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.

Next Stop on the Seminar Tour.....Springfield Sportsmen's Show

 My next stop on the seminar trail is the Springfield Sportsmen's Show, website: https://www.osegsportsmens.com/index.html  This show is one of the biggest outdoor shows in the northeast. It runs from Feb. 25 through Feb. 27 at the Big E in Springfield, MA.  The show is unique in that it has everything outdoorsy from fishing exhibitors to hunting to camping to boating to guides and more.  If the topic has to do with the outdoors, you will find it here. 

The show also features an all star line-up of seminar speakers that run both hunting and fishing seminars. I will be there on Saturday, Feb. 26.  I will be doing a carp fishing seminar and a striper fishing seminar.  The striper seminar is all new for 2022.  It is called Striper-mania and deals with the striper comeback in recent years and strategies to catch them from shore and kayak in southern New England.  My carp fishing seminar is called Strategies to catch BIG Carp.  This seminar will focus on strategies to catch large carp over 20 lbs. As of this writing the seminar schedule has not been finalized yet.  Keep looking at the show's website for the seminar time updates.

Hope to see some of many of you there. 

No Carp but Plenty of Other Fish

 

Here's a good size pickerel that I 
jigged up today.

With the still waters iced over and the moving water very high, I have turned to ice fishing.  I am only jigging in a number of ponds.  It seems that everywhere that I go, fish are hitting!

I'm using a small Kastmaster along with a meal worn on the end hook.  I go from hole to hole looking for action. I've been catching just about everything that lives in freshwater except carp.  In the last couple of weeks, I have gotten some big largemouths, large pickerel, lots of yellow perch of all sizes, crappie, white perch and a ton of bluegills and sunfish. 

Years ago I used to do this a lot after school with the kids, but recent years have brought little ice.  This year is different.  In the last few weeks, there has been a solid 6 to 8 inches of ice in most places. 

Here's a decent largemouth that I jigged up 
last week.

New for 2022....Making my own BOILIES

Here is the Gardner sausage gun and
the Gardner Rolaball Table that will
allow me to efficiently make my own 
boilies in 2022. These were bought
at Big Carp Tackle.

 I'm making a strong commitment to making and fishing boilies in 2022.  I recently bought the stuff to do it from Big Carp Tackle.  I bought the Gardner sausage gun which pushes out sausages of various sizes depending on the tip you screw in. I also bought the small Gardner Rolaball table which efficiently rolls out perfect 14 mm boilies. I've also been collecting recipes from the Internet which use general supermarket ingredients to made these boilies.

I'm hoping to come up with a real good recipe that will produce. Last year I had good success using boilies.  I landed many fish over 20 lbs. including two 30's. At one point I tried using one outfit with maize and a pop-up, and the other outfit had a boilies.  I landed several big fish that day and all came on the boilies.  That's how effective they can be.

So, we'll see in the upcoming season. Looks like a lot of experimenting coming my way.