One of the biggest subjects that are overlooked by many web sites about fishing is the fish care side of the sport.
Its all very well going out and catching lots of big fish or loads of smaller ones and then removing the hooks and returning them to the water but what actual damage are we causing to these poor creatures. If we want the sport to last and develop into something special one of the first and most important things to learn is fish care and how to handle the fish correctly. It's no good catching a massive carp and then landing it by dragging it into the shallows and up the side of the bank hurting the fish or even using a net and then placing it on the ground or the grass just to have the scales pulled of leaving nasty sores on the side of the fish to get infected and then it could even end up dying. Just as we have to think about the rigs we use and the safety of the fish with leaders and tubing so not to tether a fish to the reeds if a snap off occurs we must also concentrate on how we handle this fish when its brought to the bank. There is plenty of equipment on sale from companies to take care of this and it doesn't have to be expensive. If you are going to take up the sport then why not do it properly and get the right gear for the right job.
Its all very well going out and catching lots of big fish or loads of smaller ones and then removing the hooks and returning them to the water but what actual damage are we causing to these poor creatures. If we want the sport to last and develop into something special one of the first and most important things to learn is fish care and how to handle the fish correctly. It's no good catching a massive carp and then landing it by dragging it into the shallows and up the side of the bank hurting the fish or even using a net and then placing it on the ground or the grass just to have the scales pulled of leaving nasty sores on the side of the fish to get infected and then it could even end up dying. Just as we have to think about the rigs we use and the safety of the fish with leaders and tubing so not to tether a fish to the reeds if a snap off occurs we must also concentrate on how we handle this fish when its brought to the bank. There is plenty of equipment on sale from companies to take care of this and it doesn't have to be expensive. If you are going to take up the sport then why not do it properly and get the right gear for the right job.
Landing Mats & Cradles
This is probably THE most important thing to have apart from the landing net itself. When you catch a fish that is too large to place in a keep net or be handled by hand and returned to the water then a landing mat is required and is a must at most venues. If you check the venue rules you will see it a requirement as if you don't have then you won't be allowed to fish. Mats can range in price from £10 right the way up to £200 depending on the make style and use. Below are a couple of examples of what you can get on the market but is required for you to successfully land a fish.
This is probably THE most important thing to have apart from the landing net itself. When you catch a fish that is too large to place in a keep net or be handled by hand and returned to the water then a landing mat is required and is a must at most venues. If you check the venue rules you will see it a requirement as if you don't have then you won't be allowed to fish. Mats can range in price from £10 right the way up to £200 depending on the make style and use. Below are a couple of examples of what you can get on the market but is required for you to successfully land a fish.
Landing Nets & Spoon Nets
The most important item for fishing will be your landing net. There are 100's of different nets, types and sizes available on the market and it is very important that you find the right net for the type of fishing that you do. If you are a match fisherman catching fish up to 10 lb in weight and a lot of smaller fish then a net with a size of 18 inches up to 22 inches would be good enough but its useless if trying to land a 30 lb Carp in the same net, its just going to cause problems and end up hurting the fish. The larger fish will require a net size of 36 up to 50 inches in size with a deep net in order to land the fish safely and not hurt it. Another important tip when landing the fish is try not to lift the fish by the net handle and support the fish by grabbing the actual net so it doesn't bend with the larger fish. It doesn't really matter with the smaller fish as a spoon net is usually good enough to lift them and bring them straight in. Here are some samples of nets available and again it doesn't have to be expensive. A good net can be bought for only £10 with a strong handle.
The most important item for fishing will be your landing net. There are 100's of different nets, types and sizes available on the market and it is very important that you find the right net for the type of fishing that you do. If you are a match fisherman catching fish up to 10 lb in weight and a lot of smaller fish then a net with a size of 18 inches up to 22 inches would be good enough but its useless if trying to land a 30 lb Carp in the same net, its just going to cause problems and end up hurting the fish. The larger fish will require a net size of 36 up to 50 inches in size with a deep net in order to land the fish safely and not hurt it. Another important tip when landing the fish is try not to lift the fish by the net handle and support the fish by grabbing the actual net so it doesn't bend with the larger fish. It doesn't really matter with the smaller fish as a spoon net is usually good enough to lift them and bring them straight in. Here are some samples of nets available and again it doesn't have to be expensive. A good net can be bought for only £10 with a strong handle.
