2023- The Year in Review

 

My biggest carp of the year was this mammouth
fish of 38 lbs., 12 oz., a potential state record that
was released.

One word describes this past year of carp fishing in RI- SUBPAR. This was a year that I landed my fewest numbers of carp in the last ten years even though I fished the same number of times.  However, I must admit that I did land good numbers of large fish over 20 lbs., including three thirties.  I released two fish that would have been potential RI state records.  Those fish, 38 lbs., 12 oz. and 36 lbs., 4 oz. were magnificent RI fish. The 38 was a top 5 fish of all time for me.  Another highlight for me was coming in 3rd place in the CAG National Big 4 Spring Tournament, my best finish in recent years. I had 4 fish totaling 133 lbs., 12 oz., an average of over 33 lbs. per fish!

Some of the big issues that affected the numbers were high water and invasive weed. I was constantly struggling in these big rainstorms which sent the water in the woods in many places. When that happens a lot of carp feed in the flooded woods and you just can't get to them.  Invasive weed was also a big issue with big time weed growth happening because of a perfect storm of hot weather, lots of rain and runoff. The water chestnut took over many of my favorite spots.  Milfoil was another culprit that clogged many of my carp spots. All this weed was around big time from June to October.

Here are some numbers from my logs:

*Total number of carp landed - 411

*Number of carp over 30 lbs.- 3

*Best month numbers-wise- April, 114 carp landed

*Worst month (non winter)- November, 18 carp landed

*Best month for big carp- April, 17 carp over 20 lbs.

*Best Bait- Combo bait of one kernel of white artificial maize and one kernel of real maize on the hair rig

Invasive weed like this water chestnut covered
massive areas of some ponds and made fishing
impossible in 2023. Milfoil was equally as bad 
in some places.

CAG Fall Big 4- 11th place

 

One of my entries in the Fall Big 4- 24 lbs., 6 oz.

I ended up in 11th place in this year's CAG National Fall Big 4 Tournament.  I just missed the prize categories of 1st through 10th place. 

This was a tough fall tournament. We had a lot of sharpies from all over the country competing.  These were some of the best carp fishermen in the US, and they were fishing some of the best fall locations, mainly big rivers. I knew before I started that I needed about 110 lbs. of fish to make the top ten (weights of top four fish). That meant catching at least two thirty pounders or a couple of high twenties along with other fish over 20 lbs.  That's a tall order here in RI.

Here are my top four fish that I entered: 20 lbs., 6 oz., 22 lbs., 4 oz., 24 lbs., 6 oz., and 29 lbs., 6 oz. My four fish total came out to 96 lbs., 6 oz.  All my fish were caught in either RI or MA waters. 

November proved particularly tough for me. There was a lot of wild weather and the waters were high.  Weed was dying in a lot of places and problematic at times. And, the fish were just not cooperative.  I landed only a grand total of 18 carp in November, and I did not have a single carp over twenty pounds.  All my tournament entries were landed in October.

December Nights

 

First one of the night was a mirror.  It hit a combo
bait of maize and an artificial corn.

This is the time of year that I often fish at night, especially a warm night.  For some reason, carp will prowl the shallows at night in late fall in search of food.

Tonight I had the right conditions.  It was warm yesterday followed by a warm night and warm again today.  So I prebaited a spot I wanted to fish this afternoon and headed out after dark.  I managed to get three fish, all mirrors and all mid size- 6 to 10 lbs. I got them all on a combo bait of a white pop-up artificial corn fished with a kernel of maize on the hair rig.  I used no method. I like to go "small" on the bait in cold water.

Carp will continue to hit even in cold weather until skim ice starts to form. Once the ice comes, they seem to go into a funk in still water lakes and ponds.  They tend to be more active in moving water (rivers and streams).  Don't expect to catch big numbers in December, and any carp landed in December is a bonus in my book!.

Final fish of the night was this good looking mirror!

