I have been fishing the private bass pond in my neighborhood for awhile now, it is loaded with bass, and good sized ones too.  The other day I noticed in one cove a couple large carp (about 2 ft length).  Now I have been focusing on hooking up on one these fish, I have been chumming with sweetcorn and have all my tackle set up.  I hooked up on one the other day but he snapped off my mono in his first run, so I have switched to braid.  Anyways, I tell you this whole back story to ask this, when I catch these carp should I remove them?  Everything I have read online about carp says that they can ruin a lake or pond.

They aren't doing any good for the bass, I can tell you that.

I can't tell you how the carp interact with the bass, but they can co-exist, since I know plenty of excellent bass fisheries, both small ponds and large lakes, that have a lot of carp in them.

I'm not implying that the carp or bass wouldn't get along, but what several web pages I have read about carp have commented on how they can be responsible for the turbidity of the water and in turn killing off some of the bait fish populations.

Right now my pond has a ton of bass in it, and I don't want to see the ratio of bass to carp swing. It is a pretty small body of water. It may be futile anyways, since the carp I have seen are at least 2 ft long, the little ones have to be somewhere...

Well anyways, first things first I have to catch them. I'll have to grave dig this thread once I get some pictures.

You had better check and see if Triploid grass carp have been stocked in that pond.  If they are grass carp leave them alone, the fines for killing one are huge.  The grass carp are longer and slimmer than common carp.  they get very large though I have caught them to 50 lbs.  If you want to catch them wait till you see them feeding and use bread on the surface, just make sure you release them unharmed.

They aren't doing any good for the bass, I can tell you that.

Explain your statement please.

You had better check and see if Triploid grass carp have been stocked in that pond. If they are grass carp leave them alone, the fines for killing one are huge.

Asian grass carp also apply to this.  Stocked grass carps are usually placed for vegitation control.  You need a permit and city approval to do this as well as studies done to the watershed.  These carps usually are sterilized before stocking also so that they can not overrun the water body.  Be sure,  if it is common carp, go ahead and remove them.  But honestly, you probably wont remove enough to make a big difference.

Vic

They aren't doing any good for the bass, I can tell you that.

Explain your statement please.

Carp and bass can get along. In fact caught a huge bass onetime in the middle of a breeding group of carp. Common carp does the bass "any good" because they have the ability to destroy the food chain in the water body.

The carp will eat most anything and eats a LOT of it. They will eat up and kill all the cover, crustacians, bass nests and eggs, small fry etc. Basically they are eating machines. They wont eat the larger bass or adolecent bass. But they will eat up eggs and anything small baitfish need to survive. No baitfish or habitat, no bass.

Carp eat a lot and grow FAST they also breed FAST and can live in waters that would kill a bass. They are tollerant to heat and cold.

Thats why they dont do bass much good. The good news is that carp are fun to catch! And personally I like to eat them also. They are a different fight than bass. You can even bow-fish them in some states.

So they are a destructive intruder fish. Kinda like snakeheads, just with less press about it.  Probaly because they are less "impressive" than a snakehead.

Vic

You had better check and see if Triploid grass carp have been stocked in that pond. If they are grass carp leave them alone, the fines for killing one are huge. The grass carp are longer and slimmer than common carp. they get very large though I have caught them to 50 lbs. If you want to catch them wait till you see them feeding and use bread on the surface, just make sure you release them unharmed.

Interesting...they do resemble the picture you provided, thanks for the heads up.  Why are they protected?

They aren't doing any good for the bass, I can tell you that.

Explain your statement please.

I just mean that they aren't benefiting the bass population at all.  The bass could do without and them and may even do better.  Carp will root around the bottom of a pond, uprooting vegetation and stir up mud, making the water cloudy.  They may eat eggs from the bass too.

Bass>Carp

I say catch em and throw em on the bank.  

They aren't doing any good for the bass, I can tell you that.

Explain your statement please.

Carp and bass can get along. In fact caught a huge bass onetime in the middle of a breeding group of carp. Common carp does the bass "any good" because they have the ability to destroy the food chain in the water body.

The carp will eat most anything and eats a LOT of it. They will eat up and kill all the cover, crustacians, bass nests and eggs, small fry etc. Basically they are eating machines. They wont eat the larger bass or adolecent bass. But they will eat up eggs and anything small baitfish need to survive. No baitfish or habitat, no bass.

Carp eat a lot and grow FAST they also breed FAST and can live in waters that would kill a bass. They are tollerant to heat and cold.

Thats why they dont do bass much good. The good news is that carp are fun to catch! And personally I like to eat them also. They are a different fight than bass. You can even bow-fish them in some states.

So they are a destructive intruder fish. Kinda like snakeheads, just with less press about it. Probaly because they are less "impressive" than a snakehead.

Vic

I didn't realize YOU made that post...   :

These fish are created and introduced into a habitat for purposes of vegitation control to protect the native habitat including irrigation and flood control. There are a lot of steps to introducing this fish into a water body and its costly. But mainly because they are providing a service for the habitat they are in.

But Common Carp is a different story all together.

Vic

carp are fun to fight but like others said they dont do any good for the bass... im not sure what i would do if i caught one but  if you threw it on land both bass and racoons would bennefit. not so much the carp though

Well, I spoke with the neighborhood association and it turns out they voted years ago on whether to stock some Triploid Grass Carp in the lake.  Still want to catch em though  

Well, I spoke with the neighborhood association and it turns out they voted years ago on whether to stock some Triploid Grass Carp in the lake. Still want to catch em though

Bread balls and mealworms on hooks work really well.  If you want to use artificials the only thing I have seen them caught with are Gulp! worms.  But there may be others.  They are FUN to catch but take some time to revive them.  They use up a lot of energy in the fight and take longer to revive than other fish.