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Taking Care of the Fish
Now its all well and good having the right equipment and using safety tackle when fishing but what does happen if a fish does get hurt whilst playing it in or landing it. What happens if you lift off a scale or tear the mouth whilst trying to remove the hook? The answers is .... you take care of it using the proper medication or care kit. These kits or bottles of medication are cheap and can be bought from any tackle shop or online tackle store. A full kit will have medication for both the body and the mouth and some will be a universal medication that can be used on both. It easy to treat the infected/damaged or torn area. Just dry the area slightly with a towel or tissue and apply the ointment. The medication is designed to be water proof and one placed on the fish will remain there aiding the fish to heal and not get infected from dirty water or rusty hooks. It is vital that ALL anglers should have these medications available on the bank at all times and if for any reason you have forgotten yours or run out then just ask the guy fishing next to you if you can borrow his. By taking care of the fish and treating any wounds we will ensure the sport will survive and so will the fish and they will grow in size making the sport even better. |
Weighing Fish & Resting Fish
Another important part of fish care is actually when we decide we want to weigh the fish that we have caught weather it be one giant carp or lots of smaller ones. The correct way to do this is by using a proper weigh sling designed just for the job. By placing the weigh sling over the landing mat or close to it ensures you don't have to lift the fish to high in order to get it into the weigh sling and always make sure the side of the weigh sling are closed (some makes have open side that can be zipped up). It is also very important that if you are weighing lots of smaller fish you don't over fill the weigh sling causing the fish at the bottom to be crushed do it in several individual weights and add them up at the end. By following these simple steps we can ensure the safety and well being of the fish that we target and ensure that we can enjoy the sport for many years to come.
Sometimes you will notice after you have landed and weighed your capture it can sometimes take a while to recover when you put it back into the water. This is especially important for the larger fish and it is advisable to REST a fish before returning it. You can do this by leaving it in the landing net in the water so the fish can recover slowly or you can buy purpose made weigh slings and recovery sacks just for the job. You have to remember that you fought that fish to get it in and that would have taken a lot of strength out of it so just as we need to take a break so do the fish.
Another important part of fish care is actually when we decide we want to weigh the fish that we have caught weather it be one giant carp or lots of smaller ones. The correct way to do this is by using a proper weigh sling designed just for the job. By placing the weigh sling over the landing mat or close to it ensures you don't have to lift the fish to high in order to get it into the weigh sling and always make sure the side of the weigh sling are closed (some makes have open side that can be zipped up). It is also very important that if you are weighing lots of smaller fish you don't over fill the weigh sling causing the fish at the bottom to be crushed do it in several individual weights and add them up at the end. By following these simple steps we can ensure the safety and well being of the fish that we target and ensure that we can enjoy the sport for many years to come.
Sometimes you will notice after you have landed and weighed your capture it can sometimes take a while to recover when you put it back into the water. This is especially important for the larger fish and it is advisable to REST a fish before returning it. You can do this by leaving it in the landing net in the water so the fish can recover slowly or you can buy purpose made weigh slings and recovery sacks just for the job. You have to remember that you fought that fish to get it in and that would have taken a lot of strength out of it so just as we need to take a break so do the fish.
By following this simple advice we can ensure that fishing will continue to be one of the best sports around and remember you don't have to spend a fortune on equipment to do the job as there are companies out there that make these products for bargain prices. By following these practices you will be able to ensure the fish are taken care of and that all venues you visit will welcome you back for 100's of hours of pleasurable fishing.
What is Carp care and why should I practice it?
Quite simply the Carp we catch do not belong to us! Someone once wrote in their forum signature; The Carp we catch are not ours, they belong to those yet to be born. I think this is very fitting and indeed it sits in-line with the way I myself like to look at the subject. Depending on the type of waters you fish the Carp are either wild or owned by fisheries/clubs. Either way they are not ours and the future of our sport relies on their survival. We all enjoy the pursuit of Carp amongst other species and it is a small thing to ask that we repay them with respect so that they might return unscathed to bring joy to others in the future whilst all the while living a long healthy life with as little stress as possible. To put it another way the Carp is our adversary and we hunt him, we try to outsmart him and then duel to outfight him, it's only fair then that when we beat him we respect him.
