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Texas Fish Species

Alligator Gar
American Eel
Atlantic Croaker
Atlantic Sharpnose Shark
Bigmouth Buffalo
Black Buffalo
Black Bullhead
Black Crappie
Black Drum
Blackstripe Topminnow
Blacktail Shiner
Blue Catfish
Blue Tilapia
Bluegill
Bowfin
Chain Pickerel
Channel Catfish
Common Carp
Flathead Catfish
Freshwater Drum
Gizzard Shad
Golden Shiner
Goldeye
Goldfish
Grass Carp
Gray Redhorse
Green Sunfish
Guadalupe Bass
Hybrid Striped Bass(wiper/palmetto)
Inland Silverside
Ladyfish
Lake Chubsucker
Largemouth Bass
Longear Sunfish
Longnose Gar
Longnose Sucker
Northern Pike
Orangespotted Sunfish
Paddlefish
Rainbow Trout
Red Drum
Red-bellied Pacu
Redbreast Sunfish
Redear Sunfish
Redfin Pickerel
Redspotted Sunfish
Rio Grande Cichlid
River Carpsucker
Rock Bass
Shortnose Gar
Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth Buffalo
Spotted Bass
Spotted Gar
Spotted Sucker
Spotted Sunfish
Striped Bass
Striped Mullet
Suckermouth Catfish
Sunfish (Bream)
Threadfin Shad
Walleye
Warmouth
White Bass
White Crappie
Yellow Bass
Yellow Bullhead

Lakes with Common Carp on FishExplorer
Rivers with Common Carp on FishExplorer
Common Carp

The lowly carp. The freshwater bonefish. The freshwater redfish.  You choose. This commonly frowned-upon fish is gaining more and more prominence as a gamefish with the advent of fly-fishers popularizing the flats-style approaches akin to Bonefishing in tropical climates.

This hard-fighting and massive-bodied fish has more than likely given many of you a lesson in proper drag setting after grabbing your panfish hook and taking off to who-knows-where with it. The carp is still largely considered a nuisance fish not wanted in our lakes. It is often wrongly assumed the fish is a bottom-feeding, swimming garbage can.

You can catch carp with several baits including nymph flies, spinners, and streamers. Carp are some of the most hardy fish which makes them a prime target in the coldest and hottest weather. They will actively feed in the early spring, late fall, and warm winters.

We are pulling for you, carp. We hope you gain the acceptance you've warranted for so many years.

See Barry Reynold's, Brad Befus', and John Berryman's book on catching carp on the fly, "Carp on the Fly: A Flyfishing Guide."

Common Carp in Texas

Description
Cyprinus is Greek, and carpio is Latin; both words mean "carp." The common carp is a heavy-bodied minnow with barbels on either side of the upper jaw. Typically, color varies from brassy green or yellow, to golden brown, or even silvery. The belly is usually yellowish-white. The dorsal fin with 17-21 rays, and the anal fin both have a heavy toothed spine. Individuals 12-25 inches in length and weighing up to 8-10 pounds are common, although they can grow much larger. Common carp may live in excess of 47 years and weigh over 75 pounds. The all-tackle world record was landed in 1987 from Lac de St. Cassien, France, and weighed in at 75 pounds 11 ounces.
 
Life History
Although carp are generally considered a nuisance by North American anglers, they are highly prized as sportfish in Europe, as they are often excellent fighters. A growing number of anglers in the US are becoming interested in carp as a sportfish. Although flavor varies with the quality of the water from which fish were captured, their sheer abundance has made them an important food fish in some areas.
 
Other
Although carp are generally considered a nuisance by North American anglers, they are highly prized as sportfish in Europe, as they are often excellent fighters. A growing number of anglers in the US are becoming interested in carp as a sportfish. Although flavor varies with the quality of the water from which fish were captured, their sheer abundance has made them an important food fish in some areas. The Texas rod-and-reel record is currently 43.13 pounds. The North American record exceeds 57 pounds.

Courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife

Most Recent Common Carp Forum Posts
Common Carp Articles, Blogs, & Podcasts
Blog: Sonar Exploration to Catch More Shallow Fish 06.19.21 by Matt Snider
Blog: Anti-Troutite, not really 03.14.21 by Jeff Wagner
Blog: CarpQuest - Season 8 - "The Lost Episode" 04.19.20 by JOHN FINNEY
Blog: CarpQuest Season 7 - MINI Episode Released 06.22.19 by JOHN FINNEY
Recent Texas Common Carp Photos by Fish Explorer Members
by Texas Carper - by tazz - by tazz - by bescho4 - by tazz - by tazz - I76 and 74th. saw many carp. by tazz - by tazz - by tazz -
 
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