Close to Sejong, South Korea I visited a Crucian Carp Fishing Park to attempt my hand at carp fishing. This was the one likelihood I needed to do any freshwater fishing for the entire two weeks I used to be in Korea. Whereas I noticed that there have been no fishing licenses wanted, the place you’re truly allowed to fish shouldn’t be very clear. So eager to play it protected a fishing park like this was the best choice. I went in with some preconceptions about how this is able to be although. And shortly discovered that I used to be very incorrect about all of it. Within the US while you hear carp you consider trash fish, invasive backside feeders that suck on mud and harm the atmosphere. That’s not the case in Asia on the whole although, the place carp are native, and really extremely prized in a variety of circles.
The Crucian Carp Fishing Park was tucked in hills amongst just a few small household farms. Moreover a few small indicators you possibly can simply miss this from the street, it was extra a locals spot. We pulled as much as the parking zone to search out solely a few vehicles and no signage about the place to go from the parking zone. There was a home there however truthfully, it regarded extra just like the proprietor’s home than a enterprise. Fortunately the proprietor got here out and requested if we have been right here to fish, to which I replied sure. He requested if I had any gear and I confirmed him my journey gear. He mentioned I can’t use that right here and it wouldn’t work in any case. He additionally instructed us he had rental gear for me to make use of so no worries there.
We adopted him in and noticed that whereas the surface regarded like a home the within had been transformed, right into a relaxation space and a tiny sort out store. He shortly had me arrange with every thing I wanted, some tiny barbless hooks, dough bait combine, and a rental rod. As a substitute of a standard casting setup that most individuals are used to within the US, they use a graphite telescoping carp rod. Rather a lot fancier than the cane poles I’ve seen again house that’s for certain. After we requested what the rod retailed for he instructed us 175000 gained (135.44 usd). The rental rod additionally got here with two rests that help the rod as you fish and the fanciest fishing bobber I’ve ever seen.
The whole value for all of the rental gear, bait, hooks, and fishing for one was 28,000 gained (21.67 USD). So not as unhealthy as I anticipated it to be, particularly contemplating how good the rods he used for rental have been. He then took us out to the pond to point out us tips on how to set every thing up and tips on how to fish the carp rod. He even confirmed tips on how to combine up the dough bait so it stayed in your hook the perfect. Whereas he was a bit gruff you possibly can inform this was extra of a ardour than a job for him.
An issue occurred on the final step although, as quickly he had the rod all rigged up he seen a few the segments had been cracked by a earlier renter. He was pissed about it, however went to go seize me one other rod as a substitute. When he got here again he began rigging the opposite rental rod and located once more there was one other drawback with it, the chief and float had been tousled a bit. So he spent a while rerigging that, this time with the assistance of one of many regulars.
They bought the chief all set and bought to balancing all of it out. The finesse wanted to arrange one in every of these rods correctly was shocking to me. This was the whole reverse of what I considered when it got here to concentrating on carp. As a substitute of a cumbersome Carolina rig with some dough or bread, this rig was an assortment of tiny beads, a really delicate-looking bobber, two tiny barbless hooks on a braided chief, and a tiny weight that wanted to be shaved all the way down to get good. If the load was too heavy the bobber wouldn’t float proper and you’ll be lacking bites in line with them.
Whereas ready for them to get the load to bobber stability we made some small speak and I requested some questions concerning the place. The proprietor instructed us concerning the weekend tournaments that he holds on the fishing park. He hosts 12-hour tournaments on Saturdays and nearly each seat obtainable shall be crammed. The place the match isn’t about weight however as a substitute about what number of crucian carp they’ll land through the tourney. The winners get money and prizes so he says it will get very aggressive. We additionally talked concerning the carp themselves. He makes certain there may be loads of carp and they’re properly taken care of, therefore why he solely permits barbless hooks.
After that little little bit of small speak, the rod was prepared we thanked the common, and the proprietor taught me tips on how to forged with the setup. You pinch the braided hook leaders in your left hand, the rod is in your proper hand along with your arm totally prolonged out. This put a slight bend within the tip of the rod. Then in sort of a bass-flipping movement, you launch the the chief to let the baited hooks swing out easily. You don’t need to hit the water with the baits mid-cast although, it’ll knock off your dough bait. It took me just a few tries to get it down, however as soon as I did the fishing park proprietor instructed me to maintain training and attempt to do it whereas sitting. After which he left to return into the home/store.
I attempted just a few extra occasions to forged whereas sitting, however yeah that was slightly past me. I simply wished to attempt to catch a fish. So after fumbling one other forged, I bought an excellent forged out. I used to be watching the bobber, if it strikes up or down that may be a crucian carp mouthing your bait. As soon as I noticed my bobber begin to float up I set the hook on my first carp, the crucians don’t get almost as massive as commons however on this sort out, they put up a surprisingly good combat. It took much more effort than anticipated to land this man within the internet, they get fairly squirrely up shut and the lengthy carp pole doesn’t make it straightforward to get them beneath management up shut.
I spent the following couple of hours simply having a blast catching these little guys on this carp rod. Like I get the enchantment now, this was one thing very totally different from what I used to be used to however totally different didnt imply unhealthy. I should have landed properly over 30 of those fish that day however missed not less than two occasions that many. The chew is surprisingly gentle even with these very finesse-style bobbers. I additionally had one other drawback that was attributable to my expertise. As I saved extra lacking fish, increasingly more dough bait saved chumming the spot I used to be fishing. So it got here to the purpose the place I used to be getting strikes nearly instantly however couldn’t detect them attributable to slack within the line because it landed within the water.
After that saved taking place I took slightly break simply to let the carp relax and disperse slightly. After that little break, I used to be capable of begin catching them once more. After catching just a few extra although it was about time to move out and meet up with the household for lunch. I left the rod within the holder with the hooks out of the water, the proprietor had mentioned to go away all of the gear there so he might pack it up correctly. I hadn’t even used half of the bait granules even in spite of everything that fishing, so I gave the remaining to the common who had helped out a lot earlier. I actually suggest attempting this type of fishing out, it’s much more enjoyable then anticipated.
