Ending the Year with a Quality Fish

 

Here is my last carp of 2021 that is coming to the
net.  The fish was a whopping 20 lbs., big for a 
winter carp.

I'm not surprised that the last fish of the year, caught today on Dec. 31, was a twenty pounder.  This has been the year of the BIG carp for me in RI waters.  I can't tell you how many fish over 20 lbs. that I have taken this year.  It is the most I have ever caught in RI waters (more coming on this in a later post). Today's carp fell for a combo bait of sweet corn and a white artificial pop-up corn fished on the hair rig.

 It's tough to catch a carp over 20 lbs. around here in the wintertime. Smaller fish are more prevalent and active. Still, they can be had. A couple of years back I landed a "20"on New Year's Day in the FFF (First Fishing Folly) Tournament sponsored by the Carp Anglers Group.  That fish won the prize for the biggest carp in the northern part of the US.

With a big warm-up coming in the next two days, this will be a big opportunity to catch a carp in  January for those who go out and try.  They will be hitting.  Smaller and shallow ponds,  small rivers and streams that heat up quickly will be your best bets.

Back to Sweet Corn

 

This is one of a couple of carp I landed on this
cold afternoon.  It hit a combo bait of sweet corn
and a white artificial corn on the hair rig.

In the last week I have made the move back to sweet corn.  Sweet corn from the can that you buy in a supermarket is one of the most effective carp baits you can use.  Big problem with sweet corn during most of the year is that many species of fish and turtles can easily take it off the hook or hair because it is so delicate. However, at this time of the year, the pests are gone due to the cold water so sweet corn is the way to go.

You can use sweet corn in a number of ways.  You can put it on the hair rig using a couple of pieces.  If you are not into hair rigging, you can just put a couple of kernels on a small #8 or #10 hook.  I like to put one kernel of sweet corn on the hair rig along with a plastic artificial corn.  That is what I have been using this week to catch my December carp.

With a cold spell coming and nights dropping way down below freezing, this could be it for awhile for carp fishing from ponds and lakes. Once the ice arrives, it is over.  You can still fish for them in moving water, but I have had very little luck this December in river currents. Small ponds have been far more effective.

Photo of the Day....."Dec. 16, 60 Degrees, and Carp Hitting!"

 

Here's a nice mirror coming ashore on this beautiful December day.

Bottom Line- Still Hitting

 I got out twice in the last five days and fished a number of places.  I fished the warmest part of the day in the afternoon, one of the key times to fish in December.  I landed a total of 5 carp that ranged from 6 to 12 lbs.  It wasn't hot and heavy action, but not bad either for the second week in December.

Carp will continue to hit around here so long as the ponds and lakes are not iced over.  At this time of year, the prime spots are "small spots".  Places like small ponds and shallow bodies of water that warm up on a warm day offer the best bets at catching carp. I've never had much success at large, deep lakes and ponds.

I'm still fishing the same stuff I have used all fall.  That combo bait of maize and a white artificial corn on the hair rig is still really producing.  Sweet corn can also be good.  Sometimes I use a method ball around the sinker, sometimes I don't.

With a big warm up coming in the next week, expect the carp fishing here in RI to be productive.

Here's a hefty 12 lb. common coming ashore. Even though it's
December, the carp continue to hit.

3rd Place- National CAG Fall Big 4 Tournament!

 Just like I have been doing for the past ten years, I competed, once again, in the CAG Fall Big 4 Tournament.  This event took place from Oct. 1 to November 30. About 70 high level carp anglers (all CAG members) from all over the US entered this popular event. You could fish anywhere you wanted.  The idea was to enter your 4 biggest carp by weight.  Add those totals and that became your points. You also had to provide documentation- photo of fish with scale and logo.  Just like the spring Big 4, I had my BIGGEST fall total ever in this event.  My final total ended up 112 lbs., 14 oz.  My four biggest fish were 30 lbs. 4 oz., 30 lbs. 2 oz., 26 lbs. 8 oz. and 26 lbs. You may all be very surprised to learn that all those carp were landed in RI waters.

This fishing this fall was particularly tough.  There was one big storm after another (weather I like, but when trees are falling around you, it can be too much of a good thing).  Temperatures were also on a roller coaster- warm one day, frigid the next. And, with all the rain, the water was exceptionally high all fall.  High water is not the best of conditions. Still, all in all, I was quite pleased with my results.  For my 3rd place finish, I won a $100 gift certificate to Big Carp Tackle.

This carp with a beer barrel belly was my second largest of 
the tournament at 30 lbs., 2 oz.

