End of the Year Summary-2022

 

One of 8 thirties I landed this year. This pre spawn 
tank was landed in April. It was released.

There are two main takeaways from my 2022 carp fishing. This was a year of big fish, my best year ever in terms of the numbers of large carp over 20 lbs. that I landed.  On the other side of the coin, it was a year with far less fish than I'm used to catching.

It was the year of the big carp for me.  Here in RI it is tough, really tough, to land a 30 lb. carp.  Most fishermen who fish RI a lot would be happy to land one thirty pound fish.  We just don't have a lot of them that size.  But, I managed to land 8 over thirty pounds from RI waters this year, the most 30's I have ever landed in RI in a calendar year.  Of all those big fish, I had four fish that would have qualified as RI state records had I chosen to keep the fish, bring them to an official station and have them weighed (sure death for the fish).  Instead, I weighed those fish on my certified scale, snapped a quick photo and let them all go! Those four record fish tipped the scale at 32/8, 34, 36/8 and 35/4 lbs. All of them were caught in April and May.  In fact, I landed 7 of my thirties in the first half of the year and had only one other 30 lb. carp in mid November. The spring definitely fished better for big carp than the fall.

One of the most beautiful fish I landed this year
was this orange and black wild koi. It was 
released in good shape!

That big carp bonanza helped me to placing in the top 10 in both the Spring and Fall National Big 4 Tournaments sponsored by CAG.  I came in 4th place in the spring with 138/4 lbs., the best poundage I have ever gotten in this tournament.  In the Fall Big 4 I ended up in 8th place with 108/6 pounds.

The numbers were not there, though.  I was on a streak of at least 10 years with 700 or more fish until this year.  My total for 2022 was 440 carp.  I had 116 mirrors and 324 commons.  A lot of factors led to those low numbers.  I was targeting big fish in big venues. I landed good numbers of big ones, but the numbers took a hit. Invasive weed killed a lot of my spots, and many of my favorite places were unfishable from early summer to mid fall.  Water levels in the summer were also very low, which combined with the weed made fishing difficult.  The extremely hot weather also did not help. Finally, I found myself fishing in saltwater more for stripers since this was a record year for them.

Here's a few more stats from my logs:

*First carp of the year landed- Jan. 13

*Last carp of the year landed- Dec. 7

*Month with the most carp-  April, 68 carp

*Month with the most carp over 30 lbs.- April- 4 30's

*Best bait overall- one kernel of maize and one white artificial corn on the hair rig

* Number of carp released- ALL OF THEM!

Photo of the Day

 

Dec. 7, Nighttime, 60 degrees, carp hitting!

CAG National Big 4 Fall Tournament- 8th place

 

My biggest carp in the CAG Big 4 tournament
was this 30 lb., 4 oz. beauty. My four fish total
was 108 lbs., 4 oz., good for 8th place.

I recently competed in the CAG National Big 4 Tournament.  This tournament runs nationally for 2 months in October and November.  This year over 40 of the best carp fishermen in the US took part in this big event. The goal here was to enter your 4 biggest carp by weight.  You needed to provide photo evidence of the catches along with photos of your scale and the CAG logo. You could fish anywhere in the US. Prizes were awarded for the top 10 finishers.

I ended up in 8th place.  I always try to get into the top 10, but it seems to get harder and harder every year. You need to accumulate at least 100 points to have any chance of cracking the top 10 in this fall event.  Not easy if you are just concentrating your fishing here in RI.  So, I was pleased with the 8th place finish which got me a nice gift certificate to Big Carp Tackle, one of my favorite online stores.

My point total was 108 lbs., 6 oz.  I had carp of 30/2, 27/8, 26/8 and 24/4 pounds.  That gave me an average of over 27 lbs. a fish.  Fishing this fall was particularly difficult due to the changeable weather, and I had to really work to land these 4 big fish. All of these fish were released in good shape.

Yes, they hit in December!

 

This is one of six mirrors landed on
this stormy December 3rd.

I had the perfect set-up today.  It was rainy (heavy rain), very windy and warm.  The key was that the temperature was sixty degrees.  And, when you combine all those things, it should mean that carp fishing will light up even in the winter. And, it did today.

I had been in a late November/early December slump.  The weather had mostly taken a dive in late November, and the plummeting water temperatures just about shut down the fishing. But, as typically happens, these sudden warm-ups seem to perk things up.

I had a banner afternoon in the rain landing 6 mirrors. I was using what I call winter tactics. Small baits ( one small kernel of maize and a small white artificial corn), small hooks, small sinker and no method.  I was also fishing a "small" place.  I like to hit small, shallow ponds or rivers in the wintertime since those places are easier to explore. They also tend to warm up faster on a warm winter day.

