Warm Weather, Rain Perk up Fishing

Here's a good one from today's rain sitting
in some shallow water. Carp fishing here in
RI is on an upward trend!

This was a predictable pattern of spring which perks up the carp fishing. We had some warm weather up in the sixties earlier in the week, and today it was a warm rain with temperatures in the mid 50's.  All that has combined to really perk up the fishing in the last few days.
I've landed 16 carp in the last several days with some good ones in the mid to upper teens. I've also seen a lot more activity with fish jumping and bubble trails giving away the fish's presence.  They have also been more active on the take and the fight, a sure sign that the water is warming.
My best bait continues to be a combo bait of sweet corn and a white artificial corn fished on the hair rig.  I also have a method ball packed around the sinker.  While the carp activity has really perked up, the pests are on the increase also.  I've spotted sun turtles, caught horned pout and suckers, and have had a lot a picky short takes, a sign of bluegills banging at the method mix.
So, things are looking up, finally.  Great time to get out and go carp fishing if you haven't done it yet.

Photo of the Day...."Biggie on a Cold Day"

A good size common comes ashore
on this cold day. While the fishing is slow,
good fish can still be caught.

Hasn't Been Easy

Carp #200 on the year comes to the net. So, far it hasn't been
easy in 2018.

The good news: I landed my 200th carp of the year this week.  The bad news: it hasn't been easy.
Overall, 2018 is off to a sub par start. The weather has been a roller coaster ride and the carp fishing has been the same way.  With the exception of that warm spell in late February when the fishing was really good, it's been an off and on deal with more days off than on.  Many of my spots that should be producing by now have fished poorly.  That has forced me to look elsewhere. So, I've really been on the move in the last month looking for something hot, but I have not found it.
Last year at this point, I had 300 carp while fishing about the same amount of outings. So, I am way behind, but to quote of of RI's best carpers, "this is a marathon and not a sprint." I also know that fishing can turn really hot in mid to late spring.  I am waiting for that to happen.
While I've gotten to 200 fish, a fair number at this point by past standards, I have to say I am really pleased with the sizes.  I have half a dozen 20's so far and lots of fish in the teens, so size-wise it has been good.
Hopefully, fishing will bust open in the coming weeks. After tomorrow, lots more carp waters will open up in RI after trout fishing's Opening Day.  That should give us many more options.

Photo of the Day

A good size common swims off after being released. The action has been decent in this lousy weather.

The Thrill of the Double

Today's Double ended up being one big fish and one small fish
hooked at the same time,.The carp fishing "Double" is one of
the most thrilling events in all of fishing!

It's an event in fishing that has few rivals. The Double! Two outfits are sitting on top of alarms and suddenly, without warning, both alarms are screaming as two separate carp have taken the two separate baits. What ensues is a Chinese Fire Drill.  Grab one rod, hook the fish. Stick that rod between your knees and grab the other and hook that fish. Rotate the rods from hand to knees, reeling a bit of line as the rotation of rods inches each fish closer to the shore.  Finish the job by grabbing one carp with the net, slide the other up on shore and mission accomplished..Yup, it's an adrenalin rush.
I landed my first double of the year today on this rainy and windy day. It proved to be a rather strange double as the first fish onto the shore was a brute of around 20 lbs.  The second, however, was a dink of around 4 lbs. Still, it's the start of the Double Parade for me for 2018.  Hopefully, many more will come my way this year!

NECC (North East Carp Conference) Coming to CT on April 21

The 2018 North East Carp Conference is being held Saturday, April 21st starting at 10:00 AM at the Elks Club in Middletown, CT. This is a one-of-a-kind fishing show that just focuses on carp fishing.

Tickets are now on sale in the CAG store which is accessed through the CAG Forum at:

http://www.carpanglersgroup.com/forum/index.php?/store/category/73-north-east-carp-conference/

Tickets will also be sold at the door.

Some of the highlights of this event include:

• Rig, Bait & Beginner Clinics.     
• Tackle & Bait Vendors.
• Expert Panel Q&A – Planning another live video link with one of the UKs top carp anglers!    
• Guest Speakers – talks from top level carp anglers   
• Door & Raffle Prizes – Hundreds of $$$ worth of top tackle prizes.
• Food & Beverages on sale during the day.

Vendors include: 

Big Carp Tackle, CarpMaxx, Trilogy, Advanced Fishing Rods, World Classic Baits, Fishing Factory, Carp Mart, Trilogy.

I will be one of the speakers to present a seminar.  My seminar is titled Photo Tips for Carp Fishermen. It is a new PowerPoint show I put together just for this event.  It will focus on the secrets to taking better photos. Some topics covered will be self portrait shots with cameras as well as cell phones, action photos and gear photos.