Results of 2023 RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament

Tom Perron, gold medal!

 

Brian Savage- silver medal!

The RI CAG fall combo tournament is in the books. The event ran from Sept. 1st to the end of November.  Our members fished and entered fish by length (inches).  We had three categories: mirrors, commons and a bonus fish (catfish or sucker). Add up the total lengths and that was the score.  Once again, our top two big carp fishermen, Tom Perron and Brian Savage, slugged it out for the top spot with some impressive fish.

Here are the final results:

Gold medal- Tom Perron- 79 points (30 inch mirror, 30 inch common, 19 inch sucker or catfish)

Silver medal- Brian Savage- 60 points (30 inch mirror, 30 inch common)

Bronze medal- Tony Carvalho- 15 points (15 inch catfish)

 

400th Carp of the Year Landed

 

This common, landed today, is my 400th carp
of the year. It's been a rough road to find numbers
of fish this year.

Today I hit a milestone as I landed my 400th carp of the year. I finally had a few fish today and that got me over the 400 plateau.

I set 500 carp as my goal every year. I keep logs of all my catches.  In my best year of the last ten years numbers-wise, I landed a whopping 1,300 carp.  Last year, my worst year numbers-wise saw 430 fish landed. If I were betting man, I would bet 500 is not going to happen this year.  Heck, I am lucky to reach 400 this year.  Overall, this has been a tough year of carp fishing.  We've had a lot of rain and a lot of warm weather.  That is the perfect storm for weed growth. The invasive weed, mostly milfoil and water chestnut, has been awful most of the year, making for impossible fishing in some of my favorite carp fishing places.  The weed has cleared up with the cooler weather lately, but the fishing overall still remains poor.

The carp fishing calendar is ticking away. It will end with the ice. I'm guessing in early December.  Even skim ice will end it in ponds and lakes. You can still get them in the moving water of rivers and streams, but carp fishing in the real cold is inconsistent and difficult.

Downright Poor for November

 

The alarms have been silent in November as it
has been a complete blank for me in multiple
locations.

It's been my worst November EVER for carp fishing thus far.  It's now November 10, and I have tried every day in November and it has been a complete BLANK.  I've switched up spots and tried at least a half dozen venues that have produced in the past.  I've been prebaiting these spots.  I've mixed up my baits.  All to no avail.  The carp are just not in the feeding mood!

This downward spiral began in early November when we had those two or three days of extreme cold. Up until then the fish were hitting.  But, that sudden cold put the fish in funk and they have not returned to active feeding.  I've also seen no jumps, no bubble trails and no fish near the shore moving around.

This can happen with carp fishing as it has its ups and downs.  Right now we are in a down period but I'm confident the fishing will perk up.

Start of the Fall Feed

 

This brightly colored common was one of many 
carp landed today. The fall feed has begun!

There has been a significant uptick in carp fishing in the last five days for me since we have been having these cold nights.  I call it the start of the fall feed. Every year about this time, dropping air and water temperatures signal to the carp that winter is coming.  This sets in motion increased feeding in preparation for winter. I've seen this uptick this week.  I had not been doing well and all of a sudden, I'm catching good numbers and some larger fish.  In the last week, I have landed three carp over 20 lbs. I've also landed some good numbers of smaller ones.  I had 12 carp in the last two days, real good numbers.  In addition, I've seen bubble trails and fish jumping in the places I have been fishing.  I didn't see that several weeks ago. The activity level has jumped.

So, if you are a carp fisherman, right now is one of the best times to get out and fish. 

Two Tournaments Running at the Same Time

 

Here's a nice 20 lb. common that I
have in the net.  Carp fishing recently
has been slow here in RI.

The fall carp fishing tournaments are now underway.  Here in RI, CAG members can take part in our RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament.  This runs until the end of November. You enter by length your biggest common, biggest mirror and biggest bonus fish (catfish or sucker). We add up the points and that gets the total. The early leader is Brian Savage who entered a good size mirror carp at 30 inches.