Note that the carp were very sluggish today as they are in cold water.  There were no alarm screaming takes.  It was just tapping of the rods.  On the fight, they were also sluggish. And, when I got them to shore, handling them was like handling fish packed in ice.  They were that cold.

So, in this winter period coming up, it will be a pick,  They will hit some days; other days they will not. Your best bets will be days with a warm up or days following a warm night.  

RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament Results

Tom Perron- Gold
Medal winner!

Our RI Fall Combo Tournament ended up being a two man race to the finish. In this tournament, which ran for three months, participants got points for their biggest common, mirror and a bonus fish (horned pout, catfish or sucker). Points were awarded according to the length of each fish entered.  

Here are the results:

1st- Gold Medal- Tom Perron- 80 points- 33 inch common, 32 inch mirror, and 15 inch catfish

2nd- Silver Medal- Brian Savage- 53 1/2 points- 34 1/2 inch mirror, 19 inch sucker

Medals were provided by the CAG national organization.

Brian Savage, Silver Medal winner!

Frigid Weather Puts the Brakes on Carp Fishing in RI

 The weather has turned cold and the carp fishing here in RI has gone right downhill.  In the last five days, I've landed exactly 2 small commons.  I was fishing spots that had really produced a week or two ago. This is the way carp respond to sudden temperature drops.  I believe that in big ponds and lakes the fish are headed for their winter locations right now.  These are usually deep spots where they will sulk for the winter. They will still feed sparingly on those warmer days when the shallows heat up.

I suspect this same slowdown is affecting carp fishermen in the entire country.  In the last week, there has not been a single entry put into our CAG national Big 4 carp tournament. When some of the best carp fishermen around the country are not catching, you know fishing is slowing down.

Hot Fishing on These Warm, November Nights

 It's been hot fishing for me at night in November, especially on the warm nights.  I fished tonight after dark and came away with 5 decent size mirrors.  It was no different than fishing in the daytime.  I caught all of them on a combo bait that consisted of a white artificial corn and a kernel of real corn on the hair rig.  

Take note that I prebaited the location I was fishing with maize a few hours before I fished.  Prebaiting definitely increases your chances of scoring.  With warm weather coming, I'm sure the nighttime fishing will continue to be productive.

I landed five carp this size after dark on this warm
November night.  Fishing has been especially
good on the warm nights.

Photo of the Day....."400th Carp of the Year"

 

My 400th carp of the year comes after dark on this warm
November night. 

Hitting at Night

 

This mirror was landed after dark tonight. It looks
like daylight because of the flash on the camera.

With the sun setting earlier and earlier (wait till next week!), I find myself turning to nighttime carping when I'm not striper fishing. I got out a couple of times in the last few days and I can tell you the carp are hitting after dark. I landed several nice size mirrors tonight.

After dark fishing is no different than daytime fishing....same baits, same spots, same set-up.  Only difference is that you are usually in complete darkness. Some people are not comfortable fishing in the dark.  I am having done this all my life in saltwater.

I have three suggestions for anyone who wants to try this.  Pick a safe area to fish and get yourself a good headlight. Oh, and bring some warm clothing. The temperature can really drop in November after the sun sets.

Fall Feed Underway

 

This fat common was one of many fish landed 
in the last few days.  Looks like the fall feed
has begun here in RI.

It took a couple of nights down below freezing and a couple of days with cold north and northeast winds to light up the fall fishing. It took this jolt of cold weather to get the carp thinking winter is coming, and it's time to get feeding to fatten up for the winter months ahead.

I've landed both good numbers of carp along with some big ones in the 20's in the last few days. Prior to that I was only able to get a fish or two every few outings. It was a noticeable uptick in the fishing. Other CAG members are also reporting upticks in fishing from multiple venues.

I think the fishing will continue to remain good up until the real cold weather along with icing hits. I'm guessing we will see at least a few weeks of decent fall fishing.

Some Decent Ones but NO Big Uptick in Fall Fishing

My best fish in this rainy spell has been a 
chunky 24 lb. common. There has been no big 
uptick in fall fishing yet.  Just not cold enough.

 I fished the last three days of rain, and came away with only two fish. This was not what I was expecting since rainy events have lit up the fishing in past years for me at this time. Still, those two fish I landed were 23 and 24 lbs., really good size by RI standards.

I think the weather has just not been cold enough to get a fall feed going. The weather is so warm I saw a snapping turtle pop its head up in front of me today....highly unusual for late October. In past years, that last week in October and the first week of November have delivered some big fish for me (high 20's and 30's). But, so far, this has not happened.  I'm confident that the fall feed as I call it is a bit late this year due to warm weather. 

