Ice Out Strategies

The ice is leaving many of the ponds and lakes in the state and should all be gone by this weekend. Carp tend to begin hitting as soon as the ice leaves. To be successful at this time of year, I empl0y and early spring strategy.

Here are some strategies that should lead to early season success:

Location- Carp tend to bunch up in cold water. It is often hard to pinpoint those spots, and they are often found by putting in a lot of time and effort. However, some places tend to produce. Try to fish shallow water at the north end of a pond. Also, try places where brooks and streams enter. All these spots tend to produce best on sunny days with warming temperatures.

Baits- Simple here. I like to use either sweetcorn from the can or small doughballs. Go with two kernels of sweet corn on a small hair. I usually won't fish flavored maize until mid March. If you use method mix, go with a small ball.

Rigging- Think Finesse. Go with small hooks (I like a #8 at this time), small hairs, short hooklink, and small sinkers (quarter oz.). I also like to go light on the outfit and use ten pound test mono.

Prebaiting- Absolutely. You want to draw the fish back into your favorite swims. You also want to get them used to what you are using. If you are using doughballs, try to fish in places where ducks are fed bread.

If you are planning on fishing in RI in the next month, realize that you need a new, 2010 license after March 1. Trout stocked waters are off limits until after Opening Day. All other waters are ok to fish.

Let the Games Begin

It was almost 50 degrees today and the ponds in the mid section of the state have been losing their ice for almost a week now. However, I was still surprised when I got a call this morning from fellow RI CAG member Nick Newton telling me he was catching carp in one of our early season hotspots. That was all I needed to hear. I got my gear, jumped in my car and headed out. It surprised me that the pond we were fishing still had about a quarter of it covered in ice. Though I caught nothing, Nick was able to land 3 commons up to 12 lbs. (See photo of Nick at right). We were using sweet corn on the hair rig. He used no method.

To catch carp after ice out requires a cold water fishing strategy. Here's a few tips. Try to hit known hotspots that have been discovered in past years. Look for shallow spots at the northwest sections of ponds that may heat up faster. Try places where a brook enters a pond. As far as fishing, go small on the bait end. Sweet corn is hot at this time. If you use method, go with a small amount. Use small lengths of hooklinks and small hooks. Try to fish on warm days.

The 2010 carp fishing season has started here in RI!

Springfield Sportsmen's Show

I wanted to let everyone know that I will be doing my carp fishing seminar at the Springfield Sportsmen's Show on Sat., Feb. 20. The show is called "Secrets of New England Carp Fishing" and has been completely redone this year. It is a Power Point presentation that features lots of photos as well as video clips and is geared to beginners as well as seasoned carp fishermen. It deals with equipment, rigging, baits, spots to fish, CAG information, etc.
The Springfield Sportsmen's Show is held at the Big E in Springfield, MA. It features everything you want to know and see about hunting and fishing and is one of the biggest outdoor shows in the Northeast. The link to the show is below:
http://www.osegsportsmens.com/html/springfield.html

Ordering from the UK

Did you know you can order stuff from places in the UK. Lately, I have been dealing with Specialist Tackle, a reputable company that has just about everything you need for carp fishing. I find their prices to be cheaper than the US online companies for the same products but shipping for large (rods) or heavy items seems to be very high. Nevertheless, I ordered several "small' things from them recently and was very pleased with their prices and service. Note that their prices are in British currency. They will quote a US dollar price if you e-mail them. You simply pay with your credit card, the credit card company takes care of the currency exchange. Shipping seemed faster than some of the US stores.
Here is the link to Specialist Tackle:
http://www.specialist-tackle.co.uk/

Easy Access to Videos

I know many of you often refer to the hair rig video that appeared last year on the blog. Instead of going searching for it, I set up an easy link to it on You Tube. The link to the hair rig videos as well as all my other videos can be found on the left information column or the link below.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pickerd5&search_type=&aq=f

Rucksack or Fishing Bag?

How do you carry your gear to the bank? Most fishermen these days are either using some type of bag or a rucksack. Up until this past year, I was a "bag" type of guy. But, this year I switched to a rucksack and I like it.

Rucksacks are the UK's version of a US knapsack. I purchased a Nash Hooligan 45 rucksack last year. I was looking to make it to the bank in one trip with all my gear and figured the rucksack was the way to go. The rucksack has the added bonus of allowing a fishermen to walk a long distance while comfortably carrying all the gear that is supported on two shoulders. My sack has a bunch of pockets (as they all do) on the sides and front for storing boxes of gear like hooks, leads, scales, rig pouch, stops, scissors, hooklink, baiting needles, etc. I like to keep my jars of maize and other bait in the main compartment. I is roomy enough to also fit a small method bowl and my lunch and maybe even extra clothing. When walking to far away spots, I also stick in a couple of banksticks with alarms in the main compartment. I also have set up hiker's hooks in the sack's rings to clip on my unhooking mat and weigh sling. You could never fit all that gear into a bag.

If you are thinking about purchasing some tackle storage before the start of the next season, consider a rucksack.

Non-Carpin' Ice Fishin'

There is about 6-8 inches of ice all over the state right now and it seems to be thickening by the day. By now, carp seem to be a distant memory. While a few have been caught around the US though the ice, I have tried and have not been successful at that game.
So, at this time of the year I turn to other fish to keep the rods active and the fishing going. I love to jig through the ice. I'll sometimes go to several ponds in an afternoon cutting holes and jigging for species like largemouth bass, yellow perch, big bluegills, pickerel, white perch, etc. My kids, their friends, the girlfriends, etc. sometimes all come along as I have a bucket with about 8 jigging outfits ready to go. The trick is to use a small lure (I prefer small gold Kastmasters), and thread a meal worm (can be purchased at Petco) onto the lure's treble. Just lower it to the bottom, move it upwards about 6-10 inches off the bottom and jig the offering up and down.
In the last week, I have done exceptionally well with largemouths in a local pond and have caught big numbers of large perch from Stump Pond in Smithfield. This isn't carp, but it does keep the fishing alive and well until the carp fishing comes to life in March. What else are you going to do in the dead of winter?