Final Results of RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament

 

Brian Savage....Gold Medal

It's been going on for three months and we finally have our winners in our Fall Combo Tournament.  Once again, our guys and gals went out and landed some quality fish, all taken in RI waters. You could enter a common, a mirror and a bonus fish (catfish or sucker).  Add up the lengths and you get your point total.

Here are the FINAL results

(Common + Mirror +  Bonus= Points)

1. Brian Savage- 33 + 37 + 19 1/2 = 89 1/2

2. Tom Perron- 34 + 31 + 18 = 83

3. Jeff Henderson- 31 + 0 + 15=46

4. Tony Carvalho- 29 +  0 + 12 = 41

5. Laura Mitchell- 0 +  31 1/2 + 0 =33 1/2

6. Manny Dias- 33 +0 + 0 =33

Jeff Henderson....Bronze Medal

Tom Perron...Silver 
Medal

 

Happy Thanksgiving

 I want to wish all my loyal followers a Happy Thanksgiving.  

Here in RI we are fortunate to have some of the best carp fishing around.  It's a small state but we have that rare combination of lots of mirrors and lots of commons along with an abundance of places to fish. Good luck if you get out in the coming days and weeks to catch some end of the year carp.

What is it? Hint: Not a Common!

 

Take a look above at this "carpy" fish that I landed today.  At first glance, most fishermen would think it is a small common.  But, it has very tiny scales that extend all the way to the bottom of the belly.  It also has a mouth that is not under the head; rather it is across the middle. And, the big hint to solving this mystery fish is that it has no barbels under its chin as a common carp has. This fish is actually a wild hybrid goldfish.

These wild hybrid goldfish inhabit parts of the Blackstone River system.  I've caught others in the past.  Though they are usually quite small, I did get a 4 lb. "monster" years back.  They seem to be active in late fall, early winter and early spring all cold water periods.  They will hit the same baits as carp.  This one took a kernel of maize with an artificial fished on the hair rig.

Take a look at the head and mouth of this wild hybrid
goldfish.  It has a mouth that comes across the
middle of its head and it has no barbels like a carp.

A Lot of Searching Pays Off

 

This mirror is one of 17 carp landed in the last
two days. Prior to that, fishing was slow.

I had been having only a fair November up until two days ago. I've fished a lot in November hitting many of the spots that had paid off in recent years according to my logs. Those places that were so good last year and the year before gave up only a fish here and a fish there.  So, I did what I normally do during times of marginal fishing.  I started looking elsewhere, trying out numerous places, and it has really paid off.  In two days of hot fishing (17 carp landed) I landed the equivalent what I caught on the other 18 days.

Carp fishing is really time consuming. You often have to turn over a lot of rocks to find what you are looking for. For that reason, a lot of fishermen get frustrated with it. Yes, it's a lot of work if you do it right. But, that hard work often pays off.

November fishing, traditionally, is a hit-or-miss deal.  It's a transition period.  The water is cooling rapidly, the fish are turning sluggish and the weather is all over the place. I find the month to be quite challenging to find any consistency.

All the fish I landed in the last couple of days fell for my combo bait of maize and a pale pink, pop-up, artificial corn all fished on the hair rig. I may switch to sweet corn this week which is a more effective choice of bait in cold weather.  With many of the pests disappearing, the sweet corn should stay on the hair.

Cold Nights Slow the Fishing

A carp landed recently swims off.
Carp fishing has been slow in the 
last week.

We have quickly moved into an early winter fishing mode.  Those nights below freezing last week put the chill in carp fishing in RI and slowed things greatly.  Here are some observations of the last week:

*The water has really cooled down.  I'm guessing it has dropped at least 10 to 15 degrees and that sudden drop has really slowed the fishing.

*I have seen little to no activity.  No jumps, no bubble trails, no fish cruising in close.

*The fish are sluggish on the fight.  The few I have caught are noticeably sluggish on the fight, a sure sign of cold water.

*The pests have disappeared.  Turtles, bluegills and horned pout have been non-existent in the last week.

*Big fish are not hitting.  All the fish I have taken in the last week have been under 12 lbs. Those big fish of October are just not hitting.

*The warmest parts of the day have been best.  Late afternoon and early evening into early night have been the best times.

*Smaller bodies of water have been best.  These are places that will heat up the most on a warm day.  Big bodies of water have not been productive for me. 

Results of RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament (Sept. and Oct.)