When we take a Carp out of it's natural habitat we must make allowances, he is in our world now and no longer does the water cradle him, protect him and support him, we now must strive to fulfil these criteria ourselves. The bigger a carp gets the more delicate it becomes and the more gravity takes effect on it's delicate structure, internal organs and in-turn the more gentle we should be when we handle it.
It is unfortunate that many carp show signs of angler neglect and although it is very rare it can be pretty much permanent. Mouth damage is perhaps the main visual aspect but there are far more problems that are caused mainly by lack of experience in anglers handling. For example, have you ever wondered how that Carp got the lump that gives it the name 'Lumpy' or 'scar'? Okay so it might well be down to spawning damage or even predation but its worth stopping for a minute and thinking about it. We often see fish that look very fat, often due to holding spawn and this maybe perfectly natural but what's to say its not a result of internal damage, Stress or poor diet which believe it or not we as anglers hold immense control over. Another big cause of this in my opinion is the constant stocking of new fish, often completely different strains and from far away ecosystems. This can effect not only the ecology of the host water but also the hierarchy and settlement of the existing stock. they carry completely different genes and completely different bacteria.
To put it bluntly, if you love Carp angling then you should be thinking of the long term effects your actions are making and if you respect the carp you catch then the longer your enjoyment of them will continue.
Quite simply the Carp we catch do not belong to us! Someone once wrote in their forum signature; The Carp we catch are not ours, they belong to those yet to be born. I think this is very fitting and indeed it sits in-line with the way I myself like to look at the subject. Depending on the type of waters you fish the Carp are either wild or owned by fisheries/clubs. Either way they are not ours and the future of our sport relies on their survival. We all enjoy the pursuit of Carp amongst other species and it is a small thing to ask that we repay them with respect so that they might return unscathed to bring joy to others in the future whilst all the while living a long healthy life with as little stress as possible. To put it another way the Carp is our adversary and we hunt him, we try to outsmart him and then duel to outfight him, it's only fair then that when we beat him we respect him.
When we take a Carp out of it's natural habitat we must make allowances, he is in our world now and no longer does the water cradle him, protect him and support him, we now must strive to fulfil these criteria ourselves. The bigger a carp gets the more delicate it becomes and the more gravity takes effect on it's delicate structure, internal organs and in-turn the more gentle we should be when we handle it.
It is unfortunate that many carp show signs of angler neglect and although it is very rare it can be pretty much permanent. Mouth damage is perhaps the main visual aspect but there are far more problems that are caused mainly by lack of experience in anglers handling. For example, have you ever wondered how that Carp got the lump that gives it the name 'Lumpy' or 'scar'? Okay so it might well be down to spawning damage or even predation but its worth stopping for a minute and thinking about it. We often see fish that look very fat, often due to holding spawn and this maybe perfectly natural but what's to say its not a result of internal damage, Stress or poor diet which believe it or not we as anglers hold immense control over. Another big cause of this in my opinion is the constant stocking of new fish, often completely different strains and from far away ecosystems. This can effect not only the ecology of the host water but also the hierarchy and settlement of the existing stock. they carry completely different genes and completely different bacteria.
To put it bluntly, if you love Carp angling then you should be thinking of the long term effects your actions are making and if you respect the carp you catch then the longer your enjoyment of them will continue.
Tackled up to care?
The tackle we use and the situations we use it in have a massive bearing on how much potential risk we put our quarry at. Most available items of tackle have a legitimate place in our kit but its how its used, when its used and in what combination we use things that makes the big difference to any risk we may impart. Certainly in the wrong hands a lot of tackle items can be extremely dangerous to Carp and other wildlife, even people.
Rigs, Line and Lead Arrangements
Perhaps the best example is when fishing weedy lakes, in this situation it is of paramount importance that the lead can part company with the line, leader and hooklink. Not when the carp gets "weeded up" but immediately, on the take! When the carp realises it is hooked and shakes its head the lead should always come loose if there are any dense weed beds in the vicinity. When you hook a Carp in a weedy lake you can bet it will head straight for it and losing the lead gives nothing for the weed to "grab" onto. It also helps you to lift the fish to the surface, even at range.