On the national level, CAG is running their popular Fall Big 4.  Members can enter this event. Basically, you enter your 4 biggest carp by weight.  You need photo documentation. At the end of the event, your weights are totaled up and that is your total.  There are some very nice prizes for those finishing in the top ten. I currently have a 20 and a 22 lber. on the board which has put me in 6th place in the early going. I am hoping to get at least 100 lbs. of fish. 

This has been a slow fall of carp fishing thus far for me. I have found no evidence that the fish are on a fall feed before winter.  In addition, the invasive weed has been a real problem in a lot of places although it is dying off. Finally, I've spent a lot of time striper fishing which has been lights out in the last three weeks. I I'm hoping to get back in the groove in the coming weeks.

High Water, Invasive Weeds and Pests

I landed this mirror yesterday along with a couple
of more. September fishing has been slow over-
all in RI thusfar.

We should be in the start of some good fall fishing for carp right now in RI, but we are not. The weather has been summer-like in the past week or so and that has warmed the water. The pests such as turtles and horned pout are right at home in this bath water, and they are active. They have been very bothersome with their bait stealing antics.

In addition to the pests, we have very high water and lots of invasive weed to deal with.  Most of the ponds in RI are very high right now due to all the rain in the last few days. Water levels are at a springtime high and not a fall low.  I don't like fishing high water.  Just too many places for the carp to hide in the vegetation near the shore.

Finally, there is the invasive weed.  It is just everywhere though it shows signs of dying out.  Last year it was generally gone by mid to late October but we will need some cold weather to kill it.

Still, I have been slogging through a tough early September and I have been catching a few fish here and there.  Nothing to write home about but I've gotten about 10 mirrors so far this month from 6 to 10 lbs. Better days are coming but we'll just have to wait it out till cooler weather arrives.

Ups and Downs of August Fishing

 

Here's a good size carp from today coming to the
net. August fishing is very much an up and down
affair.

All that invasive weed I have been writing about has forced me to abandon some of my August hotspots and fish other places this month.  I'm out of my comfort zone so I have been having a rough time of it. Up until yesterday I landed only 5 carp in the month of August, and I was out almost every day. That poor streak ended today as I fished a new location and came away with 9 good size carp in just four hours of fishing.  The fish were running 12 to 25 lbs. 

Exploration is a big part of carp fishing.  Sometimes it pays off and sometimes it doesn't. Today it did for me. The hot bait today was just a kernel of maize and one kernel of white artificial corn on the hair rig.  I've been avoiding the use of method mix since the turtles are right on it and have been super pesky in this heat. By the way, I also prebaited today's spot with maize yesterday evening and I am sure than helped.

August fishing can be an up and down affair.  You just have to get out and try.

Photo of the Week....A Beautiful Mirror

 

Yes, it's hot.  Yes, the water is high and weedy. And, yes, they 
have been tough to catch.  But, if you put in some time and
effort you will be rewarded!

Slogging Through a Tough July

 

Fishing has been slow in July,
though they can still be caught 
with persistence!

This has been a tough month for carp fishing here in RI. I've been out just about every day in some shady spots, but I am getting very little.  It's a small fish here and there.

Th reasons (I believe) are many.  Weather is a big factor as it always is in carp fishing.  The torrential rains of the last month have swelled the ponds, lakes and rivers.  With a lot of water in the woods, carp will grub on what used to be dry land.  They are near impossible to catch when feeding in the flooded woods. The heat has been a killer. Water temperatures are very warm causing the fish to be sluggish feeders. The invasive weed has been terrible in most places this year.  Both water chestnut and milfoil weed has been very troublesome in places and has actually shut down the fishing in many of my favorite summer spots.  That won't disappear until late fall! Finally, the turtles have been super pesky in this heat. They are clever bait stealers, and occasionally you will hook one (snapping turtle).