 We are now 2/3 of the way through our fall Combo Tournament.  In this tournament, we measure our fish in inches

CAG member Laura Mitchell holds a big 
31 and 1/2 inch mirror carp that moved
her into 4th place.

and that that becomes the point total.  There are three categories- Common, Mirror, Bonus (catfish, horned pout or sucker).  All fish must be caught in RI and all fish must be released. The tournament ends Nov. 30. 

Here are the results as of Nov.1:

(Common + Mirror +  Bonus= Points)

1. Brian Savage- 33 + 37 + 19 1/2 = 89 1/2

2. Tom Perron- 34 + 31 + 18 = 83

3. Tony Carvalho- 29 +  0 + 12 = 41

4. Laura Mitchell- 0 +  31 1/2 + 0 =33 1/2

5. Manny Dias- 33 +0 + 0 =33

6. Jeff Henderson- 31 +0 + 0= 31

Big Carp on the Fall Feed

 

Here's a good size carp landed today.  Big fish 
are on the fall feed right now!

Right on schedule.  It's mid October and the large carp are on the fall feed in anticipation of winter coming.  In the last week, I have caught a good number of carp in the 15 to 24 lb. range.  Other RI CAG members have been doing the same thing as reported by the large fish entered in our RI Fall Combo Tournament. I expect this good fishing for larger fish will continue in RI waters until the temperature really drops and ice starts to form.  That means you can expect a solid month left to this big fish fishing.

I have been going with my old favorite of maize and an artificial corn on the hair rig. Recently I have been favoring a pale pink pop up artificial. If there are turtles around I do not go with a method ball as the turtles have been bait stealing pests on these 70 degree days in October.  Remember, too, that this is the time of year in which night fishing is very productive.  These warmer nights (that we have been having lately) are quite pleasant compared to those 35 and 40 degree nights that are coming.

The first very large carp over 30 lbs. that I handed in RI was caught on Nov. 9 many years ago. That fish actually weighed 36 lbs. and was the unofficial state record back then. So, the potential is there to catch a real monster in the coming weeks.  Good luck if you get out and try.

One of the Rarest Carp I Have Ever Caught

 

The albino mirror koi is in the net ready to take
ashore.

I had a rare and unexpected treat today while carping.

I would identify this carp that I landed today as an albino mirror koi.  This fish had large white scales like a fully scaled mirror along with sprinkles of faded pink spots on its body.  It was both beautiful, and probably the rarest carp I have ever caught.

I have only landed 2 koi in the past so this is unusual for me.  I also landed this fish in a spot where I have never seen one. The fish hit a combo bait of maize and a white artificial pop-up corn.

I've often said that when carp fishing, you never know what you are going to catch. Proves it today!

Beautiful and one of the rarest carp I have ever caught!

Nighttime Carpin' Heats Up

 

Here's a good size mirror that was landed after
dark recently. Fall is a great time to fish after
dark for carp.

In the next two months, I will do more nighttime carping than at any other time of the year.  Nighttime comes earlier and earlier, and if you want to get out and fish after getting home from work or after supper, you probably have to fish in the dark.

What many fishermen don't know is that carp hit really well at night, just as good as in the daytime. In addition, many sharpies will tell you that the bigger girls, who are wary feeders, are easier to catch after dark as they prowl around for food. Fall is also a time in which carp feed heavily in anticipation of winter, which also makes them more likely to hit. Use the same baits after dark that you would use in the daylight.

I was out after dark several times in the last week and sure enough, the carp were hitting.  I got several good size mirrors.

One more note, if you do happen to go carping at night, pick a safe area to do it.

RI CAG Fall Tournament Underway

 

Tom Perron is off to a
good start with a 25 inch
mirror carp.

Our RI CAG fall Combo Tournament is underway.  The idea here is to enter your biggest common, your biggest mirror and a bonus fish (catfish, horned pout or white sucker).  Get the lengths of these biggest fish, add the lengths up and that becomes your point total.  The tournament runs from Sept. 1 to the end of November.  All CAG members are eligible to enter. In the past we have had some big fish caught in this fall event as carp go on a feeding spree in anticipation of winter coming.

The national group is providing engraved medals to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers. Tom Perron, one of our premier big carp hunters here in RI,  jumped on the board first when he entered a 25 inch mirror carp this week.

Doldrums of September

I landed this mirror this morning.  It was my only 
fish today.  For the most part, September fishing
has been slow.

 I'm in the September slow down.  This seems to happen to my carp fishing every year.  The September negatives that contribute to the slow down are many. The water is warm and the fish are not on the fall feed yet. In addition, the pests are all over the place.  Sun turtles and snapping turtles are particularly active and irritating. Weed growth is at its maximum.  Also, this year the water levels are high due to excessive summer rains.  High water is always difficult to fish.