My October numbers have bee low this year compared to past years.  The sizes have also been a disappointment.  Hopefully, fishing improves in the coming weeks.

Two Man Race in RI Fall Combo Tournament

Brian Savage with a 33 inch mirror.

 

Tom Perron and partner
 with a 32 inch mirror.

We are halfway through our RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament, and so far, it is a
two man race.  Still, plenty of time, though, for other members to add fish.  The fall combo tournament runs from September to the end of November.  Members enter their biggest common carp, their biggest mirror carp, and we have a bonus fish (catfish, horned pout or sucker).  In the fall, we go by length.  Each inch of fish length converts to a point. All fish must be caught in RI waters.  Medals purchased by CAG go to the top three finishers.

Not surprising, the two guys who are fighting it out are two of our top big carp hunters in RI.  In first place so far is Brian Savage with 42 points (33 inch mirror and 19 inch sucker).  In second place is Tom Perron with 37 points (32 inch mirror and 15 inch catfish). So, its close and either of these guys could win. Good luck to these two and any other member who wants to join in.

Monsoon Rains Light up the Fishing!

 

Another big carp has been caught in rainy, stormy
weather.  The carp were very active today in the
pouring rain!

Here we go again.  Torrential rains have lit up the carp fishing here in RI.  That 10+ inches of rain in the last two days have driven up the water levels as well as cooled down the water, and it's resulted in excellent carp fishing.  

Today I was out all afternoon in the pouring rain. I had on my Grunden rain parka and my waders and I was dry as a bone. I landed good numbers of good sized carp in the low teens along with one big carp in the mid twenty pound range.  I also saw a lot of active fish with fish rolling on the surface and bubble trails coming up from the bottom.

Once again, the hot bait was a combo bait of one kernel of real maize and a kernel of white plastic corn on the hair rig. That's been the hot ticket all summer. I haven't been using a method ball lately because I am trying to avoid the pesky turtles.

300th Carp for 2022

My 300th carp of the year was a good size 
common.  This has been a year of "big carp" 
for me.

 It took me a while to get there but I landed my 300th carp of the year this week. While I don't have the big numbers this year, I do have the big fish.  It's August and already I've gotten more carp over thirty pound and more carp over 20 lbs. than I've gotten in most years.  It's really been a "big fish" year for me and I have been really targeting the bigger fish with a variety of bigger baits. I've also been focusing on big fish venues.  In those types of places you are going to catch bigger carp but far less of them that you would get elsewhere.

This past week has been particularly effective for bigger fish.  That massive rain even that we had a week ago that dumped four to six inches of rain really got the big fish in high gear.  It also dropped the water temperature 10 degrees in one spot that I was fishing along with raising the water level a solid foot. In the last week I have managed to land 9 fish over 20 lbs. with the biggest going 26 lbs. That can happen in the spring and fall but numbers like that are rare in August.

Many of the smaller venues that I like to fish for smaller carp have been inundated with invasive weed this year, and many of these places are unfishable. That has really affected my numbers.

A Hint of Fall

I landed this mirror this evening.  There has been
an uptick in carp fishing since the cooler weather
arrived.

 There has been an uptick in fishing in the last few days.  The weather, and most notably the nights, have turned a lot cooler.  That has gotten the carp more active and feeding. It's a hint of fall and things to come.

I've had real good success in the last couple of days landing a total of 12 carp.  These have included both mirrors and commons.  They have been all sizes with the largest fish in the low 20's. I continue to have success with a combo bait of one kernel of maize along with a white, plastic, artificial corn fished on a hair rig.  I am using no method ball due to active turtles.

I've also noticed the fishing has been especially good near dark.  That is a sure sign of fall when fish are particularly active near and even after dark.  A friend of mine did an all-nighter a few nights back and landed good numbers of fish.

This mirror was landed right at dark tonight.
The fish have gotten active at and after dark,
a sure sign of fall fishing.

Double Header Chaos

Today's double header is secure
in the net which sits in the water.
Both fish were in the 14 to 15 lb. 
range.

 It's probably the most chaotic moment in carp fishing.  One rod alarm sings off, you grab the rod and you are onto a fish.  Suddenly, the other alarm screams away, and you are quickly fighting two fish at the same time.  It's the double header in carp fishing, one of the most exciting and chaotic events you'll find in any kids of fishing..