Still, I am getting a few fish. Landed exactly three fish in my last five outings. And, there wasn't one over ten pounds.  I suspect this slow fishing will continue until the weather breaks.  Just the way it is at this time of year sometimes.

Water Chestnut: A Growing Problem

 

Water Chestnut will grow in thick
masses that can overwhelm a pond
or river in no time.

Water Chestnut is the most invasive weed I have ever seen.  And, it is taking over, or should I say overwhelming,  many carp waters in this state. This weed looks leaves from a tree in the water.  It grows up from the bottom with the leaves appearing on the surface.  Under the leaves you will find multiple seeds that fall off in fall and seed the bottom for the following year. One of these plants can produce anywhere from 10 to 20 seeds. The seeds eventually turn into a black spiky seed that has sharp points. So, you can see how this weed can multiply in huge amounts from year to year.  I was reading one article that stated in one lake the weed went from covering one acre of water to 100 acres the following year. It can spread that fast! It will destroy native plants and suck the oxygen out of the water posing a threat to fish.

There are only two ways to get rid of it- pull it out by hand or treat with chemicals.  I have seen an army of kayaks and canoes in one location trying to pull it out. Thirty boats working all day barely put a dent in it.  As one volunteer told me, it's like shoveling sand against the tide. Supposedly chemicals are coming next for this place.

I have seen this weed in multiple places in RI, and where it grows, it has shut down the carp fishing.

 

Under the plant's leaves  you will find seeds 
growing.  One plant can produce 10 to 20
seeds that will grow next year.

Here's a lake completely inundated with water
chestnut weed.  Two years ago there was NO weed 
in this location. If unchecked it will take over a lake.

Winners in the RI CAG Spring Big 3 Tournament

Brian Savage- 1st place

 Our RI CAG Spring Big 3 Tournament is in the books for 2023. Our two top guys, Brian Savage and Tom Perron, perennial winners, slugged it out with some big fish in each of the three months.

Tom Perron- 2nd place

All the carp entered were landed in RI waters.  CAG members who
entered the tournament logged in their biggest carp for the months of April, May and June.  We add up all the weights and that's the final total. The top three finishers are given engraved medals donated by the national CAG group.

 The top three finishers are listed below (pounds/ounces):

1st- Brian Savage- 20/7 + 25/1 + 20/5 = 65/13

2nd- Tom Perron- 18/4 + 16/5 + 15/9 = 50

3rd- Tony Carvalho- 23

On the Mulberry Drop

This carp was hooked in a 
heavily shaded  spot under
a mulberry tree.

 

A mulberry is impaled with
my #8 hook. They are best
fished freelined with no
weight.

My previous post talked about how the carp were on the post spawn feed.
Well, if you know of a mulberry tree on the water's edge, that is a great source of food for these hungry carp.  Carp absolutely love mulberries. They just can't get enough of them, and they will gorge themselves on berries that are hitting the water.

I fished a spot tonight in which the berries were dropping like raindrops onto the water below.  Carp were under the tree just grabbing every berry that hit the water. I came prepared. I quickly grabbed a berry off the ground and impaled it with a size 8 small shank hook.  I casted it out and within a second of the berry hitting the water a carp rose from the depths and inhaled it. The fight alerted all the other carp who were feeding, and they all took off sensing something was wrong. Be aware that the carp get wise to this berry fishing, and they quickly learn which berry has a hook in it and which berry does not. They also learn that when a fish has been hooked, it's time to quickly flee to safety!

Post Spawn Carp on the Feed; Ideal Weather

This combo bait of maize and
a white pop-up fished on the
hair rig has been super effective
lately. 

 June has been a very good month of carp fishing for me.  I have been in multiple places, and the fish are really hitting.  There are numbers to be had as well as some big ones up into the 20's.

