Grass carp grow large and are strong fighters on a rod and reel, but because of their vegetarian habits and their wariness, they can be difficult to catch. Chumming with corn adds to success. Canned corn, cherry tomatoes, and, despite their primarily vegetarian habits, grass carp sometimes eat other vegetarians. Chumming with white bread, and a piece of bread pinched on a hook and floated on the surface works well, especially for pond grass carp. The fish are popular but wary quarry for bowfishers where bowfishing for grass carp is legal.
When searching for grass carp to fish, one may often spot fish cruising near the surface or very close to the shoreline. Often, an angler will spot a telltale swirl in the water near the shore without even glimpsing the fish. Grass carp often feed or rest near the shoreline, and are very wary in such places. They usually will dart away at the first sight of a person walking nearby. Stalking the fish to place a piece of bait nearby is sometimes successful. Casting bait on top of the fish usually results in spooking the fish.
Grass carp caught in ponds and lakes where they were stocked for weed control should be handled with care and released without harm.