Still, I am still catching, though not at the same levels that I was getting back in the previous few months. I've had only one blank in September. Most of my outings have produced only one or two fish. For the most part, the carp have been small, under ten pounds. The best bait continues to be a combo bait of maize and one artificial corn on the hair rig. I haven't been using a method ball lately because it is a real turtle attractor.

I know better days are coming as October and November have proven to be big fish months in the past.

High, High Water Makes Fishing Difficult

 

My chair is actually sitting in the water along 
this flooded bank.  The shoreline bushes and
vegetation that were on dry ground several
days ago is now underwater.  It makes for
difficult fishing conditions.

Those flooding rains we had this week dumped 6 to 9 inches of water onto RI. It has resulted in very high flooding waters all over the state. That has been problematic carp fishermen. River fishing is out and even pond and lake fishing is difficult.

I've gotten out three times since the rain and it has been a fish here and there along with a blank yesterday.  In the places I have fished, the water is into the woods as the water levels rose about 3 feet in the last three days. All the vegetation and bushes along the shore are underwater in some spots.

So, how do you fish in those conditions.  Since most of the fish will be poking around the underwater vegetation near shore, I like to fish in real close, usually a flip cast away.  I also try to get into a spot where there are not a lot of obstructions in the water. I want to have a good chance to land a fish if I hook one. This morning I fished such a spot and came away with a nice 10 lb. mirror.

The flooding rains and resulting high water has not shut down the carp fishing here in RI, but it has certainly made fishing more difficult.

Heat + Sun + Calm = No Good

 I fished in the tropical storm on Sunday, and caught good numbers of carp.  I also fished the next day in the wind and cloudiness and caught good numbers of carp. Then, I fished in the heat wave on Tuesday and Wednesday and did not even get a hit.

Experienced carpers know that carp turn on during those rainy, crappy and stormy periods.  That low pressure gives carp a sense of reckless abandon and the urge to feed.  I could see it on that tropical storm day as I saw some some big carp jumping through the waves and white caps and others were torpedoing out of the water. They were as charged up as the weather.

Over the years I have learned to fish nasty weather, and quite frankly, I like fishing in the storminess.  I have had some of my biggest days with some of my biggest fish on days of northeasters, tropical storms, downpours and hurricanes. And, I have had some of my poorest outings on tranquil days with sun and heat.

Tropical Storm Henri Delivers

A 25 lb. carp sits in the net in the water in
the pouring rain.  Tropical Storm Henri 
delivered good numbers of carp today.

 Yes, I did fish today in that wind and rain from Tropical Storm Henri. Like every other time in the past that I have fished in these stormy events, it was very good.  I fished in a location that I had been fishing on and off for the last three weeks.  In those three weeks, I have not gotten a carp over ten pounds.  Yet, I was barely in the spot a half hour when the alarm sounded, and I knew from the fight I was onto a good fish.  Turns out the fish weighed 25 lbs., really big by RI standards and the biggest fish I have landed in weeks. My day followed with 3 small ones and another decent fish that was just shy of 20 lbs. Indeed, the storm lit up the fishing. Again!

The conditions today were brutal.  At times the wind was probably gusting over 50 miles per hour and the trees in the distance were swaying and bending to the breaking point. The wind driven rain was coming down sideways in sheets.  As miserable as this was for the fisherman, the carp loved it.  I saw many big jumps in the white capped water, and I had many other bangs and hits (guessing after the method ball).

I was using a combo bait of maize and a white artificial pop-up corn along with a method ball packed around my sinker. I'm guessing a boilie would have also done the trick as the carp were aggressively on the feed in this charged up weather. 

500

Number 500 on the year.

 I landed my 500th carp of the year today. It was a good looking mirror that weighed about 8 lbs.  In past years, I have reached that 500 mark right around September 1st, so in that respect this number is about average.

What sets this year apart from others for me is the number of big fish I have been able to land. Already, I've logged in 5 fish over 30 lbs. here in RI. That is the most fish over 30 I have ever landed in a calendar year in RI, and with several more months to go, there is a good chance I will get a couple more.  In addition, I've landed big numbers of carp from 25 to 29 lbs., sizes considered very large for RI.  I credit a lot of stormy weather for that big fish success. It's amazing how these big fish come to life in crappy weather.

I do plan to get out and fish in this tropical storm/hurricane forecast for tomorrow. My success on these types of days has been incredible in recent years.

Cool and rainy Keep it Hot!

Here's the biggest carp of the day on Thursday
in those monsoon rains. The fish went 20 lbs.