All this good fishing is being fueled by two things.  First off, the carp are done spawning. Those post spawn carp tend to be very hungry, and they often go on a feeding spree for weeks after the spawn.  Secondly, the weather has stayed cool and rainy. Those are ideal conditions for fishing for carp even though most fishermen will avoid this bad weather. I'll take rainy and stormy anytime over nice and sunny!

I have also fished a variety of baits in June and all seem to be working. My homemade coconut boilies were very effective in early June.  Lately, my ole favorite combo bait of a white plastic pop-up corn along with a real kernel of maize on the hair rig has been very effective.

I have been getting good size commons as well as good
size mirrors mixed in with some smaller ones. June
fishing has been hot.

3rd Place- CAG National Big 4 Tournament/ TWO Potential State Records Released

My biggest carp in the tournament was a 38 lb.,
12 oz. monster common.  It was a potential state
record, and the second largest carp I have ever 
landed in RI!

The CAG National Spring Big 4 Tournament has come to an end, and I ended up in third place overall this year.  It was one of my best finishes ever in this event.  The event drew over 60 members from all over the US.  And, these guys really know how to carp fish! The first place finisher with 143 lbs. fished in Tennessee.  Second place came from Pennsylvania and surprise, surprise, third place came from RI.

The tournament ran from March 15 to June 15.  The goal was to enter your four biggest carp.  My four fish total came to 133 lbs., 12 oz. I had carp of 38 lbs., 12 oz. (potential state record), 36 lbs., 4 oz. (potential state record), 29 lbs., 8 oz., and 29 lbs., 4 oz. All my fish were caught from RI waters.  This was my second biggest weight total in the 12 years that I have been doing this tournament. I caught all these fish on the same baits- a combo bait of one kernel of maize and a white pop-up artificial corn fished on the hair rig. A  method ball was packed around my sinker.

For my third place finish, I won a $100.00 gift certificate to Big Carp Tackle. I'm sure I can find something nice to buy with that! 

May Leg of RI CAG Big 3 Tournament Completed

 We are now 2/3 of the way through our RI CAG Spring Big 3 Tournament.  Here are the results from April and May along with the totals.  Medals donated by CAG are awarded to our top 3 finishers.  The tournament ends in June.

1st- Brian Savage- 20/7 + 25/1= 45/8

2nd- Tom Perron- 18/4 + 16/ 5= 34/9

3rd- Tony Carvalho- 0 + 23= 23

4th- Manny Dias- 15 + 0= 15

Brian Savage landed the biggest carp in May
for our Tournament.  The fish weighed 25 lbs., 1 oz.
The one on the mat is not too shabby also!

Tight Race for RI CAG Spring Big 3 Tournament

 

Brian Savage leads the Big 3 with a 20 lb., 7 oz.
common.

The first leg of the RI CAG Spring Big 3 Tournament has been completed, and it is a tight race for the top three places. Here's how our Big 3 works.  Members enter their biggest carp for April, for May and for June.  We add up the weights at the end of the tournament and that total determines our winners.  Medals donated by the national CAG group are awarded to the top three finishers.  In the past we have had some impressive fish entered in this event. All fish entered in this event must be caught here in RI.

Here are the top three results for April:

Brian Savage- 20 lbs., 7 oz.

Tom Perron- 18 lbs., 4 oz.

Manny Dias- 15 lbs.

Bait Choices- Less Can be Better

 

Look closely at the bait in this carp's lip. It is one 
kernel of maize and a kernel of artificial, plastic
maize.  This has been a real hot ticket in the last
week for large and small carp.

The carp fishing has improved greatly here in RI in the last week.  The water temps have ticked upwards and the carp have gotten far more active.  I've been getting good numbers of large fish as well as smaller ones.  But, this warm water has also delivered the dreaded pests- turtles, horned pout and catfish.

In an attempt to avoid these pests, I have gone light on the bait. I am using no method since that bait ball really attracts these pests. I'm going with just a kernel of maize along with a white, plastic pop-up corn on the hair rig. Turtles and cats are not high on the plastic offerings but carp find that plastic corn fascinating and often hit it when paired with a kernel of the real stuff.