I experienced the double header chaos today.  I was fishing a spot which had not produced in a while.  After an hour without as much as a twitch, one alarm suddenly screamed off.  I grabbed the rod and was onto a decent fish that was peeling off line at a frenzied pace. While trying to gain a little line on the fish, the other alarm suddenly sounded. I awkwardly tried to stick the rod with the fish on in between my legs while grabbing the runner with my hands.  Now, I was onto two fish at the same time and both were peeling off line. I've been down this road many times in the past.  Do a little reeling with one rod while the other is between my legs.  Then switch off and do the same with the other. Try to get at least one fish in the net as soon as possible.  I did just that and once one fish was in the net, I was free to fight the other.  Finally, I had both carp in the net.  These were decent size fish, with both in the mid teen range.

Today's double header was child's play compared to my most memorable double header I ever landed which happened many years ago on a stormy rain day.  After a much more memorable battle I had those two fish in the net. When I got a closer look, I could not believe my eyes. The smaller of the two weighed 31 lbs., while the larger one tipped the scales at 33 lbs. 

Productive in the Heat

 

I caught this chunky common this morning.  
Carp fishing has been consistently fair in this
hot weather.

It's like fishing in an oven with this heat, yet the carp are still hitting. I was out a few mornings this week and I caught fish every outing. It's not big numbers but I usually can get a fish or two in a couple of hours. I'd call it "consistently fair".

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am using just an artificial corn and a real piece of maize on the hair rig.  I'm not using a method ball because the pests (turtles, bluegills, horned pout) have been super active in this heat, and that method ball really attracts them.

My advice to anyone going out to fish for carp this weekend is to fish in the cooler times of the day like early morning, evening or even at night. Find a shady spot in the daytime because fishing in the sun can be downright dangerous in these extreme temperatures. And, drink plenty of water.

Carp Venues Facing Multiple Threats in RI

 Many of the carp fishing waters in RI are facing multiple threats right now. They are facing a perfect storm of very low water (drought conditions), very warm water and invasive weed. These three threats are so serious in places that I fear we will be seeing fish kills if the weather does not change fast. We need rain and we need cooler weather.

Here's a summary of the problems:

Here is a section of the Blackstone
Canal in Lincoln.  The water level
is down about 4 feet and almost dry 
in places.  In addition, milfoil, an
invasive weed is out of control in 
spots such as the section above.

1.  Extremely warm water-  My guess is that the water is in the mid 80 degree range in some places due to the heat wave we have been having.  That is way too warm for many freshwater fish although I think carp are more adaptable than most fish.

2. Drought conditions-  I was riding my bike along the Blackstone Canal today.  I have never seen the water so low there.  In places it is no more than inches deep across the whole canal. There is a threat of that place drying up completely in the next couple of weeks if it does not rain soon.  The Blackstone River is also at historic lows right now. Scotts Pond in Lincoln is completely dry in the back and water levels are down about 5 FEET!

3.  Invasive weed- It has completely taken over some places.  I saw a carp pond in Attleboro recently.  There was so much water chestnut there you could not even see the water.  The place looked like a golf course.  Milfoil weed
is doing the same thing in places like the Blackstone Canal. This weed is sucking the oxygen right out of the water. It has never been as bad as this year in places.

This is the back of Scotts Pond. That is sand in the
middle of the photo.  There should be 5 feet of water
in this location.  It is completely dry. Drought is
severely impacting many of the carp waters of this 
state right now.

Still Active in this Heat Wave

 

Here's a little tank that I caught this morning.  
Cooler times like mornings, evenings and after
dark are the best times to fish on these hot days.

I am still catching in this excessive heat that we are experiencing. I've changed my tactics a bit (see last post) and the times I am fishing, and I think that is making a difference.  Here are a few tips to fishing for carp in the doldrums of summer:

1. Fish the "cool" times- This is the time of year where cooler is better.  Early to mid mornings, evenings right before dark and even after dark. The worst time is late afternoon.

2.  Look for shady spots-  Carp will seek the comfort of shade on these hot days. Tossing your bait under a shady overhang might just get you a fish or two.

3. Go light on the bait- I have not used a method ball in the last couple of weeks just to avoid turtles.  I also like to use a combo of plastics and maize.  The turtles tend to lay off the plastics. By the way, a white artificial corn along with a kernel of maize on the hair rig has been hot in the last couple of weeks.

4.  Take whatever you can get- In the spring I was focusing on catching big fish.  Now, I will take any size.  In the past, the dead of summer has not been a time for big fish here in RI.  Far better big fish fishing in spring and fall.

5. Get in a comfy, shady spot, use sunscreen and drink plenty of water.

Changing Tactics Delivers

This has been the hot producer of the
last several days. The white, artificial
pop-up corn is the key.  No method
ball is being used due to turtles.

