DISCOVERY in Unknown Venue

I've been on a kick on the last two weeks searching RI waters for unknown venues that could have carp.  These are places with NO previous catches and unknown venues to carp fishermen.  I fished a place this evening where no carp have ever been caught by carp fishermen to my knowledge.  I discovered this place though my son, Jon, who was bass fishing in this pond.  To his surprise, he foul hooked about an eight pound carp using a plastic worm several days ago.  That was enough to perk my interest.  I prebaited the spot in the morning and returned to fish in the evening,  Results were astounding for a new location.  Using banana flavored maize, I landed three large commons of 15, 20 and 21 lbs. (see photo).  I also lost another fish that seemed larger than any I landed.  While most "new" spots turn out to be duds, sometimes a new location can really produce.  In this case it did.  I feel this new found spot could hold a very large fish. I plan to find out.
Note that my two RI record fish, a 36 lb. common and a 31 lb. mirror, were taken from venues where very few, if any, carp were ever caught. No one had a clue that fish that large could exist in these spots.  There are more unknown gems out there in RI just waiting to be discovered. It just takes a little exploring and a lot of effort.  And, sometimes it pays off.

Check Out This E-Magazine

Check out this free online carp fishing magazine produced by Korda, one of the big tackle companies in Europe and the UK.  Here is the link: http://www.thinkingtackle.com/carp-fishing-korda-danny-fairbrass-ali-hamidi/ttd-issue1/page/1
The magazine is real slick and interactive with numerous photos and video clips to accompany the articles.  And, the fish will knock your socks off also.  Great to dream!

Small Ones Better than None

I have this dilemma every year in August.  I can't seem to find many big carp that are willing to hit in the daylight hours, but I know where there are good numbers of fish in the 5-10 lb. range (see pic of recent catch) that are more than willing to do battle.  These are small fish in the carp world, but fish in this size range can be terrific fighters.  So, rather than  blanking while trying for the big ones, I usually opt for the action of smaller fish.

I was out trying the last two evenings.  These were short sessions of a couple of hours an outing.  Last night I landed 6 carp and the night before I landed 4.  That's 10 carp in the last two outings, a total of 4 hours of fishing.  Not bad for August.  The hot bait has been sweet corn, although it keeps getting picked off by turtles and horned pout. If I could keep bait on the bottom, I had a good shot at catching a carp. So, I've learned to pull in my lines and check the bait every 20 minutes. All the fish in the last two outings were mirrors in the 5-8 lb. range.

August, a Tough Month

We are in the beginning of what I consider the toughest month of fishing for carp here in RI.  The water is warm, the pests are many and the carp are lethargic. You could make the case that all types of fishing in both saltwater and freshwater are difficult right now, but that still doesn't keep most of us from trying.  Here are a few August tips that just might get you a carp or two on just about any outing.
1.  Fish Low Light Hours-  Best times to fish in August are dusk, after dark, dawn and rainy, lousy days.
2.  Moving Water is Best-  I especially target river waters that move in August.  If you fish the Blackstone River, you want to get into slowly moving deep water.
3.  Experiment with Baits other than Corn-  Sweet corn that is so effective in cooler times of the year is often picked apart by pests such as sun turtles, horned pout and dace.  A better bet would be larger and more durable baits such as chick peas, hard doughballs and boilies.  Not much can be done when snapping turtles are around.
4.  Prebait-  Yes, you have to get them feeding and interested if you expect to catch them and prebaiting is always a key to success.
5.  Expect the Fishing to Improve-  The end of the month will fish far better than the beginning of the month as the nights get longer and cooler and the water cools.  Rainy days at the end of August can really light up the fishing.
So, good luck this month and realize that the fishing will be slower but good fish are still out there waiting to  be caught.

500th Carp of the Year Landed

Yesterday evening I landed my 500th carp for 2012.  It was a common carp in the 8-10 lb. range (didn't weigh).  The fish hit a doughball fished on a hair rig.  There have only been three years in which I have landed over 500 carp.  However, this is by far the earliest I have hit this mark.  Last year I had only 370 carp at this point, and I ended up with 750 fish on the year, making 2011 my best carp fishing year.  This year's high numbers are a reflection of the warm weather in the wintertime.  During the winter I was able to fish many times a week in open water and caught good numbers of carp in Jan., Feb. and March.

Yes, They do Hit After Dark

The summertime is one of the best times of the year to catch carp after dark. Yes, they do hit after dark and they hit well.  Take a look at the mirror at right that I landed a couple of nights ago.  In the summer and early fall carp have a tendency to leave deep water daytime lairs and move closer to shore to roam around and feed under cover of darkness.  I can't tell you how many times I am sitting in a chair tending my rods after dark and when I go to get up I suddenly startle a large carp that is sitting in just inches of water right in front of me. Another plus (or minus as some see it) is that you have a shot at catching horned pout or large catfish (channels and whites) after dark.  They hit the same baits as carp do.
If you do try nighttime carp fishing, I would strongly advise that you try to pick an area that is safe and secure. And, bring along lights and lots of bug spray.

What is a Spomb?

A spomb is one of the latest devices for long distance prebaiting.  It actually looks like a small bomb that has fins and all.  This plastic device actually opens with a push of a button at the bottom.  Once open, the spomb can be packed with bait (any particle like corn, chick peas, etc. or even boilies).  The spomb is then closed with bait inside.  The spomb is then attached to the end of a line and the rod casts it outward.  When the spomb hits the water, the button on the bottom opens the spring loaded device and all the bait empties into the water.  The open spomb is then reeled in and ready to be filled and cast again. I will warn you that you need a heavy duty outfit to cast this device since the weight of the spomb along with the bait is at least 5-6 ounces.  But, with a heavy duty outfit, you will cast chum out much further than you can with traditional devices such as a baiting spoon or catapult (sling shot). Spombs are sold in most online carp stores.