That approach has upped my catches of carp while decreasing my catches of pests.  It has accounted for small carp and big ones up into the twenties in the last week. In my experience, less has been better in the last week.

Large carp like this twenty pound common have been
hitting since the warm weather arrived. This one fell for
a combo bait of maize/ plastic corn.

Ups and Downs of April Carping

 

It was one lone carp yesterday in a number of
locations. April fishing, thus far, has been slow
and inconsistent.

April is one of the most inconsistent months of the year when it comes to carp fishing in RI. The fishing generally mirrors the weather which is all over the place. This is the first week in months that I am not skiing on a daily basis so I have spent a lot of time carp fishing. All I can say is some fish here and there with small, low water ponds producing the best.  Makes sense.  Smaller ponds heat up faster and the carp are generally more active in this warmer water.

Yesterday, a warm day, I had some interesting experiences in a number of locations. First stop was a big pond that had some depth.  I was fishing the drop off. After three hours of nothing, with not a hit, jump or bubble trail, I packed up and left.  Next stop was a shallow cove in a small pond.  I could actually see carp slowly swimming around the sunny areas, yet not feeding. I even saw some coming right out of the water in what looked like spawning. But, they were not hitting, and I got skunked once again.  Last stop before dark was a small, shallow pond.  I stuck it out until dark when suddenly the alarm sounded.  It was a mirror carp of about 7 lbs. and my only fish of the day.

My experiences yesterday highlight carp fishing in early April. In a word, inconsistent. But, take note.  A big warm-up is coming next week and that should bring more consistent carp action for the second half of the month. It will get better!

Photo of the Day, "Evening Mirror"

 

Spring is in the air as the carp become more and more
active.  I landed a couple of mirrors right before dark
this evening.

Off and Running

 

Yes, the fish were hitting on this
warm day today.  Weather will
play a big part in the early season.

For me, today marked the start of spring fishing for carp. I tried three other times in the last week and blanked every time.  But, each one of those times, I was putting bait (maize) into my spring spots.  I knew it would be a matter of a short amount of time when I would start seeing carp in at least one of those places.  Today, I saw them as well as caught a number of them.  I spotted some fish moving around in the shallows and tossed more bait into the spot I intended to fish.  I went back to this location several hours later. The rods were out no more than ten minutes before the alarm went off and I was on.

Note that early spring carp fishing in March can be a lot like the weather- inconsistent.  The key to success is to have a plan, bait up a few spots and stick with it. The warm days will outproduce the cold days.

Today's fish fell for a combo bait of maize and pale pink artificial corn on the hair rig.

Note:  Here in RI you can only fish non trout stocked waters until Opening Day of trout season (second Saturday in April)..  You will also need a new, 2023 license if you intend to fish any freshwaters in the state at this time.

February Opportunities

 

Here's a mirror that I landed today, Feb. 17. This
is a very early start for me here in RI.

If you were outside today and didn't know the month, you would think we were in the middle of April. In fact, just about all week seemed like mid April weather.  That warm weather melted the little ice that was left and upped the water temperatures.  It all gave the carp a false sense of spring.

In the last two days I was on a scouting mission, checking out a number of places in the state that usually produce in the early season.  While these places usually give up the first carp in late February or early March, I found out it's happening much earlier this year.

In my travels, I  landed a couple of feisty mirrors.  Nothing big, they went about 5 to 6 pounds apiece. I was amazed that these early season fish really ran off the line on the hit causing my alarm to scream.  Normally, the first fish are sluggish on the take and the fight, but not these.  It tells me the water is warmer than I thought and the fish are more active than I expected. Both fish fell for a combo bait of maize and a white artificial corn fished on the hair rig.  I caught the fish in spots I was prebaiting with maize in the last few days.