I had been in a bit of a funk in the beginning of July.  Not many carp, lots of irritating pests, loaded with turtles. So, I decided to change tactics, something I often do when things are not going well. First off, I got rid of the method ball packed around my sinker.  That method ball was a turtle attractor, and I swear every turtle within a hundred yards of my bait made a b-line right to the method ball as soon as it hit the water.  Secondly, I changed colors on my pop-up artificial corn.  I had been using pink which was so hot earlier in the year, but lately it was not even getting a look.  I went back to using a white artificial corn along with a kernel of maize on the hair rig. Carp will often change their color preferences during the year, and white has produced for me in the past in the summer.  Finally, I'm off fishing boilies.  There was a period in the spring in which they were producing but lately they have not.

Those changes have led to some decent fishing in recent days.  I've landed a dozen carp in the last three days with at least two of them in the mid twenty pound range.  Not bad for the dead of summer.

Here's a twenty pounder being released today.  It hit the
bait pictured above.

Final Results of 2022 RI CAG Spring Big 3 Tournament

Our spring Big 3 Tournament has ended.  In this three months long tournament, RI CAG members enter their biggest fish for the months of April, May and June. We add up the weights and that becomes the total number of points.  CAG has donated engraved medals for the first, second and third place finishers.

Here are the final results of our top three winners and their entries for April, May and June:

1st place, gold medal, Brian Savage- 31/14 + 26/8 + 18/2 = 78/8

2nd place, silver medal, Tom Perron- 21/6 + 16/8 + 16/4 = 54/2

3rd place, Tony Carvalho- 13 +  19/4 + 14= 46/4

Note that our three winners are all very experienced carpers and have been very successful in our past tournaments.  Brian is one of new England's best big carp hunters.  He has won many of our tournaments in recent years.  Tom is our big mirror guy. He frequently catches some of the biggest mirrors in our state. Finally, Tony is a long time member and dedicated carper who has won several medals in past tournaments and always seems to be in the mix. Congrats to all these guys and all who entered.

Brian Savage with an 18 lb. 2 oz. mirror.  It
was the biggest fish entered in June.  Brian
was also the overall winner with 78 lbs, 4 oz.
for his three fish total.  It was an average of
over 26 lbs. a fish!

Another Big Fish on a Stormy Day

 It was my kind of carp fishing day.....torrential rain at times, wind, cooler weather. The stage was set for a big day as I have been down this road many times in the past. 

A 32 lb. monster on this rainy, stormy day.

June has not been a great month for me.  The big
carp of spring seemed to disappear in June.  Prior to today I landed only one fish that was exactly 20 lbs. in June. I got a good number of smaller ones, but only this lone 20.  I knew this cooling, rainy summer pattern after hot spell had gotten the big carp in a feeding mood in the past so I was hopeful my big carp "luck" would change.

Here was the bait that did it
today.....a kernel of maize 
and a large, pink artificial
corn.

After a lot of experimenting with boilies in the past month, I went back to my old standby today (maize and a pink artificial) with a method ball packed around the sinker.  I sat for two hours in the rain with not so much as a beep, and then it happened.  The alarm went off like a siren, I grabbed the rod and I was on.  I knew I had a big fish as it ran off maybe fifty yards of line, but stayed deep and slow on the fight, sure signs of a big one.

Once I got her into the net, I knew it was 30, but how much over 30 I was not sure.  Into the sack and onto the scale.....32 lbs. exactly.  It was one of my biggest summer fish that I had ever taken.

It would be the only fish on this day, but I came away with what I was looking for. Another memorable fish on a rainy, stormy, crappy day!

Invasive Weed a Growing Problem

 

The entire back end of this pond is
covered in milfoil weed.  Just a few
years ago there was none in this 
location.

Many of the carp waters of RI are plagued by invasive weed.  This is not a new problem, but it has gotten really bad this year.  Many of these waters are being choked by this weed, and it makes fishing in a lot of good places near impossible during the summer and early fall.

MILFOIL- This weed is particularly bad in the Blackstone River system in RI and MA.  Any waters that come off the Blackstone have big amounts of it, and it is spreading rapidly. Some places are unfishable because of it.  This is a slimy green weed that has these long root-like vines coming off it. The green slime clings to your line, and you'll be picking at it forever if you have a fish that has run through it. The roots will grab onto your line like clinging vines and can get so bad that you have to break off.

