Big Day in Lousy Weather

I landed 7 carp on the day and this was one of the larger ones.
They were also hitting after dark.

The big ones have come alive.  Today was a day in which the large carp were very active.  I've said many times in the past that the lousier the weather the better the carp fishing. With a cool northeast wind and overcast conditions, the fish were in a hitting mood this morning. I landed good numbers of them up to the high teens.
In addition, I got out on my first nighttime adventure of the fall.  I also caught fish after dark with the biggest going 20 lbs.
The hot bait for me all day was a combo bait of maize along with a white, plastic pop up artificial corn made by ESP. That has been a hot ticket in recent weeks for bigger fish, and it worked like a charm today.  I am also using a method ball.
With lousy weather forecast right through the weekend, it should be prime time to get out and catch a large fall carp. They are on the feed right now.

Cooler Weather Brings Uptick in Activity

Here's a mirror double that was
landed this morning. It was part
of a 12 fish haul. Numbers and
sizes have increased in this cooler
weather.  The fish have begun
their fall feed.

Fall is having its usual effect on carp fishing here in RI.  I have noticed an uptick in activity in the last ten days with more fish as well as bigger fish around.  It all spells the start of the fall feeding for carp as they load up for the upcoming winter.
I am on a September roll.  I landed my 100th carp of the month today in a haul of 12 fish.  I also got my 700th carp of the year last week, the earliest I have ever hit that number.  September has been a good month for me with lots of fish in the 10-18 lb. range.  I've gotten nothing real big but very steady fishing for those mid size fish.
In addition, our RI CAG members have been reporting some impressive fish in the last 10 days in our fall combo tournament.  They have entered numerous common and mirror carp of 30 or more inches (we use length in the fall tourney).  These are real good size fish, and they were all taken in RI waters.
My two biggest RI carp, 33 lbs. and 36 lbs. (RI CAG record), were both caught in the fall.  Need I say more.  This is a great time to get out and catch your carp of a lifetime.

Inconsistent September Fishing So Far

This good looking common was
one of 10 carp landed in a short
period of time this morning. Today
was a good day; the rest of the week
was not!

Ah, the inconsistencies of September carp fishing reared its head this week. The water is warm, it's very low due to lack of rain and it is very weedy.  These conditions all contribute to the inconsistent fishing we find at this time of year.  Add to that the up and down weather which is cool and fall-like one day and summer-like and humid the next.
The past week was running fair to poor for me.  I got out several days in the morning and had a blank, had a day with two fish and had another with three.  This was all in multiple spots. Then, I went out this morning and nailed 10 carp in a two hour span.
This has been my experience with carp fishing in the past in September.  They can be in the mood to hit one day and completely turned off the next.  Doesn't seem to matter the spot or the bait. The inconsistencies of carp fishing are here. Just have to go out and try it and hope it works out.

RI CAG Combo Fall Combo Tournament off to Good Start

RI CAG member Brian Savage entered this impressive
30 inch FSM mirror in our Fall  Combo Tournament.

We've only been running our Fall Combo Tournament for a week and a half and already our members  have some impressive entries.
Here's how it runs.  CAG members can enter their largest mirror, common and koi over the next three months. Fish must be caught from RI waters. Size will be determined by LENGTH. Our members can enter as many fish as they like but only the biggest will count. The lengths of your biggest fish (in inches) are added up and that becomes your point total. All fish must be released.  Medals provided by CAG will be awarded to the top three finishers.
Already our guys have entered some impressive fish with some commons and mirrors over thirty inches (about 20 lbs.).  Those are terrific fish for this time of year. We have not had a koi entry yet as these fish are hard to find and catch.  The koi will be a wild card in this year's tournament.
Fall is a great time to land a big carp as these fish are going on the feed prior to winter. I suspect we will have some very impressive fish landed in the coming months.

Photo of the Day!

The good times just keep rolling along as today produced many fish this size.
September fishing is off to a hot start!

An August to Remember; 600th Carp of the Year Landed

This hefty common was
number 600 on the year.

It has been an August to remember.  I landed 179 carp in August making this month one of the best numbers-wise I have ever had.  In fact, so far this year, August has been my most productive month.
The strange thing about August fishing is that it can run hot and cold and often holds surprises.  Many years back I remember having a dreadful August in which I landed a mere 19 carp.  And, last year I got a big surprise in August by landing a 30 lb. common, the biggest summer fish I have ever landed. This year the surprise was the big numbers.
In all the hoopla with the big numbers I got my 600th carp of the year last week.  It was a hefty common that fell for one kernel of maize on the hair.
Beginning carp fishermen often ask how I get these big numbers.  My key to success at this time of year is about making adjustments, which is so hard to do for novices who have limited knowledge of locations, baits, patterns and methods. This summer I completely abandoned all my past spots which were not producing in early summer, and I went out and searched for new venues that really paid off.  I also altered by bait, pretty much going with one kernel of maize on the hair in the last month.  That has really worked out.  I also have gone small and light with the hair rig, hooks, and sinker. I have also given up fishing afternoons and evenings and have been concentrating on morning fishing when the temperatures are cooler. It was a combination of all those things that delivered a record August for me.

1 Kernel, 1 Week, 50 Carp

Just one kernel of maize on the
hair has been my ticket to success.

This good looking mirror is one of
50 carp landed this week alone.

Wow, this past week has been hot for carp fishing for me. It's unusual to hit big numbers of fish in August, but this past week has been  one of my best weeks in August of all time as I landed 50 carp in the last seven days. They have ranged from little guys to hefty fish in the teens.
The hot ticket to success has been just one unflavored kernel of maize on the hair rig. Every fish in the last week fell for that one kernel. I have been lightly baiting my spot in a tight area close to shore when I arrive and then I will cast to that spot with my bait.  On occasion I have put another bait way out with my second rod.  When I am fishing way out, I am using a small method ball around my one ounce sinker just to get a little extra weight on the cast.
Surprisingly, the turtles are not that keen on attacking that one kernel of maize.  They will take it off once in a while, but for the most part, they leave it alone. Bigger or more plentiful baits are definitely an attraction to turtles.
My discovery of the effectiveness of one kernel of maize has played big this August.  We'll see how long the hot streak lasts.