Next Stop- Springfield Sportsmen's Show- Feb. 25

 My next stop on my 2023 seminar tour is the Springfield Sportsmen's Show on Saturday,  Feb. 25.  As of this date, I do not know my times.  You would have to check the website right before the show at www.osegsportsmens.com 

I know I will be doing my popular striper fishing seminar that drew huge crowds last weekend at the show in Boxboro. This seminar features striper fishing from shore and kayak.  The emphasis was on catching big fish- slots and over slots.  I will also be doing my carp fishing seminar. This show deals with understanding carp fishing in southern New England with an emphasis on bait and rigging.

The Springfield Sportsmen's Show is held at the Big E in Springfield.  It features everything outdoorsy- fishing, hunting, camping, boats, guides, etc. It runs for three days from Feb. 24 to Feb. 26.  It is one of the most popular outdoor shows in the northeast.

Hope to see you there.

First Carp of 2023

 

My first carp of 2023!

I went out carp fishing today in this mild January weather.  It felt like fishing in late March or early April. In the past I have scored some nice carp in January during these mild spells and today was no exception. I landed this 13 lb. common on a combo bait of maize and a white artificial corn.  I was also using a small method ball packed around my sinker.

If you are trying for a carp in the middle of winter, you might try looking in "small places".  I'm talking ice free small shallow ponds, small rivers and canals. The carp have no place to hide in these smaller spots, and these bodies of water tend to heat faster making the carp more active.

With mild weather forecasted for later in the week, I expect the winter action to continue.

SHOWTIME!

 In a couple of weeks I begin doing my winter seminars at many of the big outdoor shows in New England.

My first show will be the New England Fishing and Outdoor Expo in Boxboro, MA at the Boxboro Regency.  This show runs three days on Jan. 27, 28 and 29.   This is a big fishing and outdoor show that covers freshwater fishing and saltwater fishing with a lot of exhibitors, displays, dealers and seminars. 

On Saturday, Jan. 28 at 11:00 AM, I will be running my all new saltwater seminar for 2023.  It is titled "Stripers from Shore and Kayak". This seminar will take show goers on a year long journey of catching stripers from both shore and kayak here in southern New England. It will outline some of the best lures, techniques and places to catch stripers from both shore and kayak.  The emphasis will be on catching after large stripers, slots and overslots.

I will change hats on Sunday, Jan. 29 at 11:00 AM as I do my freshwater carp fishing seminar.  My new carp fishing show for 2023 is titled "Understanding Carp- Choosing the Best Baits".  This show will feature rigging as well as baits to catch trophy size carp in southern New England.  It will be an eye opener and a wealth of information for those who are beginners as well as experienced carpers.

Making Boilies

 

Here's a bunch of strawberry flavored
boilies that I made this morning.

Happy New Year to all my loyal readers!

On this crappy morning I decided to make some boilies.  Remember last year I started making my own and had the best success with a strawberry flavored boilie. I caught a good number of carp while using them.

Here are the ingredients to make about 100 15mm boilies:

* Half box (8 oz.) plain bread crumbs

*1/2 cup corn starch

* 2 tablespoons of sugar

* 1 1/2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

* 2 eggs

*half a box of strawberry jello

Mix all these ingredients in a big bowl and then knead the mix.  It should be the consistency of a snowball.  If too dry, add more egg.  If too wet, add more bread crumb.

At this point, you need to roll the mix into small ball shapes the size of a marble. I use a sausage gun from Big Carp Tackle and push a sausage onto a small rollaball table which will make 20 boilies at once.  You can also roll these by hand but it takes a long time. These tables can also be purchased at Big Carp Tackle.

Next, drop all the rolled balls into a pan of boiling water.  They will sink at first but after a minute or so, you will see them floating on the top.  They are now ready to be taken out and placed on a tray to dry.

I let mine dry overnight. I then package them in a zip lock bag and place them in the freezer until I am ready to use them.

Making your own boilies is time consuming, but far more inexpensive than buying them.