How to safely weigh fish and use a carp care kit

Part of fishing is all about ensuring that the carp that we catch swim off in just as good condition as when we catch them, and by following some simple rules you can ensure that happens.

The time between netting your fish and subsequently returning it to the water after weighing it, taking some photos, and treating any marks or abrasions, is when there is most risk of inadvertently causing damage to a fish, whilst it is out of the water.

Any damage that you cause can be permanent, or could even end up killing the carp, so the more care you take the better, whilst the fish is on the bank, and when transporting it to and from your unhooking mat.

A decent sized landing net is essential

To even get to a situation where the fish is ready to be weighed and photographed, you’re going to need a decent sized landing net.

This doesn’t need to break the bank and the Korda Kaizen Green net will do the job just as well as our flagship Springbow Landing Net, although using slightly cheaper materials.

You are going to need a net with at least 40 inch arms and a mesh that is a decent depth, as not only does the carp have to fit in it comfortably when netting it, but also needs to be left in the net whilst you sort out everything you need to deal with it on the bank. You don’t want the fish to be bent up in a net that is too small as this can cause damage to fins due to the pressure of the mesh on them.

Never lift a fish out in the net

Most damage is done to carp by lifting them out of the water in the landing net – even one that has been broken down and rolled up – and this can easily cause split fins, or even worse, broken ones. On some lakes where this practice is common, a lot of the fish have broken tails.

As well as the pressure of the fins against the mesh potentially causing damage, there is also a risk that your rig gets caught up in the mesh and when you lift the fish out of the water in the net, this causes enough pressure to rip the hook out and tear the mouth of the carp. Always use a weigh sling or retainer to lift the fish out, and even then, if you are able to easily unhook it before doing so, then this removes any risk of that kind of damage.

Have everything ready to go

Before even thinking about getting a carp out of then water, you need to ensure that you have everything ready, to make the whole process as quick and efficient as possible.

Assuming you are going to deal with the fish now rather than retaining it, means positioning your unhooking mat in the right spot for your photos – bearing in mind the angle of the sun and shadows from trees – and ideally not too far from the water, as the shorter the distance you are carrying the fish, the better.

You’ll need to make the mat wet, in order to help protect the protective slime on the fish and prevent it from being removed. Once you’ve done that, keep a bucket of water within reach, as you’ll want to keep the fish wet whilst you do the photos - one of the collapsible Korda Compac Buckets is ideal.

Dip your weigh sling in the margins to make sure all of it is wet, then once drained, zero it on your scales.

If you are going to take some photos then get your camera set up and ready – if you are on your own and doing self-takes then get your tripod in the right position and take a few test shots to check the framing is right.

It might be the case that it is still nighttime, or that you’re going to wait for a friend to come round to help  with the weighing and photos, and in this scenario you should use a proper retainer sling and transfer the carp to it.

Use a retainer sling or weigh sling to get the fish out of the water

To help ensure that you don’t damage the carp when you get it out of the water, you need to transfer it into a weigh sling, and the easiest way to do that is whilst it is still in the net – trying to move it from the net to a sling, in the water, can cause a risk of the fish escaping!

The easiest way is to simply break down your landing net from the spreader block and carefully roll up the arms, checking that the fins of the fish are lying flat against its body – this is something you should check every time you lift a fish in any sling or retainer.

Then slide the rolled up net and arms into an unzipped weigh sling or retainer sling – one you have already zeroed on your scales – and make sure the fish is sitting okay and the fins are flat. Then zip up the sling and make sure you have a good grip on the handles – some people prefer to carry it by the arms, and some slings, such as the Compac Retainer Sling, have handles positioned at each end of the arms to make it easy to do so.

Carefully lift the fish clear of the water, and if you are able to get in the margins in waders, then it makes thing easier than leaning over the edge of the bank. You will need to have planned where to lift it out – or where you are going to get out of the lake if in waders – and ensure there is nothing for the sling to get caught on or bash against, and that the route to your unhooking mat is clear. If it is a bigger fish then having another angler there to help makes things a lot easier.

Unhooking the fish and using your carp care kit to treat open wounds

Once out of the water, carefully carry the fish in the sling and gently place it in the centre of your unhooking mat.

You need to be using an unhooking mat that is large enough for the size of fish that you are going to be catching, and which is also thick enough to offer sufficient protection for the carp, even when being used on stony ground.

There are different choices when it comes to unhooking mats, and whilst some anglers prefer a more traditional style of mat such as the Korda Compac Hybrid, which is flat and made from a mixture of high density foam and with bean bag edges to it, which stops fish from flapping off of it.

Others will favour a carp cradle, such as the two sizes that are available in the Basix range, and which have raised padded walls to prevent any risk of the fish getting off of the mat. Whichever type you choose, just make sure it is big enough.

When you’ve placed your sling and the fish on the mat, carefully unzip the sling and unroll the landing net arms to expose the fish. Find where the hook is within its mouth and carefully pop the hook out – this should be easy enough with your fingers, or pliers/forceps if you really need them.

Check for any damage left by the hook and apply some Korda Propolis to the hook hold, splashing a small amount of water on the Propolis liquid to ensure it sets - this natural product has antibiotic properties.

