cut it into long cylindrical pieces say 2" by 8 and somtimes 12". Summer time Blues are extremely aggressive and will readily consume large baits. For winter time, cut your bait size way way down to say an inch or two by an inch or two. Most winter blues will bite very subtely, and you will have to watch your rods closely. You will get alot of fish pick up your baits this time of year, then merely set it back down. Thats fishing I guess. I am a little different than Chris in that I consider the Asian Carps one of my go to baits. Especially if the shad arnt producing. The blue in my Avatar came off an 8inch piece of Big Head Carp in August of this year. Make absolutely sure you hook your cut bait in an edge or corner and dont ball the bait up. If you do, you'll miss alot of fish on the hook set, and you wont get as many bites. The idea is to similate an injured baitfish as much as possible. Baits balled up on hooks is unnatural, and wont fool the big blues. Good Luck with those Blues.:cool:

[Blue Bruiser]

I think I will probably be using a lot more carp this year than I would like to admit as soon as John (JetDriver) starts spankin me on the fish tally. lol
To be honest I can probably count on one hand the times I have used the carp as bait. Usually The Mooneye or the Shad do the trick for me.

[NANNER]

I like the shad also, and will have them on at least 2 rods in a four rod set up. I cant explain why, but sometimes during those heat wrenching summer days, the shads just dont do the trick and those asian carps work wonders. As well, those asian (big head variety) are extremely bloody, and will hold that blood alot longer than the shads do. I've also found that the asians tend to work a little better when the shad get tough to find. My method is rather simple actually, I try and find what the fish want and give it to them. :cool:

[Blue Bruiser]

Wisely Put. Keep it simple and give em what they want. SPOIL THE BLUES NOT YOUR CHILDREN.. LMAO

[NANNER]

EXACTLY. I love the KISS philosopy on fishing. Keep It Simple Stupid........

[bootr1]

do you have anytrouble with trutles are gar

[NANNER]

Thats a great question bootr. You will have problems with the turtles and the gars if you fish the slack water behind the wing dykes. I dont fish these slack water areas, as I prefer current eddy's next to fast current, and I like to fish open water structure in and near main channel currents. I dont do well on Blues at all in stagnant water behind the dykes, and I surely dont have the patience to wait em out while the gars dance around with my bait and tangle all of my rods. In my huble opinion, if you are battling gars and turles, you arnt fishing good Blue Territory. Now flatheads, is a different story. When I'm fishing the fast water (off the dyke tips) I never have problems with gars and turtles.

[crazy]

bootr, I fish infront of the dykes.(upstream side) Depending on if I place my baits close to the bank in the corner of the dyke or not I will have trouble with gar. Not always though. Each dyke is different on how the water moves around it and from water comming off the dyke upstream from the one I'm fishing. Keeping your bait in the current will help deter gar. If gar start fiddling with my baits I'm moving.

[NANNER]

Good Question Bootr. I think you will find most guys will cut them up around these parts. If you can find the smaller ones they will work okay as live bait. If its Blues your after, you pretty much have to cut it up and fish it that way.