 It's been a cool and rainy summer so far and that has kept the fishing hot for me.  I had one of the better Julys this year as I landed well over 100 carp.  Not only did I have big numbers, but I also had big fish with many  carp over the 20 lb. mark.  The crappy weather along with the hot action just continued into August. I got a rare  RI August 30 lber. about a week ago along with several more fish in the twenties.  Smaller carp have been abundant.

I fished Thursday in that monsoon rain.  Once again, crappy weather and hot fishing.  There were times when I would cast out and even before I could position the rod on the alarm, the line was screaming off.  They would pick up the bait almost immediately.  I ended that rainy day with 10 carp with the biggest going 20 lbs.

Here's a rare 30 lb. common being released
from the weigh sling. Fish this size are rare in
the dead of summer.

All of my fish in the past month have fallen for the combo bait of maize and a white pop-up on the hair rig.  I'm also packing a method ball around my sinker which has also attracted turtles, catfish and suckers at time.

In the Palm of My Hand....

 

I landed this small common this morning.  For
me, it's been a lot of small ones lately.

They are not always big. I'm on what I'd call a "small streak".  I have gotten a number of small carp in the last week in a place where I was catching bigger fish several weeks ago.  That's the way it goes. Groups of fish move in, groups of fish move out. The bigger ones, which probably headed to deeper and cooler water, will be back eventually.

We are in a difficult period of carp fishing right now in southern New England.  There is extremely high and unfishable waters in many places, particularly in the rivers.  Many of the ponds are choking with weed brought on by the run-offs from all these big rainstorms making fishing difficult.  In addition, the vegetation growth along the shore is awful and I find that I am constantly trimming the shoreline vegetation with a clipper that I carry in my bag. Finally, the mosquitoes are out in force due to the rain and warm weather.

Still, the carp continue to hit.  A combo bait of maize and a white, artificial corn pop-up on the hair rig is my main bait these days.  I am also fishing this bait with a method ball packed around my sinker. Mornings and evenings have been the best times, just what you'd expect in the dead of summer.

Back to Maize and Artificials; Best Bait of Summer?

 

Check out this combo bait of maize
and a white artificial corn on the hair 
rig. This has been my hottest bait 
of the last couple of weeks.

My experimenting with big baits (boilies) lasted a few weeks, and in that time period I caught a lot of big carp.  But, gradually my ole standy bait of maize and a white artificial corn on the hair rig began to outfish the boilies. So, I'm back to using that bait, and I have been catching decent amounts of carp in the last two weeks considering we are in the doldrums of summer. I've gotten numbers as well as big ones with several fish in the twenties.

Maize is just a real convenient bait.  It's cheap so you can prebait a lot of it.  The carp also really go for it.  I buy my maize at Tractor Supply.  It's marketed as "whole corn" and comes in a dried state.  A fifty pound bag will cost you about 10 bucks.  

Here's how I prepare it.  Put it in a large pot with water and let it soak overnight. In the morning I will put it on the burner and wait until the water boils.  Then, set the stove timer for exactly 35 minutes. Once finished take it off the heat and let it sit a while to soak up water.  Next, I pack it into zip lock bags and pack it in the refrigerator. It should stay fresh for weeks.

Fantastic Day in Today's Tropical Deluge

 

Here is one of three twenty pound
carp landed today in the tropical
storm. I also had 5 other smaller fish.

Based on past experiences, I just knew that today's carp fishing would be real good in this tropical storm. I've fished in northeasters, hurricanes and tropical storms and all of those events light up the fishing. And, it did today! In all, I landed 8 fish, but here's the big story of the day.  Three of those fish were in the 20 to 25 lb. range.  Those are real good fish for July.

Stormy weather like today's seems to really charge up the carp, and sends them on a reckless feeding spree.  The weather was wild with deluges of rain pelting down, wind blowing the rain sideways and small tree branches coming down.  My kind of fishing weather! Action prior to today had been fair at best for the last week or so with smaller fish dominating the fishing. Along comes a tropical storm and all that changes.

The hot bait today was a kernel of real maize and a white artificial corn on the hair rig.  I was also using a method ball packed around my sinker.

Sorry for the lack of photos....impossible in the heavy rain.

In the Slop

 

A dark colored mirror landed last evening.

I've seen this pattern many times before.  Hot, hot weather suddenly turns to cold and rainy, and it just lights up the carp fishing here in RI.  The last three days of rain have, once again, lit up the summer carp fishing for me.  I landed 30 carp in the last three days of fishing in the sloppiness. While a good number have been smaller carp under ten pounds, I also had a couple of low twenties as well as many in the 10 to 19 lb. range. The fish have been a combination of mirrors and commons.

