Fish Care
    This subject can never be written enough. As the way fishing is going with the want for more commercial and big fish waters, there are now so many more mouths
    which means more fish being hooked with the number of anglers on the increase all chasing their prize catch. Large head of carp plus anglers can only result in
    more carp being caught so we need now more than ever to get into a routine for treating every fish being small or big.
So some things you need to be considering before you even catch a fish.
 
    Make sure your unhooking mat, weigh sling
    and landing net are suitable for the job.

    Its best that these items are too big rather
    then small, even if you’re fishing for smaller
    species there’s still a chance you could hook
    something larger.

    Sometimes you see too bigger fish being landed
    in small nets resulting in split fins or dorsal
    fins sticking through the nets and the Angler
    not even realizing he’s doing anything wrong.

    Other handy bits to carry are forceps in case a
    fish are deeply hooked also a set of small cutters
    in case the hook is in a bone or double hooked.
    Then you can simply cut the hook and pass it
    through making it far quicker and less time
    consuming in getting it out.
    One thing to think about before a fish has even been caught is rig safety! This also comes into fish care. All the components have to be
    safe and just consider you’re line breaking what would happen to the fish, is it able to safely swim around without getting tethered up?

    Ask yourself can the lead be freed, if you have any doubt with any part of you’re rig set up then simply don’t use it.
    Find out from internet forums, local tackle shops etc for advice if you’re not sure.
    Firstly carp, before you have landed a fish try to have everything in place before you even get the fish out of the water.
    If you don’t have everything in place this includes your camera, scales and Carp care kit and bucket of water, leave the fish in the net
    for as long as it takes while your quickly grabbing the things you need, especially if you are fishing on your own!
    Make sure you’re mat is placed on even ground and everything is wetted down.
    If someone else is about the more help the better for the fish’s welfare, if you have more than one person around use one person as a
    goalkeeper sat out of view of the camera at the head end of the Carp in case the Carp flip’s forward.

    NEVER leave a fish unattended on you’re mat! Hence the importance of being ready in the first place……Everything is sorted now so
    remove any sharp objects you may have on yourself i.e. watches, sharp rings etc.

    Break down your landing net arms and roll the net down towards the Carp, before
    lifting it from the lake.

    Run you’re hand along the underside of the Carp to make sure the fin’s and pec’s are
    flush to the body of the Carp so not to cause any damage when lifting as these can
    only go one way that is flush to the body otherwise under the weight of the fish you
    can easily break a pec or fin.
    Place the Carp on the mat remove you’re rig and check the fish over for any marks, sores, mouth damage which can be treated with the
    Korda Carp Care kit designed by Thinking Anglers. This consist of a body and mouth treatment specially designed for modern day
    Carp fishing and can be applied using small swabs which come within the kit...PRICELESS!.

    Remember when a Carp flips it is only going one way that’s forwards so if someone else is about to help have them positioned at the
    head end. Always remember a bucket of lake water on hand as the fish need wetting down to keep there protective slime from drying
    out and this in turn keeps the fish from stressing anymore than it has too.
    When putting a Carp into you’re weigh sling make sure you’re scales are zeroed to the sling before hand and again check the pecs
    and fins. When weighing a Carp there’s no need to lift it too high off the ground, just enough to register on the scales will do.
    If it is a big fish then you can use a storm pole through the top of the scales and with someone else’s help you can rest the
    storm pole on one an others shoulders and get a much better reading of the dial on the scales.
    When lifting a fish for the photos place one
    hand around the front pec and the other around
    the anal fin.

    If the Carp decides to flip let the fish fall back
    onto you’re forearm and gently lower it back
    onto the mat, keep hold of the wrist of the
    tail and support the head with the other hand
    cover the Carps eye until it has calmed down
    or if you have a retaining flap on your
    unhooking mat put the carp under
    this to calm it down.



    With the photos done and the weighing, simply carry it back to the lakes edge in the weigh sling or on the mat if there are two people
    there. If its shallow water in the margins then it’s best to step into the lake and return the fish in deeper water or choice a swim with a
    slightly deeper margin.
    Let the sling fill with water, lift the head out
    and hold onto the wrist of the tail. Hold the
    Carp until it is ready and taken on some water.
    You will feel it kick a few times and normally
    it will blow some bubbles out through its gills
    when it’s ready to swim off.

    It will let you know and even if it takes longer
    than usual then sit with it until its ready to
    swim off.

    We both like to picture most fish we catch.
    Even smaller one's just for record keeping.
    The easiest way to do this is to place the fish
    on the mat in the net then lift the net in one
    hand so the fish can not slide of the mat and
    hold the camera in the other and simply snap
    a couple of pictures of each side.

    You never know, one day you might look
    and say I remember catching that at 18lbs.
    We should look after and respect any species of fish we catch even if it’s not the type you are fishing for. I’ve seen carp anglers get
    annoyed with catching a bream or tench etc but when they catch one of these species at a specimen size it’s totally different, they are
    having there picture taken?. Remember that it could be someone else’s prize catch.

    You see anglers using small towels when handling smaller fish but again make sure these are wet or damp. When weighing smaller fish
    only use scales with 1oz division for an accurate reading. Other species such as barbel and grass carp need more time to revive when
    returned to the water so again keep the fish righted in the water. Don’t let the fish swim of on the first kick. Hold on until it kicks
    a number of times. The fish we catch should be looked after in the best way possible at all times.
    Check List:
    STEP 1. Make sure your carp care kit, bucket of water, matt and weigh sling are all together where you are going to unhook your fish.

    STEP 2. Make sure your matt and weigh sling are all wetted down before lifting the fish out of the water.

    STEP 3. Before lifting the fish out make sure all the carps fins are flush to its body.

    STEP 4. Then unhook your fish and treat the hook holds and any body sores with your carp care kit.

    STEP 5. Next transfer the carp from net to weigh sling and check its weight.

    STEP 6. Once weighed wet the carp down again.

    STEP 7. By placing one hand around the pelvic fin and one around the anal fin gently lift carp for photos.

    STEP 8. When returning your carp find some deep margins and hold fish in water until its ready ie when it starts kicking or once its
                  blown air from its gills.