WATER CHESTNUT- This is some of the nastiest stuff I have even seen.  It is widespread in the Ten Mile River system that runs from MA through RI.  It originates from a seed that is black with sharp spikes on it.  The spikes cling to the bottom and a vine-like weed grows.  These vines and be 7,8 and even 9 feet long.  The end of the vines develop leaves which cover the surface.  It is a rapidly growing weed.  I have seen some ponds that have this so bad you can't even see the water.  It looks like you are looking out on a golf course. In one particularly lake, I saw the DEM with a fleet of kayaks and canoes out onto the lake pulling it up last year.  This year it came back as bad as ever. Many of the waters that it's affecting are  unfishable.

These are the invasive week I know about.  I'm sure there are more.  We will have this stuff around until late fall and early winter when the cold water tends to destroy some of it.

You have to really look, but there is a carp in this photo.
Getting a carp to the shore through the milfoil weed
can be a big problem as the weed clings to anything
it comes in contact with like this fish and my line.

4th Place Finish- National CAG Spring Big 4

 It was quite a tournament for me.  I just finished up fishing in the  the national CAG Big 4 tournament.  The tournament started back in March and has been running for three months.  It featured over 60 of the best carp fishermen from all over the US.  You could fish anywhere and catches had to be weighed on your own scales and photo proof had to accompany an entry.  You could enter as many carp as you wanted but only your top 4 fish (by weight ) would count.

I took an unusual approach this year.  In other years I would hit some of the big carp venues in the tri-state areas of MA, RI and CT.  But, with high gas prices and Covid still around, I decided to only fish here in RI. I knew a couple of big fish venues that just might work out and I pounded those spots. The results were astounding.  I entered 4 potential STATE RECORDS.  Since these fish were all released in good shape, none will qualify as official state records (here in RI you must bring the fish to an official weigh station which would result in killing the fish). My four biggest carp weighed 32 lbs., 8 oz., 34 lbs., 35 lbs., 4 oz and 36 lbs., 8 oz.  My grand total was 138 lbs., 4 oz., good enough for 4th place overall and the highest total of anyone in New England. It was also my best total in doing these tournaments for the last ten years. By the way, all those fish were weighed on my certified Reuben-Heaton scale so those weights are dead accurate.

For my fourth place finish I will receive a $75 gift certificate to Big Carp Tackle. I'm sure I can find plenty to spend it on!

Here is one of 4 potential state records that I entered in
the CAG National Big 4 Tournament.

May Results for RI CAG Big 3 Tournament

 It looks like it is a three man race for our RI CAG Spring Big 3 Tournament, and the standings have not changed since

Tom Perron entered a chunky
16 lb., 8 oz mirror for May.

April.  For May we had three entries.  Brian Savage checked in with a 26 lb., 8 oz. common.  Tom Perron entered a big mirror that went 16 lbs., 8 oz. and Tony Carvalho landed a common that weighed 19 lbs., 4 oz. The April and May entries are in the chart below.  We have one more month to go on this tournament.  We will add up the entries for April, May and June and that should give us the winners!

1. Brian Savage- 31/14 + 26/8= 60/6 points

2. Tom Perron- 21/6 + 16/8 = 37/14 points

3. Tony Carvalho- 13 + 19/4 = 32/4 points

Big Baits Effective Now!

 

Here is a "big bait" that
I used today to catch
the mid twenty pound
carp at the right. The
boilie is a homeade
15mm strawberry boilie.

We are in the post spawn period right now.  This is a time when big carp are
really feeding after doing little feeding in the spawn.  Last year at this time I switched tactics and went to larger baits which seemed to catch far more carp and bigger carp than the smaller baits. I'm doing that again this year and it is working, especially with carp over 20 lbs. Here are a few "big bait" ideas:

1. Boilie/ maize combo- I used a homemade strawberry boilie today along with a kernel of maize to nail a mid-twenty pound carp.  Boilies were really hot last year at this time. I landed several thirties last year at this time on boilies.  I will use 12, 15 and even 20 mm size boilies. Fruity flavors and coconut flavors are good.

2.  Snowman set up-  Many big fish sharpies will opt for two 12 mm boilies on a hair rig which is called a snowman rig.  Good idea to have two different colors and two different flavors. I have a friend who landed several twenties this week on a snowman rig.

3. Two quads- I have been writing a lot  about using Mainline Quads.  I have used two of them (different colors) to catch some decent size carp in the last week. A lot of buoyancy with the two quads.

Note that boilies can be purchased at online stores such as Big Carp Tackle.

Photo of the Day..."On the Quad"

Here is a twenty pounder that I landed 
yesterday.  The hot bait was a combo bait
of a chartreuse quad with a kernel of maize
on the hair rig. For more about quads,
check out the previous post.

 

Hot Stuff

 

Check out this 29 lb. beast that was landed on
a quad several days ago. These are some of the 
hottest baits I have ever used.

