Float fishing for carp is the deadliest technique that we have been able to devise. We set-up at river mouths (usually that run into either the St.Lawrence River or the Great Lakes) and feed in our ground bait at fairly close range (10m), letting the current wash the scent downstream. We then trot delicate floats baited with sweet corn down the current, intercepting carp as they move in towards the feed. Usually it takes around 15-30 minutes before that action starts and it will often run all day. My personal best was 40 carp in a single 10 hour session, 3 were over 30lbs and there were plenty of 20's in between. We've also landed carp up to 44lbs using this technique (and lost a few bigger ones). The best part of all this is that we use relatively light rods (1.0-1.5 lbs test curve, 11'-14' long), 8-12 lbs lines and centrepin reels. 
This technique has proven itself everywhere we have used it. We've even had some very productive session float fishing on some of the smaller rivers, producing 20+ carp in a morning. 
Give it a try this spring, but let me warn you, once you've had a few good days floats fishing for carp with a centrepin, it is almost impossible to change back to ledgering with boilies. 
Paul Almanza 
Anglers International Inc. 
Anglers International Inc. 
Paul Almanza 
FLOAT FISHING FOR CARP 
Carp fishing can be extremely frustrating, as they refuse virtually all baits and have a tendency to bolt away at the first sign of trouble. However, will a little preparation and the right approach, carp fishing can be extremely successful. 
Using delicate floats and relatively light lines, we’ve had some phenomenally successful days. My best day so far produced over forty carp, including several monsters in the thirty pound class and plenty of twenties. The biggest carp we’ve been able to land on float fishing gear topped the scales at forty four pounds - and, of course, we’ve lost a few that were undoubtably bigger. 
The keys to successful float fishing for carp include choosing a productive venue, preparing an effective ground bait (chum), chumming efficiently, using and rigging the proper float, fishing it correctly and having the right gear to fight and land the fish. 
When selecting your venue, it is essential to do some research ahead of time. More than likely you’ve already seen carp cruising around in weedy bays or deeper pools of meandering rivers. Go back to those places and look for structural elements that will concentrate carp within or close to those areas. In lakes, key areas tend to be points, river mouths, drop-offs and weed edges. Hot spots in rivers tend to be the top end of large pools, inside the river mouth, behind dams, downstream from feeder creeks and along the edges of large slow eddies. Spend some time observing different areas on bright sunny days, carp will often sun themselves, revealing their favourite holding areas. 
Having found a good potential hot spot, it’s time to focus on the bait. Carp have one of the most acute sense of smell of any fish and are quick to locate and exploit any new sources of food in their environment. One of the simplest and most effective baits is frozen or tinned sweet corn and the best of the canned sweet corn is Pescaviva. It is available in a variety of flavors and the firn kernals stay on the hook much better than the grocery store varieties. Corn can be thrown in as ground bait and also used on the hook. Use a catapult (sling shot) to feed in corn at a distance - Drennan offers a great catapult called a “Match Caty” that has a small mesh basket for holding the bait. 
However, more complex ground baits are much more effective, dispersing scent further and drawing carp in quicker. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of various ground baits offered in Europe. Unfortunately, very few are available in North America. 
Luckily, there are many readily available products that can be used effectively as ground bait. From a multitude of pet foods to all kinds of grains and seeds, they almost all attract carp. One of my favourites is a blend of boiled seed (WackerBlend Plus is a perfect blend) mixed with dry bread crumb. When using seeds or grains, they must be boiled (for about 20 minutes) and allowed to soak overnight to swell and soften to ensure they won’t germinate. It is important to use ground baits ethically, making sure not to use large grain baits (such as corn/maize) in areas heavily populated by trout and bass. Both species have trouble digesting corn and may die if they eat too much. 

Favourite Ground Bait Recipe 
4 cups Seed Mix such as WackerBlend Plus
6 cups Water
Cover and boil for 20 minutes. Let soak overnight (covered). 
Stir in 1-2 cups of bread crumbs in the morning, until mixture is firm enough to form a ball the size of a small orange. More bread crumbs can be added to produce a ground bait that will generate a larger scent cloud. 
As far as hook baits, sweet corn is one of the best. Many anglers have had success using boilies, dough balls, cheeses, worms, crayfish, chick peas, peanuts, etc... Just make sure that you include plenty of free offerings in with your ground bait. Carp will accept the hook bait with confidence if they’ve had a few freebies to start. 
