Off and Running

Here is one of 8 carp landed in the last three outings. Yes,
spring is here (at least temporaily) and the fishing are hitting.

I'm back fishing to a semi-normal basis mixing skiing with fishing these days.  Some days I am doing both.  I got out three times in the last 6 days and landed 8 carp up to 10 lbs. The are hitting and getting more active by the day.
Realize that carp can be sluggish in the early going.  The water is certainly under 40 degrees and that contributes to their sluggishness on the hit and on the fight. I've been experiencing a lot of "taps" and abbreviated runs in recent outings and that is quite normal for this time of year.
I am just using sweet corn either on the hair or on the hook.  I have been experimenting with two different rigs on two different outfits.  The first rig is the traditional hair rig which is baited up with 2 kernels of sweet corn off a #8 hook.  The second rig is just a straight monofilament leader with a hook tied at the end.  The hook is a #10.  I hook two small kernels of sweet corn on the hook. My thoughts on this is that the more concentrated bait on the smaller hook might just be the ticket to catching sluggish hitting fish.  Both rigs have small method balls packed around the sinker.
But, so far, I  seem to be catching equally on both rigs. So, maybe that hair rig is not needed in the early going???  More experimentation is needed.

About to Bust Open

This good size mirror is one of
several that I landed this week.
There is still snow and ice in places,
but it is disappearing quickly.

Get ready because carp fishing is about to bust open this coming week. It will be an earlier than usual start.  I went around scouting the last couple of days and can tell you that most of the ice is at least partially off most of the ponds.  Some places were half iced in, others had sparse icing along the shorelines.  Ponds and lakes south of Providence had little ice while places to the north had more.  However, I suspect the all the ice will be gone by the weekend. The rivers are ice free but the water is high and really moving in most places.
I did also fish a couple of times this week in moving, ice free water and landed a few mirrors.  The water is still super cold with the ice and snow melting and the fish are sluggish, but that will change rapidly in the next week. Sweet corn was the bait of choice this week.
Realize that early season fishing is complicated because of RI DEM rules.  Here are some things to keep in mind:
* You will need a new 2017 license to fish after March 1 in RI. Your old (2016 ) license is good until the end of Feb.
* All trout stocked waters are closed and off limits until Opening Day (second Sat. in April).  All other waters are open to carp fishing.
*The Blackstone River is mostly closed to carp fishing  after March 1 due to limited trout stocking.
*Once Opening Day comes along, the use of corn is prohibited in trout stocked waters.  You can use corn everywhere else.

Next Stop on the Seminar Tour....Springfield Sportsmens Show

My next stop on my winter seminar tour is the Springfield Sportsmens Show at the Big E in Springfield, MA.  I will be there on Sat., Feb.25.  I will be doing my saltwater seminar titled Keeper Bass and Big Blues from Shore and Boat along with my latest carp fishing show, Targeting Large Carp. The exact seminar time schedule should be posted soon.  I did the carp fishing seminar at the New England Fishing and Outdoor Expo in Boxboro, MA several weeks ago and it was well attended with novices as well as veteran carpers. I expect the a similar turnout in Springfield.
The Springfield Sportsmens Show is a huge event billed as the biggest outdoor show in New England.  It features everything outdoors with an emphasis on hunting and fishing. All the show information is HERE. 
I hope to see many of my followers at the show.

Check Out The Interview on Pond Tuna Blog

I was asked by fellow RI CAGer and carp enthusiast Angel Medrano if he could set up an interview with me for his blog, Pond Tuna. I agreed and quite frankly, it was an honor. You can find it at

http://www.pondtuna.com/

Angel is one of our premier carp fishermen in this state. He writes an informative blog that I check out almost daily.  He has some unique and interesting perspectives on carp fishing along with some very good photography. Check it out!

Photo of the Day

Got out this morning in 20 degree weather.  The shore had ice, the shoreline had
snow.  Yet, I managed to land this good size common on hair rigged sweet corn.
Yes, they can be caught in February!