IMPROVING

It took a couple of real cold nights to get the carp feeding again.  For the fish, I'm sure it's a reminder that winter is right around the corner.  Things have improved greatly in the last few days after that cold night we had on Saturday.  I landed 8 fish in the last three days (see pic of chunky mirror  I caught today).  Prior to that I had been on a blanking spree.  Now, 8 fish is not exactly killing them, but I am also seeing activity. I'm seeing fish moving around in the shallows, bubble trails and fish jumping here and there. And, they are back to hitting.
Last year I noticed a similar pattern.  Whenever we would get a real cold spell followed by warming weather, they would start hitting once the warm days hit.  Makes sense.....they slow down in the cold and perk up again when it warms up.  With warming weather on tap for the next couple of days and a warm and rainy day predicted for Friday, things are looking up. I know what I will be doing for the rest of the week.

Check Out This New RI Carp Fishing Blog

There is a new blog in town called Dark Carping.  It is a diary type of blog written by Kev Wasliewski, one of the premier carp anglers in RI and  a member of the the RI Carp Anglers Group.  Kevin is a big proponent of nighttime fishing for carp, and his numbers and sizes of fish that he catches proves just how effective nighttime fishing can be for carp here in RI.  I've fished with Kevin quite a bit and I can tell you that he is an innovator and a student of the game, and he has a lot to offer to both beginner and experienced carp anglers.  I seem to learn something new every time I fish with him!  Check out his blog at http://www.carpteamri.blogspot.com/ if you want to get into the mind of the truly obsessed (his words, not mine!).  Good stuff.

Sweet Corn Delivers

The drought is over for me.  I had blanked five times in a row before today.  Well, today I went out and landed 4 mirror carp (see pic of one of them at right) in a few hours of fishing this morning.  Whether it was the weather (ideal...warm and cloudy after a cold spell) or whether it was the bait, the carp were in a hitting mood.  I am back to using sweet corn.  The pests that were taking the sweet corn off a month ago are now few and far between.  The turtles appear to be gone and bait stealing pests like bluegills and horned pout seem to have disappeared after these cold nights.  So, sweet corn is now back to being my prime bait.  I was using Pescaviva (pineapple flavor) today that I buy from Wacker Baits.  If you don't have this stuff, I think the Value sweet corn from Stop and Shop is also a very good bet and easy to get (see post, http://ricarpfishing.blogspot.com/2012/03/terrific-buy-in-sweet-corn.html  From now till the time the ice arrives, sweet corn should be one of your best baits to lure late fall carp into hitting.

October a BUST So Far

I haven't been posting much this month because I haven't been catching much.  For the most part, the alarms have been silent in the beginning of October.  I've been out at least 7 or 8 times this month and have a grand total of 5 carp (although one fish was a large 22 lb. common).  Other RI CAG members have been reporting the same poor fishing.  This is not unusual for fall carp fishing here in RI.  I attribute this to the changeable weather patterns. Plus, it has not gotten really cold yet.  I suspect when nights start to dip into the thirties, the carp will suddenly get into a panic about feeding up for winter. I also suspect the rest of the fall will be streaky with good spurts of fishing here and there but for the most part, inconsistent.

I was spoiled last fall as I found some fantastic fishing that lasted throughout the fall.  Last year I was able to catch about 100 carp a month in September, October and November for a total of 300 fish.  Those are phenomenal numbers.  However, when I looked back over my logs of past years, I find that I averaged about 100 fish in total during those three fall months. That's the reality.  It's just not that good in the fall.  However, I also know that fall is a great time to land the fish of a lifetime, and that keeps me trying.

Fall Fishing.....So Inconsistent

If you asked me which season was the toughest to fish as far as consistency, I would have to tell you  it's the fall.  At the end of September I was on a hot streak for big fish as I landed quite a few big mirrors over 20 lbs.  I was getting 2 or 3 fish every outing.  In the last week, things have gone downhill.  In the last three outings, I fished some high percentage spots,  but only came away with one small mirror.  Welcome to fall fishing.

Carp fishing in the fall runs similar to the weather.  It's changing all the time, hot one day, cold the next.  It's hard to get in a groove when fishing is so inconsistent.  To combat this, I try to stay on the move, looking at different places, hoping to find some spot that's hot.  When I do, it is usually a streak of good fishing for three or four days. And, I usually try different bait and scents, but once again. the carp will go on and off baits. Still other fishermen swear that this is a great time to fish at night.  One of our CAG guys has  landed quite a few hefty fish to 27 lbs. while fishing late at night in the last couple of weeks.

While this is not a good time of the year to bank a lot of fish, it is a great time of the year to catch a real big one.  Carp are fattening up for winter and if you can find them in a feeding mood, you have a shot at your biggest fish of the year.  It was last year in November that I landed that 36 lb. common, the biggest freshwater fish ever taken in RI.  I am looking for a forty this fall.  Hey, I've learned you have to think big in this sport!

Big Mirrors on the Feed

This has been a real good week for me with big mirrors.  As many of you know, the Blackstone River is one of the premier places in the entire US to catch mirror carp.  Many fishermen around the country marvel at what we've got here in RI.  I have been fishing exclusively in the Blackstone in the last week and making some big scores. 
Here in RI, a big mirror is about 20 lbs.  A huge one would be 25 lbs.  There has only been one documented  thirty pounder ever landed and I got her this past spring (31 lbs., 8 oz.).  I've landed 15 good size mirror carp in the last five outings.  All of these fish have been over 10 lbs.  However, of that bunch four of them were over 20 lbs. as I had fish of 20, 22, 23 and 25 lbs. (see pic of 23 lber. landed yesterday).

The big fish, commons as well as mirrors, are on the feed right now as they fatten up for winter.  It is prime time to catch a trophy.

Big Carp Being Caught by RI CAG Members

It's big fish time here in RI.  With the cool nights dropping water temperatures, large carp are on the feed packing up in anticipation of winter.  It happens every year in mid to late September as our RI CAG members start reporting big catches.  In the last three days, I have gotten news about some outstanding catches. RI CAG member Nick landed a hefty common of 24 lbs. in one venue while fishing in the daytime.  On the same day, CAG member Kev landed another 24 lb . common from a different venue while fishing at night.  Finally, a day later, I got out and landed a 20 and 25 lb. mirror from yet another venue.  Today I followed that up with a 22 lb. mirror.  A 20 lb. carp from RI waters is  considered a "big" carp.  So, these reports of mid 20 lb. fish would be considered outstanding catches. The big fish should continue hitting for the next month, maybe two months as October and November are prime times to score a big fish, maybe even a record.