If you’ve been around carp fishing for any length of time, you’ll have heard the phrase “fish care” more than once. But what does it actually mean in practice? It’s not just about owning the right gear—though that’s part of it. It’s about having a system, a routine that kicks in the moment a fish hits the net. Done right, every carp you catch goes back healthy and ready to be caught again. Done wrong, you can cause damage that lasts a lot longer than your session.
I’ve been refining my approach over the years, and at this point fish care is built into everything I do on the bank. It’s not an afterthought. It’s not something I sort out after I’ve landed a fish. It starts before I even cast out.
Why Fish Care Matters
Carp might look tough. Those scales look like armour plating, and a big fish can feel like a solid lump of muscle in your arms. But here’s the thing—those scales can be easily removed by careless handling or lack of proper fish care gear. Once scales are damaged or missing, the fish is open to infections and disease. What seems like a small scrape to you can cause real problems for a carp down the line.
This is why preparation matters. This is why we don’t just throw a mat down as an afterthought. Every piece of gear, every step in the process, exists to protect the fish so it swims away in the same condition it was in before it picked up your bait.
Gear That Makes a Difference
Over the years I’ve accumulated gear for different fishing scenarios, but the essentials stay the same. A good quality unhooking mat or cradle is non-negotiable. I use a Nash Monster cradle for most of my fishing—it gives the fish a safe, padded space to rest while I sort out hooks, cameras, and weighing. Before any session, that cradle is pre-soaked and ready to go. A dry mat or cradle is almost as bad as no mat at all.
Weigh slings are another essential. I have a few different ones depending on the situation, but they all do the same job—allow me to weigh the fish safely and, just as importantly, release it with minimum fuss. Lowering a fish back into the shallows in a weigh sling is far safer than trying to carry a wet, wriggling carp by hand.
I always have a collapsible canvas bucket filled with lake water beside my net. This lets me keep the fish wet throughout the unhooking and photographing process. A quick splash over the flanks, wet hands before every touch—it all adds up.
For scales, I use Reuben Heaton digitals as my main set, with a Wychwood backup. Scales fail, batteries die, and the last thing you want is to be stuck with a personal best and no way to weigh it. A weigh tripod keeps everything stable and makes the job quicker and safer for the fish.
Nets: Why I Fish With Two
Here’s something most anglers don’t think about until it happens to them—double runs. They’re more common than you’d think, especially on prolific waters or when fishing multiple rods. If you’ve only got one net and two fish hooked, you’ve got a problem.
I fish with two landing nets as standard now. If I land a fish and another rod goes off, that first fish can stay safely in the net in the margins while I play and land the second. No rushing, no panic, no fish flopping on the bank while you scramble to deal with another run.
And on the subject of nets—knotless mesh only. Knotted nets damage fins and scrape scales. Even when I’m pier fishing, I change out the net material to make it fish friendly. It’s a small thing that makes a big difference.
The Process: Landing to Unhooking
When a fish goes in the net, the clock starts. My goal is to get that fish back in the water within two to three minutes. That sounds quick, but if you’re prepared it’s plenty of time to unhook, weigh, and get a photo if you want one.
Here’s how it works for me: fish goes in the net, and I keep it in the water for a moment while I make sure everything is ready. Cradle soaked and in position. Bucket of water beside it. Scales zeroed with the sling attached. Camera on the tripod if I’m taking a shot. Only when everything is set do I bring the fish onto the cradle.
Unhook quickly and carefully—forceps help if the hook is awkward. If I’m weighing, the fish goes straight into the wet sling, onto the scales, and I get my number. If I’m taking a photo, I keep the fish low over the cradle, two hands, kneeling, all fins free. Then straight into the sling for release.
Release: Letting Them Go Right
The weigh sling makes release simple and safe. I carry the fish to the shallows in the sling, lower it into the water, and let it rest for a moment. Once the fish is ready—usually signalled by a kick of the tail—I open the sling and let it swim free. No lifting, no grabbing, no drama.
Watching a big carp power off into the lake after you’ve done everything right is one of the best feelings in fishing. That fish is going back healthy, ready to be caught again, maybe by you on another session, maybe by someone else who’ll appreciate it just as much.
Making It Routine
Fishing with no carp care gear isn’t really an option for me—it’s a must. And once you build it into your routine, it doesn’t slow you down at all. Pre-soak the cradle while you’re setting up. Fill the bucket before you cast out. Have your nets ready, your scales zeroed, your sling wet. It becomes automatic, and when that alarm sounds, you’re not scrambling around looking for gear while a fish waits.
This is why preparation is everything. Cameras, mats, nets, scales, cradles, water—all of it ready before you need it. Two to three minutes from net to release. That’s the goal. That’s how you do right by the fish.
Because at the end of the day, we’re all borrowing these fish for a few minutes. The least we can do is make sure they go back in better shape than we found them.