I'll bet most of you reading this have no idea what a QUAD is. I was introduced to this bait by one of my friends from the UK. Quads are small square baits produced by Mainline baits in the UK.  They actually look like small colored oyster crackers. The ones I have are pink, light green and white and have a pleasant fruity smell. This variety is called Essential Cell Baits and they pop up. These are some of the most buoyant baits for their size that I have ever seem.  When hair rigged on a hook with a combination of maize and the quad, they will lift the bait off the bottom.

My friend from the UK started using these while I was fishing with him.  He far out fished me as I was using my old standby plastic artificial corn with a kernel of maize. I decided I just had to have this bait so I ordered a jar from a tackle store in the UK. Big Carp Tackle in the US had them but sold out (not surprised).

Almost immediately I started catching with this bait.  At times I used it in combination with maize.  Other times I used two quads of different colors. It seemed to me that the pink ones worked the best.  In a short time using them, I landed good number of 20's and even a 30 lber.  Many times I baited one rod with the quad and the other rod with the plastic pop-up and corn. It was always the quad that produced.

Sometimes fish are used to seeing a certain bait in a certain venue, and they will jump on something that might be different.  This is certainly different, but I can tell you that it is one of the hottest baits I have ever used.

This is THE bait that has been so effective for me.

Quads are small square baits that are
extremely buoyant. My best rigging
has been a combo bait of one quad
and a kernel of maize.

Pink Colors Hot

 

Check out what's in the lip of a carp
I caught today.  It's a combo bait of
a pink artificial corn along with 
a kernel of real maize.

Pink in the hot bait color.  Every bait I use I try to add some pink to it.  In the last two weeks that bright pink  has done the trick in luring good numbers of carp of all sizes to hit. 

Here's a few ideas that have worked well:

1. Pink plastic pop-up corn with a kernel of real corn on the hair rig- This has scored big numbers of fish for me with the pink pop-up far outproducing my old standby white pop-up. I like to use this set-up with a method ball packed around my sinker.

2. Pink quads with either a kernel of real corn or a white plastic pop-up- Quads are small square-like baits similar to a boilie.  They are quite buoyant so this set up lifts off the bottom. Quads are produced by Mainline baits and are hard to find (more coming on this in a later post).  I also fish this with a method ball.

3. Pink, strawberry flavored boilies-  These have also been working in either a sinking or floating version.  I like the 12mm or 15 mm size. Sometimes I cut these in half and use it with another bait, usually a kernel of maize.

April Results for RI Spring Big 3 Tournament

Tom Perron- 21 lbs., 6 oz.

Brian Savage- 31 lbs., 14 oz.!

 Our RI CAG Spring Big 3 Tournament is one third finished with
the April results reported.  In this tournament, RI CAG members will enter their biggest carp for April, the biggest for May and the biggest for June.  We add up all the weights and that becomes the point total. All fish must be caught in RI waters, and the fish must all be released. Winners will receive engraved medals for first , second and third place that are provided by the national CAG.  Once again, our guys did a great job of catching some big fish.  

Here are the current leaders:

1st- Brian Savage- 31 lbs., 14 oz.

2nd- Tom Perron-  21 lbs., 6 oz.

3rd- Tony Carvalho- 13 lbs.

Cats on the Prowl

Here's a white catfish that I landed yesterday.
Note the large head and large mouth, features
that are different than horned pout. They will
hit the same baits as carp do.

The carp fishing has really perked up in this warm weather of the last few days. While the carp have been active, a whole lot of other things have also come to life.  Some of those fish to come out of the winter doldrums have been catfish and horned pout.  I've caught good numbers of them in the last week.

Most people don't realize we have both catfish and horned pout in many lakes and ponds around the state.  You can tell the difference because catfish have a forked tail and horned pout, or brown bullhead, have a square tail.  The catfish also have a much bigger head and a big mouth. They also tend to be lighter in color than brown bullheads.

The catfish we have in this state are white catfish.  They were stocked in many places in this state back in the 1960's, and they have stuck around and established a population.  These are different than the channel cats that you find in the CT River. Channel cats tend to have smaller mouths than white cats but are much larger in size.  Most of the white cats found in RI will run 2 to 4 lbs.  They are bigger on average than horned pout.

Note that catfish will often hit the same baits as carp. They often bang on your bait rather than running. Some, though, might take it and run just like a carp.  I have been fooled numerous times into thinking I have a carp hit and it turns out to be a catfish.  

Craziest Fish of the Year!

 I landed this gorgeous wild koi yesterday while carp fishing. It was a stunning orange and red with black spots along its back and body.  It hit a combo bait of maize and a white artificial on a hair rig.