When fishing in snaggy waters it is my opinion that helicopter style rig/lead set ups are the safest, as if you should snap off, or if a fish should become "snagged up" the rig should be able to leave the leader and theoretically the Carp will be left only with the rig, hooks, we are told, are easily shed and it"s almost impossible for a Carp to become tethered with just a rig. It may not be totally safe to fish in snags but at least it is much safer if the carp is less likely to become tethered.
When applying any type of Hit and hold style to your angling, like you would in snags or heavy weed then strong hooks are a must, not only for strength but for safety. Larger hooks have more hold and will not rip out so easily and therefore be less prone to cause mouth damage. Hooklinks are also of concern, braided rigs can cut a Carps mouth when put under pressure and this is exaggerated when movement is applied to it, to combat this how about using heavy mono type rigs. It goes without saying that a mainline breakage in any of these situations is hopefully going to be less than a once in a lifetime occurrence as you will of course be tackled up with the correct breaking strain and you will have checked it for signs of wear and tear and changed it regularly. In heavy weed or snags a breaking strain of at least 15lb (.35) and in this situation a mono line should be employed
When using a braided mainline it is important to remember that there is no give/stretch in it, and all force you impart will be transferred straight to the fish. Strong hook lengths are needed with braid and large strong hooks are advisory. Some sort of leader or tubing will be required as braid will damage a fishes flanks during the fight and will also lift scales. Braided lines are very thin and are expensive so higher breaking strains (30-40lb) are the order of the day to give more longevity and also make it less tangle prone. Breaking strains are also often 'overstated' on braided lines.
Nets, Mats, Sacks and Weigh Slings
If you are fishing for carp then you should have an appropriately sized landing net, 42" is the recommended size but on commercials where the carp are around 15lbs then a 32" will suffice but where there are large catfish 50" minimum may be a fishery rule. The mesh should be soft and fairly deep and the arms of the net should be easily detached from the spreader block. The handle should be of around 6 feet in length and for ease of use it should be light and rigid.
A quality unhooking mat is a must, so many shops sell small thin ones but some of these are more suited to Roach fishing! A Carp mat should be at least 50mm/ 2" thick foam and should be large enough for specimen Carp (approx 4ft x 2.5ft minimum) or alternatively a mat of the "polyball" type, to my knowledge there are no poor polyball type mats on the market so these would seem a safe choice.
Weigh slings should be supportive and secure, the rigid pole type ones are ideal and should always be zipped up at each end to prevent the fish from sliding out, they sometimes feature a special material inside that prevents mucous loss but not always, over time when this material has been exposed to strong sunlight it may crack and can become very sharp so I personally prefer the uncoated material. These slings are ideal for use with weigh crooks and also being easy to carry and very supportive they are perfect for returning the fish to the water
The use of forceps is often recommended to the beginner or novice but in my personal opinion this is unwise as I believe it takes much more skill to use forceps without causing damage than it does to use your fingers or in extreme cases, side cutters to cut the hook . When the use of forceps becomes the norm there is the risk of imparting too much force and damaging the soft mouthparts of the Carp, much more control is gained by using the fingers and if it takes a while so be it, it is never wise to rush.
Treatments for wounds to the body or mouth of Carp are commonplace in anglers kit and although there is no record of these ever causing harm to a Carp and I certainly have no reason to doubt their effectiveness I personally believe that it may be better to let nature run its course. There are many times during a Carps life when it will receive much the same injuries in the wild, for example Spawning will remove scales and cause wounds much more severe than most anglers would ever cause and the Carps natural diet of shelled creatures will no doubt regularly damage its mouthparts. We are anglers not vets or doctors and I personally believe it unwise to interfere.
