First carp of 2008
When
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January 6th, 2008
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Where
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Charles River, MA
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Who
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Fishing with Larry and Mary - well, I tried...
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See also
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Full slideshow on Picasa
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The story
This year, I had decided to stay home with my family for New Years Day, but reading the various FFF reports, I started to itch...
Larry & Mary wanted to catch their first snow carp, so we made a plan for today to go at one of our winter spots. Half a bucket of maize went in the water yesterday evening, and mid-morning, we were all set up and hopeful. Three hours later, nothing had moved, and all I could photograph were the lovebirds.
So we decided to change plans, and go check another winter spot. Trouble is parking our car was real tricky, and Larry could never find a spot large enough for his truck. So they went home, and boy, did they miss something...
I dumped a can of sweet corn in the water 30 minutes before starting to fish this second spot, and this definitely turned them on. My first fish of the year was landed just a couple of minutes after I lowered my rod in the water!
And then it was constant action. I never used my second rod...
I had to land the carp on a patch of ice which was slightly underwater. Weird, but this gave me a couple of nice pics.
Since it was working so well, I decided to experiment. First let's switch bait, and use Edith's special flavored corn. Carp didn't miss a beat and kept biting like crazy.
Then let's play around with rigs. First, I started to use a single kernel of maize, but rigged length-wise on the hair. I've read a report on somebody doing it this way, and this struck me as something to try. Well, after losing three fish in a row with hook-pulls, I started to have doubts! I put back my usual fake kernel + regular kernel bait arrangement, and this worked. Hmmm, interesting.
Now another rig, this one is ultra short, a semi-rigid piece of tubing from the lead, probably two inches long, and then a couple of more inches of flexible Powerpro. I didn't think this rig would work well, but actually, I easily hooked three fish in a row with it and didn't lose any. I have more and more doubts about the validity of using long hooklinks in regular conditions...
Then I started to give it another try with this Flauger rotating rig which intrigued me so much two years ago, I hooked and lost one fish right away, and... fishing died. The sun had turned, and the fish left. Nothing to do with my strange rig, I tried again with a proven one, nothing, that was it!
Total: 11 carp landed in a couple of hours, plus a few hook-pulls due to my strange rigs!
Overall, a great day, but Larry & Mary, please do find a parking spot next time!
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