I'm back to using my old favorite of a kernel of maize

A gorgeous common landed yesterday.

and a white artificial corn on the hair rig.  This seems to be working much better than the boilies these days.  I suspect it is because I am getting smaller fish on average than I was catching several weeks ago when the boilies were red hot for larger carp.  I'm making a note of this. Next year, I plan to really fish boilies on then post spawn when the big fish (over 25 lbs.) are really aggressively feeding.

RI CAG Big Three Tournament Ends.....Final Results

 Our RI CAG Big 3 Tournament has ended, and as usual our guys and gals entered some pretty impressive fish.  The leaderboard was really shuffled around in June as Tom Perron, one of our most steady big fish guys, moved up from 4th to third with a 15 lb. 9 oz. mirror. Jeff Henderson also made a big move from 5th to 3rd place by catching an impressive 24 lb. common.  Our leader all along, Brian Savage, remained in 1st place with a big 19 lb., 6 oz. mirror.  The top three finishers will receive engraved medals purchased by CAG. The final standings along with the weights of the fish are listed below:

1. (gold medal)- Brian Savage- 31/10 + 23/11 + 19/6= 74/11

2. (silver medal)- Tom Perron- 13/2 + 16/2 + 15/9 =44/13

3. (bronze medal)- Jeff Henderson- 20 + 24 = 44

4. Laura Mitchell- 15/13 + 19/2 + 8 = 42/15

5. Manny Dias- 16/8 + 24/8 = 41

6. Eddie Taylor- 15 

Brian Savage- Gold Medal

Tom Perron, Silver Medal

Jeff Henderson, bronze medal

Underwater Battle (from the lens of the Go Pro)

 

Ghost Carp

Check out the white streak on this fish's back and 
under the dorsal fin. The dorsal fin was also
very light.

Scientifically, ghost carp are an artificial breed of the common carp. They are generally all white and are found in Europe.

Around here we refer to light colored common carp as "ghosties", or ghost carp.  They might feature whitish, grey heads or streaks of white along the scales of their bodies.  Most of those ghosties found around here are common carp, although I have seen one mirror ghostie.

Every year I seen to catch one or two of these ghosties. Today I caught one of them, my first one of 2021.  It had streaks of light color in its head, and it had a wide, white line running down its back under the dorsal fin.  The dorsal fin was also quite light.  In the water it looked like I was reeling in a wet, white towel as it swam around. It was quite different as I knew right away I had a "New England Ghostie." 

The head of this fish also had very light
streaks running along its side and top
of the head. It was very whitish in the 
water. Its scales were also very light.

Third Place Finish.....National CAG Spring Big 4 Tournament

Biggest carp, 38 lbs., 2 oz, a 
potential state record.

 I had my best numbers ever in the CAG Spring Big 4 Tournament and ended up in third place in this national event. This tournament featured 75 of the best carp anglers from all over the country. The event ran for three months, beginning on March 15 and ending on June 15. The idea was to enter your four biggest carp of the spring, and your poundage total became your point total.

I've entered this event for the last 15 years. The best total I could put together in the past was 124 lbs. This year I far exceeded my previous best total by 11 pounds.  My entries were all carp in the 30's- 38/2, 34/8, 32, and 30/6.  Added all up it came out to 135 lbs. For the third place finish, I won a $100 gift certificate at Big Carp Tackle.

The most exciting day of the tournament was the last day for me.  On the afternoon of June 15th, I managed to bank a 34 lb. carp that moved me from 4th to 3rd place overall. I never expected to land

Second biggest fish....34 lbs., 8 oz,
another potential state record.

such an enormous fish on a bluebird afternoon.

I changed strategies from previous years. Rather than traveling all over the place in MA and CT and fishing these big venues, I stayed right here in RI. Yes, I caught all these monster fish (two of which were potential state records) right here in RI, but in different locations.

I also made a significant change in baits. For the last two weeks of the tournament, I fished only with large boilies.  Boilies are known for luring large fish.  In that two week period, I had at least a dozen carp in the 20's and two in the 30's. The use of large baits (in this case, Carp Maxx coconut boilies) was a major factor in catching these big, post spawn carp.

Mulberry Drop Happening

 

This nice mirror feel for a free lined mulberry 
today. The mulberries are dropping and the carp 
are right under the trees.

