carnivorous carp?

[John Sharpe]

whilst unhooking a carp today it spat out what looked like a tiny perch, maybe an inch long. i've never known of this before, is it common?
aside from that i believe i had a "bagging" session for the first time today, even being modest and underestimating weights i reckon i must have had 50lb of mainly carp with the odd roach and the tiniest gudgeon i've ever seen which somehow managed to swallow an 8mm pellet. all was going well until i hooked into something a tad too large which stripped out all my elastic and snapped me off, hooked in the margin and it took off like a rocket along the bank, anything i could have done?

[Tarks]

what part of you setup gave in? the elastic, main line or hook length? if your setup light, all you can do is get the pole low in the water try and follow the fish with tension hoping you turn its head and it come back.

or if you have chance on larger poles pull it in the direction its running carp often tend to pull against the force you apply so it may turn back into your close proximaty to continue playing the fish.

all in all your stuffed if its a chance big fish and it just takes off not alot anyone can do on light setups. ''it happens''.

[luke carpstalker]

I'd rather loose the chance of smaller fish on heavy gear, that actually loose a biggie on light gear.

0.24/0.21 with 18/20 laccy for me. still pick up annoying bits.

[SPADGER]

On your point of Carp. Pike anglers using deadbaits have been accidently catching carp for years mate.
I remember in the early 80s or so one being caught on deadbait in the Thames over 20lb.

[fish farmer]

I know a bloke that won a match at Baden Hall in Staffs using sections of Whitebait. Carp have been seen to apparently work together to heard shoals of baby gudgeon into shallow water before plunging in to eat them. Just about all the common coarse species will eat other small fish, with the exception, posibly, of roach.

[John Sharpe]

thats good to know, regards setup it was 18 elastic with 4.4lb main and 3.2lb hook link, the hooklink snapped. i do know there are a couple of near 20lb carp in the canal which escaped netting with the rest up to 5 or 6lb, which i have successfully landed on this gear so i guess i hooked one of the lumps.