Results of RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament (Sept. and Oct.)

 We are now 2/3 of the way through our fall Combo Tournament.  In this tournament, we measure our fish in inches

CAG member Laura Mitchell holds a big 
31 and 1/2 inch mirror carp that moved
her into 4th place.

and that that becomes the point total.  There are three categories- Common, Mirror, Bonus (catfish, horned pout or sucker).  All fish must be caught in RI and all fish must be released. The tournament ends Nov. 30. 

Here are the results as of Nov.1:

(Common + Mirror +  Bonus= Points)

1. Brian Savage- 33 + 37 + 19 1/2 = 89 1/2

2. Tom Perron- 34 + 31 + 18 = 83

3. Tony Carvalho- 29 +  0 + 12 = 41

4. Laura Mitchell- 0 +  31 1/2 + 0 =33 1/2

5. Manny Dias- 33 +0 + 0 =33

6. Jeff Henderson- 31 +0 + 0= 31

Big Carp on the Fall Feed

 

Here's a good size carp landed today.  Big fish 
are on the fall feed right now!

Right on schedule.  It's mid October and the large carp are on the fall feed in anticipation of winter coming.  In the last week, I have caught a good number of carp in the 15 to 24 lb. range.  Other RI CAG members have been doing the same thing as reported by the large fish entered in our RI Fall Combo Tournament. I expect this good fishing for larger fish will continue in RI waters until the temperature really drops and ice starts to form.  That means you can expect a solid month left to this big fish fishing.

I have been going with my old favorite of maize and an artificial corn on the hair rig. Recently I have been favoring a pale pink pop up artificial. If there are turtles around I do not go with a method ball as the turtles have been bait stealing pests on these 70 degree days in October.  Remember, too, that this is the time of year in which night fishing is very productive.  These warmer nights (that we have been having lately) are quite pleasant compared to those 35 and 40 degree nights that are coming.

The first very large carp over 30 lbs. that I handed in RI was caught on Nov. 9 many years ago. That fish actually weighed 36 lbs. and was the unofficial state record back then. So, the potential is there to catch a real monster in the coming weeks.  Good luck if you get out and try.

One of the Rarest Carp I Have Ever Caught

 

The albino mirror koi is in the net ready to take
ashore.

I had a rare and unexpected treat today while carping.

I would identify this carp that I landed today as an albino mirror koi.  This fish had large white scales like a fully scaled mirror along with sprinkles of faded pink spots on its body.  It was both beautiful, and probably the rarest carp I have ever caught.

I have only landed 2 koi in the past so this is unusual for me.  I also landed this fish in a spot where I have never seen one. The fish hit a combo bait of maize and a white artificial pop-up corn.

I've often said that when carp fishing, you never know what you are going to catch. Proves it today!

Beautiful and one of the rarest carp I have ever caught!

Nighttime Carpin' Heats Up

 

Here's a good size mirror that was landed after
dark recently. Fall is a great time to fish after
dark for carp.

In the next two months, I will do more nighttime carping than at any other time of the year.  Nighttime comes earlier and earlier, and if you want to get out and fish after getting home from work or after supper, you probably have to fish in the dark.

What many fishermen don't know is that carp hit really well at night, just as good as in the daytime. In addition, many sharpies will tell you that the bigger girls, who are wary feeders, are easier to catch after dark as they prowl around for food. Fall is also a time in which carp feed heavily in anticipation of winter, which also makes them more likely to hit. Use the same baits after dark that you would use in the daylight.

I was out after dark several times in the last week and sure enough, the carp were hitting.  I got several good size mirrors.

One more note, if you do happen to go carping at night, pick a safe area to do it.

RI CAG Fall Tournament Underway

 

Tom Perron is off to a
good start with a 25 inch
mirror carp.

Our RI CAG fall Combo Tournament is underway.  The idea here is to enter your biggest common, your biggest mirror and a bonus fish (catfish, horned pout or white sucker).  Get the lengths of these biggest fish, add the lengths up and that becomes your point total.  The tournament runs from Sept. 1 to the end of November.  All CAG members are eligible to enter. In the past we have had some big fish caught in this fall event as carp go on a feeding spree in anticipation of winter coming.

The national group is providing engraved medals to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers. Tom Perron, one of our premier big carp hunters here in RI,  jumped on the board first when he entered a 25 inch mirror carp this week.

Doldrums of September

I landed this mirror this morning.  It was my only 
fish today.  For the most part, September fishing
has been slow.

 I'm in the September slow down.  This seems to happen to my carp fishing every year.  The September negatives that contribute to the slow down are many. The water is warm and the fish are not on the fall feed yet. In addition, the pests are all over the place.  Sun turtles and snapping turtles are particularly active and irritating. Weed growth is at its maximum.  Also, this year the water levels are high due to excessive summer rains.  High water is always difficult to fish.

Still, I am still catching, though not at the same levels that I was getting back in the previous few months. I've had only one blank in September. Most of my outings have produced only one or two fish. For the most part, the carp have been small, under ten pounds. The best bait continues to be a combo bait of maize and one artificial corn on the hair rig. I haven't been using a method ball lately because it is a real turtle attractor.

I know better days are coming as October and November have proven to be big fish months in the past.

High, High Water Makes Fishing Difficult

 

My chair is actually sitting in the water along 
this flooded bank.  The shoreline bushes and
vegetation that were on dry ground several
days ago is now underwater.  It makes for
difficult fishing conditions.

Those flooding rains we had this week dumped 6 to 9 inches of water onto RI. It has resulted in very high flooding waters all over the state. That has been problematic carp fishermen. River fishing is out and even pond and lake fishing is difficult.

I've gotten out three times since the rain and it has been a fish here and there along with a blank yesterday.  In the places I have fished, the water is into the woods as the water levels rose about 3 feet in the last three days. All the vegetation and bushes along the shore are underwater in some spots.

So, how do you fish in those conditions.  Since most of the fish will be poking around the underwater vegetation near shore, I like to fish in real close, usually a flip cast away.  I also try to get into a spot where there are not a lot of obstructions in the water. I want to have a good chance to land a fish if I hook one. This morning I fished such a spot and came away with a nice 10 lb. mirror.

The flooding rains and resulting high water has not shut down the carp fishing here in RI, but it has certainly made fishing more difficult.