Playing it safe
In the majority of Carp fishing situations the angler receives a "Run" and thus the carp will be hooked or at least lightly hooked, subsequently when the angler lifts the rod there will be no real need to "Strike" to set the hook, a tightening of the line until the rod has a steady bend will ensure the hook is driven home with firm but damage limiting force. When the rod continues to bend as the fish powerfully tries to evade capture the correctly set "Clutch" or "Drag" of the reel should allow line to release in a manner that is balanced between the tackle being used and the power of the fish. When using heavy tackle more force may be applied on the fish in order to control it more quickly and steer it from snags or weed where they will undoubtedly head for, but when using light tackle it is required to go easier on the fish and let it run a little more thus lighter tackle should only be used when the risk of a fish finding snags or weed is significantly low. When using heavy tackle a strong fish also requires an element of freedom as more of the power exerted will be transferred directly to the hook hold and in turn could cause damage to the fishes mouth and also cause much more stress.
The anglers choice of mainline has a profound effect on the amount of pressure is exerted on the fish, "Braided" lines have almost zero stretch and so will transfer virtually all force directly to the fish. It is wise to only use braided lines in the situations where they are essential or at least very much needed. The reels drag settings will be in constant alteration to succeed in landing any fish hooked using braid. In my opinion braided lines should only be used by experienced anglers. Monofilament or "Mono" lines have a degree of stretch that will increase as the distance between angler and hooked fish increases and gives an often vital cushion against the often very spirited fight of the Carp, it is still very wise to alter the drag settings during the fight to optimise the balance between tiring of the fish and pressure on the hook hold.
It is vitally important to net a Carp in water that is deep enough for its proportions so if this means getting wet then so be it, the net should be in place before the Carp is drawn towards it. There should be as much line between the tip of the rod and the fish as possible and when the Carp is drawn into the net it should do so on its side. As the net is lifted around the fish take a break, there is no rush if the water is deep and well oxygenated and a little breather and maybe a thank you to the carp gods will help you to focus on what comes next.
Short term retention
When you net a carp you should have all the things needed to deal with it ready and waiting on the bank. However if like me you are disorganised and lazy there is nothing wrong with leaving the fish in the net for a short time, it is quite probably of benefit to the fish after a hard tussle. It is however not always possible and there are certain criteria to be met that will decide whether or not short term retention is a good idea in any given situation.
1 The water should be deep enough to fully cover the fish, ideally deep enough to ensure it needn't make contact with the net mesh or the lakebed.
2 The marginal water should be cool and well oxygenated, on hot sunny days I certainly wouldn't recommend retaining a fish for very long if at all.
3 The net should be firmly secured to the bank, I use a bank stick through the spreader block to ensure the fish cannot swim off with my net and quite possibly meet an unfortunate end.
4 Ensure with regular checks that the fish remains upright at all times but refrain from lifting it out unnecessarily to show other anglers/passers by. It should NEVER be left unsupervised.
5 There should be no large rocks/structures that could lead to the fish damaging itself if it should become eager to attempt to escape the net.
6 The fish should sit there upright, quite still and calm but if it does become agitated and struggles then its retention should be cut short.
Long term retention
This practice is known as "Sacking" and whilst I do believe that it can be carried out with pretty much zero risk to the fish I also strongly believe that it is unnecessary in 99.9% of Carp fishing situations. It involves a specialised and dedicated "Carp sack" which the carp is placed into and secured inside in very deep margins or a suitable distance out into the lake. It should be firmly secured to a bank stick or a tree etc by a strong rot proof cord/rope. Basically there should be absolutely no way that the carp can pull itself loose as if that happens it is certainly going to mean curtains for the carp. I have never used a sack myself and don't think I would ever need to.
I firmly believe that only very experienced and serious anglers should retain a Carp in this way and only then for very important reasons, it certainly shouldn't be done for the sake of something as ridiculous as a daytime photo or to show an expected visitor.
When removing a Carp from a sack after a considerable time it is also important that your handling skills are extremely well honed as the fish will be refreshed and very lively after such a long rest, poor handling skills could very well lead to a badly damaged fish in this situation.
The tackle we use and the situations we use it in have a massive bearing on how much potential risk we put our quarry at. Most available items of tackle have a legitimate place in our kit but its how its used, when its used and in what combination we use things that makes the big difference to any risk we may impart. Certainly in the wrong hands a lot of tackle items can be extremely dangerous to Carp and other wildlife, even people.
