Happy Thanksgiving to all my Loyal Readers

 

We live in a small state but we have a lot to be thankful for
when it comes to carp fishing.
Enjoy this day with family and friends.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Windows of Opportunity

I landed this beautiful mirror today, a sunny day
in the forties.  Carp can still be caught between 
now and when the ice arrives.

 It seems like winter has arrived early this year. And, while this sudden November chill has really cooled off the carp fishing, there is still opportunity out there to catch a decent fish or two before the ice comes along. Once the ice envelops a pond or lake, it's over until spring.

Today I went out this morning to check out a carp spot and potentially fish there. To my surprise, it was completely frozen with a skim coat of ice.  But, by mid day and late afternoon, the temperatures had risen to a comfortable level and the ice departed. Lesson here is that late afternoon provides the best opportunity to fish for carp at this time of year. That warmest part of the day will bring the best opportunity to catch. And, today was a good example as I did catch a few.

Another tip at this cold time of year is to focus on small spots like small ponds and small rivers.  There's just no place for the carp to go in these places, and these places (if they are shallow) can warm up nicely when the sun is out even on a cold day. That will up the activity level of the carp there.  Big bodies of water are so much harder to find the carp in winter, and they are slow to warm.

Finally, go small with your bait offerings.  Today I just fished a hair rig with a kernel of maize and a white artificial corn on the hair. I used no method ball. They just don't feed as heavily at this time and going small is often better.

So long as there is no ice the carp will continue to hit though not at the same pace as the warmer months. Still, there is something special about catching a carp in late November and even December when most fishermen have given up thinking that carp can no longer be caught.

Update: 2025 RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament

 

Brian Savage has taken the lead in our
fall combo tournament.  Here he holds
a 33 1/2 inch common.

Here are the latest results after the second month for our RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament.  Remember, in this event we measure the carp by inches.  Members can enter their biggest common, their biggest mirror and a bonus fish (catfish, horned pout or sucker). The tournament runs till the end of November. Below are the results through the end of October: (c= common, m= mirror and b= bonus)

1. Brian- 33 1/2 (c), 33 1/2 (m) and 19 1/2 (b) = 86 1/2 points

2. Dave- 34 (c), 30 (m) and 14 (b)= 78 points

3. Tom- 33(m) and 19 (b)= 52 points

4. Evan- 30 (c) and 21 1/2(m)= 50 1/2 points

5. Scott- 33 (c) and 12 (b)= 45 points

Still a month to go, good luck to everyone!

Really Big Carp a NO SHOW this Fall (So Far)

 

I landed this 15 lb. common today. There's been
good numbers of these teen fish hitting this fall
but the really big ones have been no shows so far.

The really big carp, those monsters over 30 lbs., have been a no show so far this fall here in RI. I have put in a lot of time looking for them in multiple places, but have only about a half dozen fish in the twenties to show for my effort. I'm on the hunt for the really large ones every fall since I compete in the CAG Big 4 Tournament. To have any shot of placing in the top 5 you need to put up thirty pounders or even forties on the board. You might remember that last spring I came in third place by landing 4 carp over 30 lbs. Last fall, I was able to put up 3 thirties.  So far this year, my biggest fall fish is 28 lbs. I've landed good numbers of carp in the teens, but the really big ones have been elusive so far.

In past years the window for catching a really big carp here in RI starts to close as November arrives. Mid November tends to signal the end of your chances at getting a monster unless we have a really warm spell.  So, looking at the calendar, you've got less than a month left to score that really big one.

September Results for Fall Combo Tournament

 

Brian checks in with the biggest mirror at 33 1/2 in.

We have just finished the first leg of our RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament. And, once again, our guys have landed some impressive fish.

In this tournament we enter our biggest common, our biggest mirror and a bonus fish (catfish or sucker).  We measure each by length to the nearest half inch.  Add up the results and that's the total.  The tournament runs from September through the end of December so it's still very early in the tournament.  All fish entered must be caught in RI waters.

So, here are the results so far (C=common, M=mirror and C= catfish or sucker):

Dave- 34 (C) + 30 (M) + 14 (C) = 78 points

Brian- 33 1/2(M) + 19 1/2(C) = 53 points

Evan- 29 (C) + 21 1/2 (M)= 50 1/2 points

Tom- 33 (M)= 33 points

Not a September to Remember

 

I landed this mirror yesterday. 
Overall, it's been a slow month
numbers-wise and size-wise.

This has been a tough September for fishing for me.  It's been low numbers and not a lot of big ones, never a good combination. So far, I have landed 30 carp in the month of September, numbers that are way off compared to recent year.  I've been fishing hard and fishing many different places, but the numbers just have not been there.  My best day of the month was yesterday when I was able to put 5 mirrors onto the bank.  Other than that, it has been one here, one there.  Also, I have not landed a lot of big carp. My biggest for the month was 23 lbs., not anything to brag about.  I had only one other low 20. So, the big fish fishing has not been great either.

September has always been a transition month.  Some years we see a cool, wet month. I would argue these are the best conditions.  Other years like this year see a warm, generally dry month, much more like August than September. I'm waiting for some cooler weather that just might get the bigger fish active and feeding.  In the past, October and the beginning of November have offered the best fall fishing around here.  I'm hoping that will happen this year.

Labor Day Weekend Outlook- Fall Fishing is Here

 

I landed this decent size common today. There's
been an uptick in carp fishing in RI since the cooler
weather arrived.

In the last week I have noticed the water temperatures have really dropped in the places I have been carping. That's all due to these cooler days and nights as well as the decreased amount of sunlight. To me, that signals the start of fall fishing. 

This time of year can be as inconsistent as the weather. It's simply a matter of getting out and fishing. My fishing in the last few weeks has been up and down but it has generally trended upwards.  Good numbers one day. Go back the next day and maybe one fish. In places I prebait, I'm usually able to consistently land a fish or two.

I've also been catching a few decent size ones, mainly in the 20's, in the last week.  This is another indicator of fall fishing as these bigger fish begin to feel a need to fatten up as fall and winter approach. I've found fall to be the second best season of the year to catch large carp here in RI (spring has been the best for me).

My best bait continues to be a combo bait that consists of a kernel of maize and a white artificial on the hair rig.  I am still not using a method ball due to the numbers of turtles and catfish that have also been active.  I've caught more catfish and horned pout in the last two weeks than I have caught all year. I suppose they are also feeding up in the cooling waters.

So, if you have the time this weekend, get out and try.  Water levels are low everywhere right now and that generally makes for easier fishing and access.  And, the fish are hitting.