Monday, June 10, 2013

Strategy....Playing the Flooded Waters

If you haven't noticed it has been raining A LOT in the last week.  In fact, this is some of the worst flooding I have seen for an extended period of time along the Blackstone River and any body of water that runs off it.  And, more rain is coming tonight and tomorrow. I was out the last three mornings in some very tough conditions.  In places where I would normally be on a  dry shoreline I was up to my waist in water while wearing my waders. However, I was still catching fish.
So, what's the strategy for fishing flooded places.  First off, you need boots.  In a lot of places you have to walk into the water just to cast or move around.  When pinpointing spots to fish, think close to shore.  In many cases the carp are actually under the bushes and branches that are in the flooded water. An accurate cast right near a bush in the water can bring good results.  Beef up your equipment.  I had a hard time landing a couple of mid size mirrors today, and I was using 15 lb. test line and 9 foot rods.  Any hooked fish will immediately head for structure and bushes and you need to stop it.  Finally, think small ponds.  Fishing the raging Blackstone River is out.  You have no chance at finding them or landing one if you were lucky enough to hook up. Besides, swift river waters can be very dangerous.  Small ponds, even when flooded, are still manageable and productive.

7 comments:

  1. hello dave i noticed you fished roger williams park before i love carp fishing there i catch alot and some decent size i landed my first 20lber there my question is do u know if there is mulberry trees around there? not asking specific spot just wondering if u ever seen them there i usually use sweet corn but would like to try berries i found some but not sure if there in r.w im sure they are tho :)

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  2. Yes, there are mulberry trees at the park but the access to the ones I saw was poor. I spotted them while exploring with my kayak. Good luck and thanks for reading the blog.

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  3. no thankyou and i read your blog few times a week ive recently became a big carp fisherman i need to get out of habit of using medium action poles lol thnx for reply hope to see you there sometime...any advice for the koi :) i call them picky carp because they never want my baits only the common carp do even though i do realize they are carp just ones bred for color :) keep up the good work :)

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  4. Hello Dave. I have never been carp fishing before, but after seeing an asian man pull a 13lber on an ultra light rod and 4# test, I'm very eager to start. Any tips for a beginner? I live in Warwick, Rhode Island and have no idea where, when, or even really how to fish for carp. Any tips/help would be much appreciated!

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  5. To Matt...I would go back on the blog and read some of the past posts (archive) that discuss spots, baits and technique. My strong suggestion is to use heavy equipment for these fish. In most cases the ultralight stuff just does not do in and often results in a break-off.
    Another source of info is the Carp Angler's Group Forum (www.carpanglersgroup.com) They have some past articles and e-magazines that you might find useful. I'll warn you. This can get complicated if you want to do it right. Good luck and thanks for reading the blog.

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  6. Oh, trust me, I know that ultralight tackle shouldnt be used! The guy caught it accidentally while fishing for bluegill/bass! For now, Id be using a medium heavy ugly stik/quantum reel spooled with 30# braid. Until i get more into it. Alright, Thank you for the help, I hope to pull in a nice carp someday.

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  7. if you can only get local id say roger williams is good place to start lots of nice size fish in there :) good luck

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