Rigs, Line and Lead Arrangements
Perhaps the best example is when fishing weedy lakes, in this situation it is of paramount importance that the lead can part company with the line, leader and hooklink. Not when the carp gets "weeded up" but immediately, on the take! When the carp realises it is hooked and shakes its head the lead should always come loose if there are any dense weed beds in the vicinity. When you hook a Carp in a weedy lake you can bet it will head straight for it and losing the lead gives nothing for the weed to "grab" onto. It also helps you to lift the fish to the surface, even at range.
When fishing in snaggy waters it is my opinion that helicopter style rig/lead set ups are the safest, as if you should snap off, or if a fish should become "snagged up" the rig should be able to leave the leader and theoretically the Carp will be left only with the rig, hooks, we are told, are easily shed and it"s almost impossible for a Carp to become tethered with just a rig. It may not be totally safe to fish in snags but at least it is much safer if the carp is less likely to become tethered.
When applying any type of Hit and hold style to your angling, like you would in snags or heavy weed then strong hooks are a must, not only for strength but for safety. Larger hooks have more hold and will not rip out so easily and therefore be less prone to cause mouth damage. Hooklinks are also of concern, braided rigs can cut a Carps mouth when put under pressure and this is exaggerated when movement is applied to it, to combat this how about using heavy mono type rigs. It goes without saying that a mainline breakage in any of these situations is hopefully going to be less than a once in a lifetime occurrence as you will of course be tackled up with the correct breaking strain and you will have checked it for signs of wear and tear and changed it regularly. In heavy weed or snags a breaking strain of at least 15lb (.35) and in this situation a mono line should be employed
When using a braided mainline it is important to remember that there is no give/stretch in it, and all force you impart will be transferred straight to the fish. Strong hook lengths are needed with braid and large strong hooks are advisory. Some sort of leader or tubing will be required as braid will damage a fishes flanks during the fight and will also lift scales. Braided lines are very thin and are expensive so higher breaking strains (30-40lb) are the order of the day to give more longevity and also make it less tangle prone. Breaking strains are also often 'overstated' on braided lines.
Nets, Mats, Sacks and Weigh Slings
If you are fishing for carp then you should have an appropriately sized landing net, 42" is the recommended size but on commercials where the carp are around 15lbs then a 32" will suffice but where there are large catfish 50" minimum may be a fishery rule. The mesh should be soft and fairly deep and the arms of the net should be easily detached from the spreader block. The handle should be of around 6 feet in length and for ease of use it should be light and rigid.
A quality unhooking mat is a must, so many shops sell small thin ones but some of these are more suited to Roach fishing! A Carp mat should be at least 50mm/ 2" thick foam and should be large enough for specimen Carp (approx 4ft x 2.5ft minimum) or alternatively a mat of the "polyball" type, to my knowledge there are no poor polyball type mats on the market so these would seem a safe choice.
Weigh slings should be supportive and secure, the rigid pole type ones are ideal and should always be zipped up at each end to prevent the fish from sliding out, they sometimes feature a special material inside that prevents mucous loss but not always, over time when this material has been exposed to strong sunlight it may crack and can become very sharp so I personally prefer the uncoated material. These slings are ideal for use with weigh crooks and also being easy to carry and very supportive they are perfect for returning the fish to the water
The use of forceps is often recommended to the beginner or novice but in my personal opinion this is unwise as I believe it takes much more skill to use forceps without causing damage than it does to use your fingers or in extreme cases, side cutters to cut the hook . When the use of forceps becomes the norm there is the risk of imparting too much force and damaging the soft mouthparts of the Carp, much more control is gained by using the fingers and if it takes a while so be it, it is never wise to rush.
Treatments for wounds to the body or mouth of Carp are commonplace in anglers kit and although there is no record of these ever causing harm to a Carp and I certainly have no reason to doubt their effectiveness I personally believe that it may be better to let nature run its course. There are many times during a Carps life when it will receive much the same injuries in the wild, for example Spawning will remove scales and cause wounds much more severe than most anglers would ever cause and the Carps natural diet of shelled creatures will no doubt regularly damage its mouthparts. We are anglers not vets or doctors and I personally believe it unwise to interfere.
