Common carp

A big, heavy, bronze-to-golden fish with large scales, a long dorsal fin with a saw-edged spine at the front, a small toothless mouth that pushes out, and two pairs of barbels at the corners of the mouth (goldfish and crucian carp have none). 'Mirror' and 'leather' carp are the same species with few or no scales.

5–25 lb.

Over 4 ft and over 100 lb in managed European lakes; wild river fish over 50 lb are rare.

Insect larvae, snails, mussels, crayfish, seeds and plants, rooted from the bottom.

Cruises in small groups, grubbing in the mud and leaving clouds of bubbles and silt. Very wary of line and noise, and incredibly strong.

Found from United Kingdom & Ireland, France, Spain & Portugal (Azores, Madeira & Canaries), Italy & Malta, Greece & the Adriatic, Turkey, Cyprus & the Eastern Mediterranean, Black Sea & Caspian, Northern & Central Europe, Scandinavia & Iceland (Norway, Sweden, Denmark), Russia, Mongolia & Kazakhstan, Morocco & West Africa, Midwest & Ohio Valley Lakes, Northeast Lakes & Rivers, Ozarks & Mid-South, Southeast Lakes, Texas & Oklahoma Lakes, Southwest & California Lakes, Upper Midwest Lakes, U.S. Great Lakes, Pacific Northwest Rivers & Lakes, Louisiana & Mississippi Delta, Florida Freshwater, Rocky Mountain Trout Rivers, Mexico Bass Lakes, Ontario Great Lakes, Quebec, Canadian Prairies, South-East Australia & Tasmania, Southern Africa, China, Hong Kong & Taiwan, Japan & South Korea, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives & Pakistan and Paraguay, Argentina & Uruguay Lakes. Native to the Danube, Black Sea, Caspian and east Asian rivers; spread by people to lakes, rivers and reservoirs across Europe, North America, Australia, Africa and South America. In Australia and the U.S. it is an invasive pest.

Native to the Danube, Black Sea, Caspian and east Asian rivers; spread by people to lakes, rivers and reservoirs across Europe, North America, Australia, Africa and South America. In Australia and the U.S. it is an invasive pest.

2–30 ft.

On the bottom, or at the surface on hot days.

Spring to autumn; in Europe many big-carp waters are fished all year.

Dawn, dusk and night, but they feed at any time in warm weather.

No tide; in tidal rivers, slack and the start of the flood.

Warm wind blowing into a bank and falling air pressure bring them on the feed.

Boilies, sweetcorn, tiger nuts, pellets, bread and dough baits, fished over a bed of particles.

Not used; fly anglers cast bread or seed flies to cruising carp.

12 ft carp rod (2¾–3½ lb test curve) with a free-spool 'baitrunner' reel and bite alarms.

Size 4–8 barbless or micro-barbed hooks on a hair rig.

12–18 lb mono.

15–25 lb braided or coated hooklink.

Bait a spot with particles and boilies, cast a hair rig with a heavy lead (a bolt rig) into it, and wait for the alarm. In summer, stalk cruising carp with floating bread or dog biscuits.

Carp see and feel the line. Keep it pinned to the bottom with back leads, sit quietly back from the edge, and don't stomp on the bank.

Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Edible but not prized — strong or bony; many anglers release it.

Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.

A traditional Christmas fish in Central Europe and a common food fish in Asia: fry or bake carp from clean water, and cut the many small bones well (scoring). River fish from muddy water can taste earthy.

The saw-edged dorsal spine catches nets and hands. Always land and unhook carp on a padded mat and keep them wet.

In Europe, carp are mostly fished catch-and-release on licensed lakes, many with night-fishing permits. In the U.S. and Canada they are open game with few limits, and bowfishing is allowed in many states. In Australia, carp are a declared pest: they must not be released alive or moved, and live carp cannot be used as bait. Check local rules. A freshwater license is needed almost everywhere carp swim (a state or provincial license in the U.S. and Canada, a national or regional license plus a lake permit in Europe, a state license in Australia). Many places also have bowfishing and night-fishing rules.

In Europe, big carp are treasured and returned. Where carp are invasive (Australia, much of North America) they hurt native fish and water quality, so follow local removal rules.