Do you know a carp pond or river where a mulberry tree is at the water's edge.  If so, you have a hotspot to fish right now.  The mulberries are ripe and dropping from the trees and most likely carp are right under these trees slurping them up.  Sweet mulberries are one of carps' most favorite late summer natural food.  These berries come in white, purple and red and will be falling from the trees for the next several weeks.

Fishing them is super simple.  Just a hook is needed at the end of your line (no weight).  Impale a berry with a # 6 or #8 hook depending on the size of the berry.  Cast it where the carp are feeding.  Most likely a hungry carp will rise up from the bottom a gulp down your offering.

Impale a mulberry with a #6
or #8 hook.  Fish it without a 
weight for best success.

I got out today and landed my first mulberry feeding carp on a white mulberry.  It took a whole of ten seconds to get the fish to take.  It was a good size 10 lb. mirror carp. 

Be aware that carp will get onto what you are doing mighty fast.  They will actually learn to pass up the berry that has a hook in it once they see a lot of fishing activity!

Boilies....Big Bait for Big Carp

Boilies are commercially
produced flavored baits.

As many of you know, I haven't written a whole lot about fishing with boilies
for carp. Rest assured, I do use them on occasion, but maybe I should be using them more!

Last fall I won a photo contest sponsored by CAG.  I won about 40 lbs. of Carp Maxx boilies in a coconut flavor (20 mm size).  I had them sitting in my basement and decided to pack some in my bag. Two days ago I was out fishing and getting nothing on the 'ole reliable maize/ plastic corn bait.  Good size fish were occasionally jumping so I knew they were in the area I was fishing.  Why not try a boilie?  I baited up in front of me with a few spoonfuls of a maize/cut up boilie mix and proceeded to bait up my hair.  Since the boilies were large, I decided to cut them in half and add a piece of maize to the combo.  That's a rather large bait, but no problem with fish over 15 lbs. The results speak for themselves.  In two hours, I caught carp of 16, 18, 21 and 23 lbs. all on the boilie combo.  The maize/plastic corn combo, fished on another outfit, did not even get a hit. I was sold.

I has good success
with a combo bait of
half a boilie and a 
kernel of maize

Many experienced fishermen will tell you that boilies are a bait made for big carp. While 15 mm seems like the average size most anglers use, some of the big carp hunters will go with a 20 or even 24 mm size.

Boiles can be purchased online in most carp fishing stores like Big Carp Tackle or Carp Maxx (found on Facebook). If you are looking for a big fish, boilies are certainly a good option.

Here's the proof that boilies work.  They are big baits made for
big carp!

Standings Through May for RI CAG Spring Big 3 Tournament

 

Tom Perron ....biggest
mirror!

The guys and gals from RI CAG were catching some big carp again this month in the second leg of our Spring Big 3. I added up April and May results and the total weight equals the total points. All fish were caught in RI waters.

Here are the standings:

1.      Brian Savage- 31/10 + 23/11 = 55/6

2.      Manny Dias- 16/8 + 24/8 = 41

3.      Laura Mitchell- 15/13 + 19/2 = 34/15

Laura Mitchell....19 lb. common!

4.      Tom Perron- 13/2 + 16/2 = 29/4

5.      Jeff Henderson- 20

6.      Eddie Taylor- 15

Big Misery Factor, Big Reward

 

Miserable weather can deliver some impressive 
fish.  This carp from yesterday's awful weather
tipped the scales at 32 lbs. The fish was a spawned
out female.

As many of you know, I have written many times about carp fishing in nasty, stormy weather. Most of those times have led to memorable days.

Well, I did fish yesterday in that awful May weather.  Temperatures were in the 40's with a big wind and driving rain.  The misery factor was off the charts. Yet, the fishing was very good.  The highlight of my day was my second biggest carp of the year at 32 lbs. This was a spawned out female that looked like she was in a bar brawl. Had I caught this fish before she spawned, I'm sure she would have gone mid to upper 30's. In addition to that fish I landed 6 others that ranged from 5 to 13 lbs. The fish were also quite active with loads of fish jumping and whirling. All my fish were caught on hair rigged corn with a white artificial corn added.

Do Carp Hit During Spawning? Yes and No????

Here are a bunch of them that were spawning 
today. While most of the spawning carp will
not hit a bait, occasionally a non-spawner will.

 In the last couple of days I fished an area where carp were spawning. Those warm days earlier in the week got the spawn in full motion in places.  They were all over the place splashing and whirling in groups and tearing through brush and weeds.  They were also lots of them moving along quickly looking for other spawners. In the past, I was never able to catch carp while they were spawning, but today I decided to try.  

