Coming to Life

Carp fishing is waking up here in RI. In the last week, I have landed good numbers of fish from multiple venues in RI and MA.  That's a sure sign that the carp are moving into a spring feeding pattern.  I have also landed a few hefty fish including my second 20 lber. of the year (got the first on Jan.1).  When the bigger fish start feeding, you know the season has started.
In the last week, I have gotten most of my fish on a combo bait of sweet corn and an artificial pop-up corn.  I'm still fishing small stuff and a #10 hair rigged hook has been the ticket. The cage feeder that was so good all winter just has not cut it in the last week. I'm back to packing method around my sinker.
So, I think I can say with certainty that winter is behind us and the spring carp season has begun.

This good size mirror that's coming to the net was landed today on a
hair rigged combo bait of sweet corn and a white artificial corn.

Foam Maggots

Check out the foam maggot in the lip of this
good size carp.

Berkley Trout Maggots....yes, they
also work with carp.

I know that carp will take a variety of artificial baits, so when I saw foam maggots (actually Berkley Trout Maggots) at Bass Pro this winter, I decided to buy a package and try them out on carp. I fished them with good success last week for three days, landing 15 carp on these foam maggots. Just to experiment and gauge their effectiveness, I had one outfit out with maggots, the other outfit with sweet corn, the hot bait of winter.  I caught just about equal number of carp on both baits.

I fished the cage feeder packed with
method ahead of the foam maggot. This
rig was very effective last week.

I hooked these maggots directly with a #10 short shank hook.  I was also fishing them in tandem with a cage feeder, another real hot item this winter. My best success fishing these has come in a current. I had no success fishing them recently in still waters in ponds and lakes. In these still waters, plastic corn and sweet corn still rule.
I suspect these maggots are a winter bait, a time when pests are inactive.  I'm guessing that as the water warms, such pests as suckers, horned pout and bluegills will pounce right on this small offering. But, I do plan to continue to experiment with this artificial bait in the coming weeks.

Photo of the Day....Beautiful and Unusual!

I landed this gorgeous wild koi today. It is only the third one I have ever caught.
Quite the winter surprise!

100th Carp of the Year Landed

I'm off and running as I landed my 100th carp of the year today.  It's been an up and down winter for me, and I have been doing far more skiing that fishing.  But, I have been hitting the banks on some of the nice days and some of the stormy days this winter and scoring quite well. Last year I landed my 100th carp at just about the same time. This year's 100th was a good looking mirror that weighed about 6 lbs.  It was caught on sweet corn fished directly on the hook and fished ahead of a cage feeder filled with method.  That set up has taken a load of fish for me this winter.

Carp number 100 is about to be netted and brought ashore.

Photo of the Day....Guess What I was Doing on this Wintry Day?

If you are in the right spots and using the right techniques, you can catch carp on
snowy and wintry days like today!