Big Fish Come Alive in Warm Weather

This is one of five good size carp
(up to 20 lbs.) landed this morning
in some warm weather. Warming
waters have lit up the fishing.

Back in the Groove

 Today's warmer weather really
perked up the fishing.

Ice Cold

I was rolling along in late February and early March.  The record warmth charged up the carp into a late winter feeding spree like I have never seen before. In a two week period of record warm temperatures, I was able to bank nearly 100 carp.  I just knew it was too good to be true.
Then, we had three northeasters in a row (fourth one going on right now), loads of snow and plunging temperatures.  In many small ponds, the ice returned especially in the morning hours. All that rain and snow sent the rivers to high and fast moving waters. It all put the early season carp fishing into a complete reversal and a deep freeze. Since March 6 (last warm day), I have been out about a half dozen times and have managed to catch exactly one carp and one sucker.  I've seen no activity, no mud, no movement and no jumps. Nothing. It's as if everything just vanished.
This is yet another example of how the weather has a great effect on the carp fishing. Things will surely get better as spring continues to move forward, but it is looking like the rest of March could fish very slowly as very little warm weather is in the forecast.
Good luck if you get out in the coming days....you will need it!

You Can Now Join CAG Through Big Carp Tackle

For all those aspiring carp anglers and even for those experienced fishermen out there, you can now join the Carp Anglers Group (CAG) through Big Carp Tackle. Here is the website .https://bigcarptackle.com/

Starter packet sent to all new CAG members.

Here are some advantages to joining CAG.  You get into a network of state and regional carp anglers who are willing to share information with fellow members. CAG also has a whole slate of tournaments that are both national and regional. By joining the national group, you automatically become part of the state group.  RI CAG runs their own tournaments as well as fish-ins and other events.  You are also promoting carp fishing and conservation with this group. You also get the NACA magazine. And finally, by joining and paying the membership fee of $25 a year, you get a "starter packet" of goodies such as a magazine, a DVD, a hair rig , a baiting needle, sinkers, artificial corn and more.  Heck, just the starter packet is worth the membership.
My own experience with carp fishing began with joining CAG.  I met some great carp anglers and fished some terrific waters with them. I could never have figured this out without the help and advice of fellow CAG members. For me, it has really paid off.

Biggie of the Day

Back to Reality

Like the weather, carp fishing has taken a dive. I got out a couple of days ago on the morning of the storm, and for the first time in a month, I blanked. 
Now, snow covers the banks of most places in northern RI and MA that I fish.  There is even skim ice and a slushy icey mix on the surface of a lot of ponds.  River waters are so high they are not fishable. It looks like we are back to the realities of March fishing.  When temperatures in March are on the upswing, the carp fishing can be good.  When temperatures take a dive like they have in the last few days, the fishing dies out. As the weather goes, so goes the fishing.
It's not looking like a good weekend if you are hoping to catch a carp. On the other hand, the skiing is great.  So, looks like I'll be heading to the slopes this weekend!

Number 100

I landed carp number 100 on the year today.  The fishing has been red hot in the
last few weeks, and this is the earliest date I have ever reached 100 fish.  This
beautiful mirror was part of a seven fish haul in a short session today.

Wind, Cold, Rain and Flooding Light up the Fishing in Recent Days

That record fishing that I experienced in February just continued right into March. Despite the wind, cold and torrential rains of the past few days, the fishing was excellent if you could stand it out in the cold.

The hot bait of the last few days
has been a white plastic corn and
a kernel of sweet corn fished on
the hair rig.

Another good size carp comes ashore.
This is one of 20 decent fish taken in
the nasty weather of the last few days!

Usually I don't like to fish flooding waters, but the fishing was so hot last week that I tried the past few days anyway. In some places the flooding was so bad that  I had to wear my waders just to get out of the flooded woods to cast. It all worked out because in the last three days of this messy weather I managed to bank 20 carp, fantastic numbers under any conditions. Many of those fish were up in the teens.

I've written many, many times about how carp are just charged up in nasty weather. Big rainstorms, tropical storms, northeasters and even hurricanes are all weather events that I have fished in over the years.  These events have consistently produced big numbers of fish as well as big fish.

The hot bait combination continues to be a combo bait of sweet corn and a white artificial corn fished off the hair rig. That is out fished anything else I have used and I have tried other combo baits.

Photo of the day...Fishing in the Storm

Torrential rain, driving wind, and cold temps.
But, yesterday's storm also brought some decent action!