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