I put a small pile of bait right in front of me and observed. Many of the spawners just quickly moved over the bait completely ignoring it.  But, every once in a while, one loner fish came by slowly, picking up stuff on the bottom, and would stop and eat my bait. So, I have to say that while most do not feed while spawning, there are a few that are choosing to feed rather than spawn.

Anyway, I did coax six of them to take my bait today.  These were all smaller fish and all males judging by their rough skin. They were carp in the 5 to 8 lb. range.

Photo of the Day....Fattest Carp Ever

 

I caught this fatty today.  It is the fattest carp I have ever seen/caught.
It tipped the scales at 23 lbs. Assuming it was full of eggs, it was
gently released after a quick photo!

MONSTER Carp Landed

 

Unofficial state record of 38 lbs., 2 oz. released!

Yesterday I landed the second biggest carp I have ever caught in RI.  The beast topped the scales at 38+ pounds. That fish bested the official state record by over 5 lbs.

I wrote in my last post that this has been an epic week for me for catching large carp with many fish in the upper 20's.  But, yesterday's fish far exceeded all expectations I had about catching a large carp. This fish was not only large by RI standards, it was gargantuan!

I landed this fish on a combo bait of maize and a white artificial corn fished on a hair rig.  I was also using a method ball of oatmeal and bread packed around my sinker.  The fish hit with a screaming run.  Just after I grabbed the rod, the fish went on a blistering run, peeling off 50 to 60 yards of line off my Shimano baitrunner reel.  From then on, it was a back and forth battle.  The fish would take line, I'd gain a bit more. At this point, I knew I had a big fish. Once close to the net, I made several stabs at it as the fish would bolt away as the net came close. I prayed the hook would hold as it was just barely stuck in the fish's lip.  Finally, I had the prize in the net.  From there it was onto the mat, into the weigh sling and finally the weighing with my Reuben Heaton certified scale. Exactly 38 lbs., 2 oz.

This fish marks the 5th time I have broken the official state record of 32 lbs., 5 oz. Here in RI we have an archaic and far outdated means of establishing state fish records. In order to claim the record, you must have the fish officially weighed at a weigh station of which there are very few.  That means killing the fish and bringing it down to be weighed.  I've always refused to do this. In other more progressive states, they either have records for catch-and-release, or they allow a state record if you have a photo, a witness, a length and a certified scale. So, once again, another unofficial record was released to swim off and fight another day. A happy ending for all!

Big Carp on the Feed Here in RI

 The past seven days have seen the best fishing in a long time for big carp for me.  We are definitely in a

Take a look at the sagging, egg filled bottom 
on this 27 lb. female that I landed yesterday.
Big carp are on the feed right now. By the way,
the fish above was released in good shape right
after a quick photo!

pre-spawn mode in many of our lakes and ponds.  Big females have become more numerous in the past week, and they are feeding.  Also, lots of aggressive males are in the mix.

In the past week I have landed 4 carp over 25 lbs. here in RI.  That includes a 26, 27, 27 and 29 lb. fish. All of them have been females as evidenced by their sagging egg filled bottoms. There have also been days with lots of fish like yesterday.  In that miserable rainy, cold and windy weather, the carp were on a tear as I banked 10 carp from 15 to 27 lbs. in  a few hours of fishing.  Once again, the crappy weather delivers.

The hot bait for me continues to be a combo bait of maize and one kernel of white, artificial corn fished on a hair rig.  I'm also packing a method ball around my sinker.  I try to prebait whenever possible, and for the most part, I am prebaiting with maize. Sometimes I mix in cut up boilies.

If your are looking for your biggest carp of the year, no better month to catch her than May.  Fishing for big carp is hot right now.

Results of RI CAG Big 3 for April

 

Brian Savage takes the early lead with 
a massive 31 lb., 10 oz. carp.

The first third of our Spring Big 3 Tournament is in the books.  Once again, our guys and gals caught some decent fish.

The RI CAG Big 3 Tournament runs like this. CAG members who wish to take part enter their biggest fish (by weight) for the month of April, the month of May and the month of June. All fish must be caught in RI waters and all fish must be released.  We add the weights together and that becomes the point total. The national organization provides engraved medals for first, second and third place.

Last fall's combo tournament winner, Brian Savage, is off to a hot start.  He has the biggest fish so far with a whopping 31 lb., 10 oz. common carp.

Here are the fish entered for April:

1. Brian Savage- 31 lbs., 10 oz.

2. Manny Dias- 16 lbs., 8 oz.

3. Laura Mitchell- 15 lbs., 13 oz.

4. Eddie Taylor- 15 lbs.

5. Tom Perron- 13 lbs., 2 oz.