Do Carp Bite Humans? Should Swimmers and Anglers Worry?

Many beginner anglers think carp do not have teeth because the carp’s teeth are not visible.

When anglers think the carps won’t bite, they become quite careless when handling and unhooking the fish which can lead to some injuries.

So, do carp bite humans? Carp do not bite humans as long as you don’t stick your fingers or entire hand down the carp’s throat. That is because the carp’s teeth are located very far back in their throat. While the carp’s teeth are not very sharp, they’re still strong enough to grind their food.

Keep reading to learn more about what carps use their teeth for and how to handle them safely to reduce the risk of injury.

Do Carp Have Teeth?

Carps have a set of fairly strong teeth called pharyngeal teeth because they’re located at the back of the carp’s throats.

These teeth are not very sharp. They’re round and flat when compared to human teeth and their number can vary.

What Do Carp Use Their Teeth for?

Carp fish are omnivores and they do not really need sharp teeth as they mostly feed on plants and insects.

When carps feed they mostly suck and gulp their food into their mouth instead of biting it. So, they mainly rely on their teeth to grind and chew their food when it reaches the back of their throats.

How to Handle Carp?

Although the carp’s teeth are not sharp enough to cause damage, you still need to be very careful when handling the fish.

Here are some tips you can follow to correctly handle a carp fish after landing it:

• Apply equal pressure on all parts of the carp’s body using your entire hand when you lift it out of the water.
• Try to keep your hold on the carp secure as much as you can and try not to let it squirm in your grip.
• Hold the carp in a vertical position with its mouth facing the sky and its tail pointing toward the ground. This will help reduce the pressure on the carp’s jaw from the weight of its body.
• Make sure to keep your thumb placed inside the mouth of the carp and keep a firm hold of its bottom lip while pressing the rest of your fingers against the outside of the carp’s mouth.
• You can hold the carp in a horizontal position using two hands for more support. Make sure to keep one hand on the back of the carp’s head while the other hand is on the carp’s tail to make it easier to lift.
• Consider using a lip grip tool that will allow you to securely lift the carp by the lip so you can manipulate, inspect, and release it back into the water without even putting your hands directly on the fish.
• When you’re releasing the carp back into the water make sure to lower it as close to the water as possible then slowly loosen your hold on its body.
• Avoid tossing the carp too quickly into the water, and try to let it move on its own to slip smoothly underneath the surface.

How to Safely Unhook Carp?

It’s very important not to remove the hook from the carp’s fish by reach into its mouth using your bare hands.

Here are the steps you need to follow to safely unhook carp without causing any harm to the fish or yourself:

• Hold the carp in a vertical position with its mouth facing the sky and its tail pointing toward the ground.
• If the carp is too heavy to hold with just one hand, you can lay it on the ground or boat floor then prop its head up by picking it up by its gills or lipping it.
• If you are going to lip the carp, it’s recommended to wear thick fishing gloves to avoid injuring your hand on the teeth at the back of their throat.
• Use the fishing pliers with your free hand, to grip the eye of the hook on the lip of the carp.
• When you get a good grip on the eye of the hook with the pliers, roll the hook’s eye towards the hook’s point.
• When the hook starts to yank the carp’s lip, twist the hook’s point and pull it out of the carp’s lip.

Here is a simple video that shows you how to handle a carp correctly:

This is a very similar process to the one we explained in our guide to how to handle Muskies correctly, but Muskies are more dangerous than trout, and Muskies do indeed bite humans. You can find our guide to handling Muskies safely here, make sure to check it out as well.

What to Do If You Get Injured from Carp’s Teeth?

If you reached down a carp’s mouth and your bare hands came into contact with the teeth located at the back of their throats, then you might get injured.

The injury will not be dangerous as the carp’s teeth are not very sharp. All you need to do is rinse the wound with fresh water, the apply antiseptic and dress the wound to prevent any infection.

If there’s any bleeding, you need to apply pressure on the wound using clean bandages until the bleeding stops before you rinse the wound with water.

Related Questions

What Do Carp Eat?

All Carps are omnivores and they have a very diverse palate. The will eat anything from aquatic plants such as algae and river weed to smaller insects such as mayfly larvae, caddis fly larvae. They will also occasionally eat fish eggs, snails, worms and small crustaceans such as shrimps.

Do Carp Feed on Smaller Fish?

Carps do not actively hunt for or feed on smaller fish. That is because they aren’t predatory fish by nature and they can’t move very fast to chase and catch fish. However, they might occasionally feed on small bait fish if they they’re able to catch it.

How Strong Is a Carp’s Bite?

A Carp’s bite is not very strong. It won’t cause any serious injuries or rip your fingers off. That is because their teeth are round, flat and not very sharp. Their teeth are also located at the back of their throat which makes it unlikely to get into contact with your hand.

Can Carp Teeth Bite Through the Fishing Line?

Carp might be able to bite through the fishing line with their teeth if they managed to swallow the rig all the way down to their throat where their teeth are located. The fishing line must come in contact with the pharyngeal teeth in order to be cut.

Helpful Resources 

Do Carp Eat Guppies

The Worst Fish in America: Asian Carpocalypse

Can Carp see your fishing line?

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