Playing it safe
In the majority of Carp fishing situations the angler receives a "Run" and thus the carp will be hooked or at least lightly hooked, subsequently when the angler lifts the rod there will be no real need to "Strike" to set the hook, a tightening of the line until the rod has a steady bend will ensure the hook is driven home with firm but damage limiting force. When the rod continues to bend as the fish powerfully tries to evade capture the correctly set "Clutch" or "Drag" of the reel should allow line to release in a manner that is balanced between the tackle being used and the power of the fish. When using heavy tackle more force may be applied on the fish in order to control it more quickly and steer it from snags or weed where they will undoubtedly head for, but when using light tackle it is required to go easier on the fish and let it run a little more thus lighter tackle should only be used when the risk of a fish finding snags or weed is significantly low. When using heavy tackle a strong fish also requires an element of freedom as more of the power exerted will be transferred directly to the hook hold and in turn could cause damage to the fishes mouth and also cause much more stress.
The anglers choice of mainline has a profound effect on the amount of pressure is exerted on the fish, "Braided" lines have almost zero stretch and so will transfer virtually all force directly to the fish. It is wise to only use braided lines in the situations where they are essential or at least very much needed. The reels drag settings will be in constant alteration to succeed in landing any fish hooked using braid. In my opinion braided lines should only be used by experienced anglers. Monofilament or "Mono" lines have a degree of stretch that will increase as the distance between angler and hooked fish increases and gives an often vital cushion against the often very spirited fight of the Carp, it is still very wise to alter the drag settings during the fight to optimise the balance between tiring of the fish and pressure on the hook hold.
It is vitally important to net a Carp in water that is deep enough for its proportions so if this means getting wet then so be it, the net should be in place before the Carp is drawn towards it. There should be as much line between the tip of the rod and the fish as possible and when the Carp is drawn into the net it should do so on its side. As the net is lifted around the fish take a break, there is no rush if the water is deep and well oxygenated and a little breather and maybe a thank you to the carp gods will help you to focus on what comes next.
Short term retention
When you net a carp you should have all the things needed to deal with it ready and waiting on the bank. However if like me you are disorganised and lazy there is nothing wrong with leaving the fish in the net for a short time, it is quite probably of benefit to the fish after a hard tussle. It is however not always possible and there are certain criteria to be met that will decide whether or not short term retention is a good idea in any given situation.
1 The water should be deep enough to fully cover the fish, ideally deep enough to ensure it needn't make contact with the net mesh or the lakebed.
2 The marginal water should be cool and well oxygenated, on hot sunny days I certainly wouldn't recommend retaining a fish for very long if at all.
3 The net should be firmly secured to the bank, I use a bank stick through the spreader block to ensure the fish cannot swim off with my net and quite possibly meet an unfortunate end.
4 Ensure with regular checks that the fish remains upright at all times but refrain from lifting it out unnecessarily to show other anglers/passers by. It should NEVER be left unsupervised.
5 There should be no large rocks/structures that could lead to the fish damaging itself if it should become eager to attempt to escape the net.
6 The fish should sit there upright, quite still and calm but if it does become agitated and struggles then its retention should be cut short.
Long term retention
This practice is known as "Sacking" and whilst I do believe that it can be carried out with pretty much zero risk to the fish I also strongly believe that it is unnecessary in 99.9% of Carp fishing situations. It involves a specialised and dedicated "Carp sack" which the carp is placed into and secured inside in very deep margins or a suitable distance out into the lake. It should be firmly secured to a bank stick or a tree etc by a strong rot proof cord/rope. Basically there should be absolutely no way that the carp can pull itself loose as if that happens it is certainly going to mean curtains for the carp. I have never used a sack myself and don't think I would ever need to.
I firmly believe that only very experienced and serious anglers should retain a Carp in this way and only then for very important reasons, it certainly shouldn't be done for the sake of something as ridiculous as a daytime photo or to show an expected visitor.
When removing a Carp from a sack after a considerable time it is also important that your handling skills are extremely well honed as the fish will be refreshed and very lively after such a long rest, poor handling skills could very well lead to a badly damaged fish in this situation.
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