Carp fishing for beginners, I have been doing a lot of experimenting in the last year so please trust me on this.
Use a small but strong hook. You don't need bigger than a size 4. I recommend size 6 or size 8. Gamakatsu makes good carp hooks.
http://www.gamakatsu.com/fishing-hooks.php?pid=1258Now if you wanted to keep it very simple you could go out and just throw a few handfuls of corn out (chumming) and fish with 4-6 kernels of corn right on the hook on your Carolina rig. But below is how to do things correctly.
Learn to tie a hair rig. It's actually quite easy and will ensure perfect hooksets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcPa2j089T4 . You will need a baiting needle, a bait drill, and a bait stop. See below for where to get this.
For line, use 20# at least for main line (PowerPro braid is perfect, 30 or 40#). 12-20# for your leader. I recommend Sufix Advance mono for your leader material because it's green (blends in), very easy to tie and cheaper than other premium leader materials, but you can use just about anything.
https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Sufix_Advance_Green_Monofilament/descpage-SAGM.htmlCarolina rig is fine. I prefer 3 ounces to ensure a better hookset.
Bait - you always want to chum the area you're fishing. The longer you chum and the more bait you put out, the more fish will be in the area. But if you put out too much bait, you can have problems because too much bait and the fish will never find yours.
You can just use sweetcorn, it's really perfect. I also recommend mixing in some panko break crumbs (you can get these anywhere including Wal-Mart, very cheap). They are dried bread and what that does is help keep the carp in the area longer because they are getting all the little bread crumbs instead of just eating the corn and leaving. Also attracts smaller fish which the carp can sense and move in on.
For hook bait, I HIGHLY recommend using fake corn. You can get this at the shop below. See next comment
