Finally, Fish Landed at a Fish-in!

Up until today we had been on a poor streak at fish-ins.  At the two previous ones, we landed nothing, so today's event , held on the Blackstone River was an exciting change.  We didn't kill the fish, but we did manage to bank 6 fish in some real lousy weather.  We had 8 hardy fishermen attend this get together.  These included 6 of our RI CAG members (Todd, Daphne, Bob, Armando, Nick and myself along with 2 MA CAG members (Jerome and Iain).  Five of the fish were mirror carp in the 8-15 lb. range and there was one common landed.  We also missed a couple of runners and lost a couple of fish that we had on. The fish were landed on all different types of baits that ranged from chick peas to boilies.  The RI CAG holds at least two fish-ins a year along with several informal get togethers.  Fish-ins are great times to reconnect with friends and fish and talk fishing all day long while sometimes landing a fish or two.

Hog of the Day!

Change in Baits Lighting it Up

This hefty mirror was caught today on
yellow and orange sweetcorn fished
on the hair rig.  It was one of five fish
landed today.

It's back to sweetcorn for me.  In the last week or so, the artificial baits have not worked well so I 've gone back to using sweetcorn in places that are not stocked with trout and chick peas in places that are stocked with trout.  The results have been very good.  Today, for instance, I landed 5 good size mirrors up into the teens using sweetcorn.

This combo of yellow and
orange sweetcorn has
been hot in the last two weeks.
Chick peas have also worked
well.

There's a little twist on the sweetcorn I'm using.  I am using two kernels of regular unflavored corn and one kernel of orange Pescaviva sweetcorn.  The orange kernel is a sandwiched between the two yellow ones on the hair.  Remember, color does make a difference in baits, and it's a fact that carp are attracted to those warm colors of pink, orange, red and yellow.  I'm beginning to think that color makes more of a difference than flavor.
Fishing remains very good in this up and down spring weather.  Get out and sample it before the real warm weather slows it down.

100th Carp of the Year Turns Out to be a BIGGIE

This 25 lb. mirror was my 100th carp of the 2014 season.
I'm on a pace ahead of last year and have landed many
more big ones this year.

I landed my 100th carp of 2014 today.  It was a BIGGIE, a mid twenties mirror.  It kind of goes along with a theme of big mirrors that I have been catching all spring. In addition to that big one, I also had four other fish of 10, 15 and 21 lbs., so it was a good day.
Last year I  had gotten my 100th fish of the year on May 1.  I am ahead of the game this year by about two weeks.  It's been a very cold spring and a late start, but I still have more fish and more bigger fish than I did last year at this time. The only thing missing thus far is a thirty pound mirror, no easy task in RI, but I can assure you that I am working on it and I have a good idea where I can find one.  It is just a matter of time and luck!

Young Angler Scores His First Carp of the Year

Adapting to Some Tough Conditions

This is typical of the size of the six carp
that I landed on sweetcorn in the last two days.
It gave me a chance to model my new CAG
state chairman sweatshirt!

I have to say that the last two days have been very tough carp fishing days here in RI.  Two days ago we had that big rainstorm. It flooded my hotspots in the Blackstone River making those places unfishable due to high and fast moving water.  In addition, the temperature since that storm has dropped like a lead balloon.  The days have generally been in the thirties and low forties. Carp don't respond well to severe drops in temperatures.
So, it was adapt or sit home on the couch.  I wasn't about to sit home, so I made a quick change in tactics.  I went back to fishing a lot of my "small" spots.  These are small, shallow water places that are not dramatically affected by these weather changes.  I often fish these after ice out and in December.  I also went back to smaller baits and used only sweetcorn.  I'm not going to tell you that I killed the fish, but I did land 4 mirrors and 2 commons, and they were all under ten pounds, typical of what you catch in small spots.  Hey, it was fishing and beat sitting at home and waiting for the weather to change.

On a Big Fish Streak

This mirror carp, 21 lbs., was caught
yesterday.  It is one of 10 fish over
20 lbs. taken in the last five days.

I'm on a big fish streak.  In the last five days I have landed over thirty carp with ten of them going over twenty pounds.  Most of the others have been in the 10-20 lb. range.  That warm weather of the last few days has just lit up the fishing for me.  Surprisingly, morning and mid day action has been the best. I'm catching from multiple venues with a number of places producing. Most of the fish have been mirrors.

This unusual beauty, a linear mirror (one
row of scales across the middle
of body), was landed today in some
stormy weather.

Today I went out in the rain and wind and was rewarded with a five fish afternoon with fish up to twenty pounds.  Carp are very active in nasty weather, and some of the largest fish I have ever caught have been taken on bad or stormy days.
Today's fish were all taken on sweet corn on the hair rig.  I used three kernels.....two regular unflavored kernels along with one orange colored tutti-fruitti flavored kernel.  The fish have been off the pop-up artificial corn in the last few days.  Carp will go on and off certain baits, and the hot baits will often change with the weather or the season. So, you need to do some experimenting to find just what is working.