These fish exist in a few places here in RI, and they are rare catches. Over my carp fishing career I've landed over 10,000 carp.  Only seven of those have been wild koi.  So, it's a big surprise when you do get one!

Time to Get Serious!

 

Here's an 18 lber. that was landed 
in the last week.  Bigger fish are
becoming more active in the 
warming weather here in RI.

We're in April and that usually starts the fishing for big carp for me. In the last week or so I have noticed an uptick in the fishing for larger fish as I have landed a decent number of carp over 15 lbs. from RI waters. 

It's that time of year also when CAG members are involved in a couple of tournaments.  Here is a summary of what's going on:

1. CAG Big 4 National Tournament-  This popular event is a nationwide tournament that runs from March 15 to June 15.  The idea is to catch and document (photo proof required) your 4 biggest carp by weight in this time period.  There are over 50 of the best carp fishermen in the US competing for prizes for the top ten finishers.  It's a highly competitive event.  In the past you would need to average at least 30 lbs. a carp to crack the top 5.  Last year I had 134 lbs., my best total ever, to come in 3rd place overall. I'm shooting for at least 120 lbs. this year.  This year we have 5 of our RI CAG members entered in the event.  They include Todd Richer, Manny Dias, Tony Carvalho, Jeff Henderson and myself. It takes skill to get into that top ten, but it also takes a lot of luck too!

2. RI CAG Spring Big 3- We also run a "Big" event here in RI for our members.  The idea is to enter you biggest carp for April, the biggest for May and the biggest for June. We add up those weights and that becomes the point total. Some of our guys and gals have entered some very impressive fish in the past.  CAG supplies engraved medals for first, second and third place.

For anyone who wants to get in on the fun, consider joining CAG.  Go to www.carpanglersgroup.com

Membership to CAG is $25 for the year.  With that, you get a starter packet of goodies, a magazine, tournaments, photo contests, expanded access to the Forum and free membership to the state group. You are also helping conservation efforts to protect carp nationally.

The Secret Weapon?

Here is one of my 14 mm
homemade boiles that
I tried for the first  time
yesterday.

 I spent a lot of time this winter experimenting making boilies. I saw the
potential in boilies last spring when I used some commercially prepared ones.  I had great success with those, catching several fish over 30 lbs. along with many 20's.  So, this winter I bought much of the equipment (sausage gun, rolling table along with supermarket ingredients) needed to make these. I came up with three different boiles (color and scent different) that I thought would have some potential.  It's always been my mission to try to come up with a carp bait that no one has, one that will REALLY catch carp.  I think I have found it. 

I tried one of my creations yesterday for the first time. One outfit was set up with the boilie while the other had a maize/pop-up combo bait.  To make a long story short, the boilie accounted for two carp while the corn got me one lone fish.  I know this isn't a big sample, but I can see the potential here.

Boilies are generally regarded as "big fish" baits. Hopefully, my creations will deliver at least a couple of thirties for me this year.  Stay tuned! 

Here's the proof that the boiile worked.
I actually used a combo bait of a boilie 
and a single kernel of maize on the 
hair rig.

Photo of the Day...."Spring is in the Air"

 

A nice mirror comes ashore on this beautiful
March day. Carp have become more and more
active in this warming weather. 

Starting

Here's a good size carp in the net.
I landed three of them today in
the 10 to 20 lb. range. Let the new
season begin!

 It took one warm and windy day to kickstart the 2022 carp fishing season. We've had a couple of false starts this winter,  but looking at the weather and the disappearing ice, I think it's safe to say that the 2022 carp fishing season is underway.

I got out today in some ice free water. It didn't take long before I had a good size carp on the bank.  I proceeded to land two more fish.  They were all decent today, commons in the 10 to 20 lb. range.  I put out two rods.  One had my old favorite of a kernel of maize and a white artificial pop-up on the hair rig.  The other outfit had one of my 14mm, homemade strawberry boiles along with a kernel of maize.  I wish I could say I got them on the boilie, but all three fish came on the maize/pop-up combo. I did have one bang on the  boilie that I assume was a carp.

With at or above normal temperatures coming most of this week, the fishing should continue to get better and better.  Many places are partially iced over at this point, but I think it will be all gone within the next few days, opening up even more water.

Note that here in RI you can not fish for carp in places that are stocked with trout. All other waters are open. You also need a new, 2022 RI freshwater fishing license if you are fishing in March. Massachusetts has no closed waters, but you will need an up-to-date freshwater license to fish for carp.

Photo of the Day.....February Common in the Net

 

Here's a common that was landed on this beautiful afternoon.
Some places are still iced over but other places are completely
ice free. Carp are now hitting in the ice free locations.