Now is also a good time to check the fish for any other damage such as split fins, lifted scales, or sores, which will need treating with Ulcer Swab, although you normally want to do that after you’ve taken photos. Again, these should be treated with the liquid and then water splashed on top to help set it in place.

Now, carefully remove the landing net from underneath the fish, sliding it out from under its body and being careful that it doesn’t get caught on the fins. So that you are left with just the fish in the sling.

How to weigh a carp accurately with fishing scales

Before attempting to weigh the fish you need to zip the sling up again so there is no danger of the carp falling out.

Select whichever type of scales you have chosen – whether that is digital or our dial scales is purely down to personal preferences, and each type has its advantages. A dial scale can’t run out of battery or leave you wondering if it is still zeroed, but also doesn’t settle as easily as digital and locking in the weight.

Whichever type of scales you’ve chosen to use, you will need either a weigh bar, or ideally a Korda Compac Weigh Staff, which not only make the process easier but also give an accurate weight.

A weigh bar makes it easy to lift the scales and ensure that they hang down vertically – this is essential for an accurate weight, never try and lift or support the scales from under the scales, or you won’t get the correct weight, they need to be able to hang freely.

But with a weigh bar it can be hard to hold it still, especially with larger fish, and a weigh staff is a much better idea, as you simply stick one end of it (the spike) in the ground and then slowly lift the fish, making sure that it is still over the unhooking mat – never weigh a fish anywhere but over the mat – and the scales will settle on the correct weight. The Compac Weigh Staff is favoured by Danny Fairbrass for weighing all his fish.

Once you’ve got a weight, carefully lower the sling back onto the mat, making sure none of the fins are sticking out from the body and could potentially be damaged.

Photographing your catch

After weighing the fish, unzip the sling and give the carp some water, by pouring some all over it from your bucket, and this not only helps to protect the layer of slime on it, but also makes it nice and shiny for your photos!

Wait for the fish to calm down before attempting to lift it, and if it really starts to flap then leave it on the mat, with the sling over it, for a minute or two before trying again. You want the fish out of the water for the least amount of time possible, but as long as you keep them damp they will be fine for a few extra minutes, and trying to lift a fish that isn’t ready, risks it flapping out of your hands and potentially damaging itself.

Once it is ready, make sure you get a firm grip – one hand underneath it and around the pectoral fin, the other underneath it and gripping the anal fin – and then lift it off of the mat, stopping if it starts to flap.

Never lift the fish higher than you need to, and you should always be kneeling or crouching down over the mat. If it starts to flap whilst you’re holding it for the photos, simply roll it back in your arms and hold it against your body until it calms down, or carefully lower it back onto the mat.

Once you’ve got some photos, carefully put the fish back in your weigh sling and zip it up.

Even better if you decide to do your catch shots in the margins of the lake – just make sure that the water is deep enough and there are no objects (such as sunken posts or reed stems) that could damage the fish if you drop it whilst holding it for photos.

Returning the carp to the lake

Once the fish is back in your weigh sling, on the mat, and the photos are all done, now is the time to treat any marks on its body by applying Ulcer Swab or Propolis, and you should leave it long enough to set before lifting it – you want to make sure that the carp care liquid stays on and can do its job properly.

These carp care liquids not only help damage to heal, but also form a protective layer to help prevent infection.

Zip the sling up and check the fins are flat, then lift the sling and walk back to the lake, with it before carefully lowering the sling into the margins, making sure it doesn’t come into contact with anything that the fish could bash against and cause damage to itself. If you are able to get in the margins in your waders, then even better, and where rules allow. Unzip the sling and support the carp until it is ready to swim off.

Retaining your catch

An alternative to photographing and returning the fish straight away, is where you plan to use a retainer sling.

These are designed to secure a fish in the margins for a period of time, and ideally that should be as short a time as possible – you shouldn’t be retaining fish for many hours or overnight. For very short periods, the Korda landing nets are perfect for keeping a fish in the edge, as they have a deep mesh and a spike on the end of the handle that can be pushed securely into the bank.

If you are waiting for it to get light, for a mate to come round and do the photos, or are simply getting your rods back out before dealing with the fish, then a retainer sling can come in very useful – you can still weigh the fish before putting it back in the retainer sling and leaving it in the margins.

It is important to use these slings carefully, as potentially you could end up killing a fish if you don’t, hence why it is best to leave the fish in them for the minimum time possible.

You need to think carefully about where you position your retainer – the margins need to be deep enough and ideally shaded from the sun, if retaining a fish during the daytime, as they need a good supply of oxygenated water. Modern retainers are designed to have good water exchange, and therefore oxygen exchange as well, but you still need be careful.

It is of course important as well that you secure the retainer properly so that it can’t come adrift – despite the fact that retainer slings float, there is still no guarantee it will be retrieved if it does float away, and could result in a dead fish – as has happened in the past with carp sacks when a fish has swam off in one and not been found.

When used properly there is no issues with a retainer, and they can even be good for giving a carp a rest after a long fight, before you further mess around with it taking photos.