Once you arrive at your fishing spot with your bait, it’s time to chum the area. I usually do this before setting up my rod and reel. The most important things to remember about chumming are to feed in bait consistently throughout the day and to throw it in with the upmost accuracy possible. Scattering the bait will scatter the fish. 
In rivers, it is best to use a firm ground bait and feed it in slightly upstream. This draws carp from a long distance, as they will follow the chum line washing downstream. We generally start off with a few good handfuls and feed in constantly to keep the carp feeding actively. As the number of carp following the feed increases, you can occasionally set off a carp feeding frenzy as they aggressively compete for food. Although feeding frenzies rarely last long, we have had a number of times where it was a fish a cast for an hour or two. 
Still waters require slightly more savvy and research, as your ground bait must be fed into an area to intercept cruising carp. Ideally, you should choose a spot that has few snags, otherwise you’ll lose most of your fish. Carp tend to tangle themselves into fallen trees and heavy weed if given half a chance. Once you have your spot selected, throw in a few handfuls of ground bait at a comfortable range (10-20 yards out). In general, don’t feed too much more until you see some activity. We will usually feed in a little ground bait after every fish, trying to avoid excessive splashing that will spook the fish. 
While the ground bait is doing its job, attracting carp to your spot, its time to rig up your float. 
In rivers, use a float that attaches top and bottom with silicone tubing - Drennan Avons and Loafers are our favourite. Try to use the smallest float that can be fished effectively and have it shotted so that only the slightest tip of the float sticks up above the water. It is best to spread the shots out along the line to offer a natural presentation, just like when float fishing for Steelhead. We usually run 12" of fluorocarbon leader (typically 5-12lbs Raven or Drennan) after the last split shot to a Raven Specialist hook size 4 to 8 (put enough bait to fill the hook). A good strong hook is vital, as big carp will strain it to the limit. Matched with a good sturdy centrepin reel, that can handle the abuse, this presentation is unbeatable and incredibly fun. It is quite an experience to hook into a huge carp and have it tear line off the reel so fast that your finger feels like it’s burning. 
The set-up for float fishing still water is somewhat different. The two rigs that have proven to be the most successful are the standard waggler rig and the lift bite rig. The standard waggler rig is basically using a thin pencil style float, such as the Drennan Crystal Waggler, attached to the main line from the bottom only, allowing the main line to sink below the surface (the opposite of what you do for river fishing). The float is set up so that the bait is either just on or just off the bottom. 
The lift bite rig is set up the same way as the waggler rig, but the float is barely over-shotted (so that it sinks when cast out) with most of the weight bulked up about 6"-12" from the hook. The depth of the float is then adjusted so that only the tip of the float rises above the surface. Takes are usually registered by the float lifting up as the fish takes the bait. Lift bite rigs stay on top of the ground bait better in windy conditions. The very best float for this technique is the Drennan Carp Antenna. 
Now that you’re all rigged-up and the fish have moved in on the bait, it’s time to start fishing. 
On a river venue, cast your float out and let it run along the chum line. Keep your main line out of the water as best you can, allowing the float and bait to travel naturally downstream to the fish. If your cast is off the mark, reel in and cast again, don’t waste time fishing off of the chum line. Make sure that your bait is always close to the bottom and the moment the float pulls under set the hook. Carp can be extremely quick at dropping the bait and a keen eye is vital for success. 
Again, still water calls for a little more accuracy and skill. Cast your float out past your chum, drop the rod tip below the water, sinking the line and reel in until the float is directly above your chum. Don’t move your float unless you must, as any movement can spook feeding fish. With your line below the water the wind will not affect your float and the only thing that will cause your float to move is any movement from your rod or a carp on the feed. Set the hook the moment the float starts to move. If the float starts to ride higher than normal, set the hook, as this is a lift bite. 
A lift bite occurs when a carp grabs the bait and swims upwards towards the surface, instead of away. When in doubt, set the hook. Still water float set-ups are very sensitive and you will get a number of missed strikes. Fish brushing against the line and small minnows picking at the bait can pull the float under. Surface weeds can be an irritation on winds days, as they tend to catch the line and drag the float off the bait. There is little that you can do, simply reel up and cast again. Once you get the system working properly, it is extremely effective. Most of our biggest fish came from still waters. 
Once you hook a carp, it will generally rip a pile of line off of your reel on its first run. If you manage to hang on, they eventually tire and can be drawn in over the net. Never try to lift a decent sized carp out of the water with the net handle, as most will break under the pressure. Simple draw the net in to shore, holding the carp half out of the water, reach in to remove the hook and drop the net back, letting the carp back to the water. We will rarely lift a fish to shore, and when we do, we always place them on grass or mud, never on rocks. Big carp are very difficult to land without a net and they have the power to snap rods or slice line deep into your fingers if mishandled while trying to land them. A good landing net is an essential piece of gear for successful carp fishing. 
When holding carp up for pictures, keep your hands out of their gills. Just support them under the belly with your hands. As far as nets go, its difficult to find a good carp net in North America. Ideally, you want something with a soft knot free micro mesh or hex mesh netting, with a 30"+ width and a six foot handle. Avoid cheap knotted nets, as they tend to knock the scales off carp. 
After catching a few carp, their sheer power and size will earn your respect. In return, treat them as gently as possible before returning them to the water. We once had an onlooker, seeing us put back all our carp, ask us to give him one for dinner. When we politely refused, the onlooker took offence and started yelling at us, asking why the heck we were wasting our time and just throwing them back. My British friend just smiled back at him, proudly proclaiming “because we love them” and gently returned his carp to the water. 
The Gear 
Rod: Long powerful rods help present floats properly and control big fish. One of our favourite rods is the Raven 11'6 Steelheader. It has a soft tip that helps in presenting the float and has loads of power in the butt section to put serious pressure against big carp. It is rated for 6-12 lbs line and will perform perfectly for all but the toughest conditions. Standard 13' -13'6" float rods lack the power to fight big carp (20lbs+) effectively, but do an excellent job on smaller fish. In snaggy situations, we run the Raven 11' Specialist rod. It has tons of power to turn carp from cover, but lacks the finesse of the 11'6" Steelheader. 
Reel: Centrepin reels are our number one choice. There are few products in the fishing industry that enhance the angling experience more. Without a drag system and powered by a one to one ratio, mastering the centrepin reel is the pinnacle skill in the art of angling. The Raven Vectra SST, Classic and Eclipse have proven themselves over years of testing to really handle the abuse dished out by monster carp. One of our prototype Vectra SST reels has probably landed over 1,000 carp (including several over 30lbs) and has yet to develop the slightest wobble. 
Main Line: We will generally run 8 to12 lbs test line, with 15lbs for snaggy situations. Avoid all super lines - they tend to cut deep into the lips and fins of carp. Using fluorescent lines to the float (but not below) help keep track of the float and of fish at the end of the line (great when fishing snaggy waters). We run Raven Main Line on all our centrepins, as it has really proven itself over the last few years that we have been testing it. 
Leader Line: Fluorocarbon has become our leader of choice. We usually run 5 to 8lbs leaders, but increasing strength 10 or 12lbs, if we start losing too many fish to snags. Lighter lines are less likely to put fish off of the hook bait. Our choice of leader is between the Raven Invisible and the Drennan Fluorocarbon. 
Floats: Drennan is it. From Crystal Wagglers and Carp Antennas to Avons and Loafers, Drennan offers the most sensitivity and best quality of floats on the market. Most are made of clear plastic and give the angler every advantage for a subtle presentation. 
Split Shot: Proper float presentations require a good quality shot that holds tightly to the line. Avoid split shot with ears, they spin when being retrieved and cause tangle-ups. Our favourite split shots are Sure-Shot (soft and moveable) and Raven Pro-Shot (hard and strong holding). 
Swivels: We always run Raven Ultra Micro Swivels between the main line and the leader. They are tiny but extremely strong (20lb breaking strength) and dependable. Swivels reduce line twist when reeling in and offer more strength than a line to line knot between the main line and leader. 
Hooks: Avoid poor quality hooks with big barbs or fine wire. The best carp hooks are micro barbed, medium to heavy wire and made in Japan. The Raven Specialist Hook is our hands down favourite. 

Copyright 2004 by Anglers International Inc., Cambridge, Ontario