NE Fishing and Outdoor Expo Opens this Fri.; Carp Fishing Seminars on Sat. and Sun.

The New England Fishing and Outdoor Expo opens this Friday, Jan. 26 at the Boxboro Regency in Boxboro, MA.  It is one of the best outdoor shows in New England with loads of fishing booths, free parking, easy access off Rt. 495 and one of the best seminar line-ups I have ever seen. I will be at the show on Saturday (Jan. 27) and Sunday (Jan. 28) doing carp fishing seminars at 11:00 AM each morning. I’ll also be at the show walking around and talking to people. For more information and the seminar schedule, go to this LINK.

Hope to see you there!

Photo of the Day...New Reels Get the Job Done; First Carp of the Year!

First carp of the year sits in the snow.  It was landed on
my new Okuma Avenger ABF 55 b (see previous post).

Upgrading my Okuma Avenger Baitrunner Reels

The Okuma Avenger ABF 55b baitrunner
reel is about the best buy for baitrunner
reels to fish for carp.  They are also very reliable.

I just received two of the new Okuma Avenger ABF 55b baitrunner reels.  I ordered these to upgrade my old Avengers that gave me about 10 years and thousands of carp worth of service. They are a very reliable baitrunner reel, and at about $50 to $60 dollars apiece they are about the best buy on the market these days in baitrunner reels to fish for carp.
The new Avengers look a bit different than the old silver ones. They actually look like a piece of jewelry with their silver bodies and their gold toned spools. Another upgrade is their handles with a large knob, something I really like in carp reels. The reels are also lighter than the old models with the new Avengers weighing in at 15.6 ounces. They also sport 19 lbs. of drag, impressive for a freshwater reel.
What always impressed me about these Okuma Avengers is their smooth operation and super smooth drags, a trademark of Okuma reels. And, they have been super reliable for me over the years as they have landed many carp as well as some very large fish.
So, I plan to spool these with 15 lb. test mono in the next couple of days and hopefully, I'll get a few carp in the coming week and really test out the reels!

First of the Big Shows....New England Fishing and Outdoor Expo

The new year starts the season of fishing shows for me. I've got a number of them booked in the next two months at both fishing clubs and big outdoor shows.  This year I will be running two new seminars. My saltwater seminar is called "Striper Trends". This show looks at the changing world of striper fishing here in southern New England. With the warming waters, the migrations have changed, the bait populations are moving and changing and the big bass haunts are changing.  This show will look at how fishermen can change with the times to be successful at this game.  My freshwater show is called "Carp Fishing Strategies for River and Lakes".  This show deals with strategies to successfully fish moving and still waters for some of the biggest freshwater fish imaginable right here in southern New England.
My first appearance at a big outdoor show will be the New England Fishing and Outdoor Expo at Boxborough, MA right off Rt. 495.  I will be there on both Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 27 and Jan. 28.  The times of those seminars are not set yet, so keep checking their website. This show has evolved over the years into a quality fishing show that focuses on freshwater fishing as well as saltwater fishing.  The show is loaded with loads of fishing vendors, top notch speakers, demonstrations and seminars. Attendance at this show has really increased in recent years due to its increasing popularity, quality attractions and free parking. I will be doing both my striper fishing seminar as well as the carp fishing seminar at this show. Hope to see you there!

2017....A Very Good Year for Carp Fishing

While I had big numbers of fish, I also had good numbers
of large carp in the 25 to 34 lb. range.

For me personally, 2017 was a very good year for carp fishing.  I had the numbers and I had the sizes, a rare combo.  In all, I landed 1,125 carp according to my logs. This makes 2017 my second best year numbers-wise that I ever experienced.
As for numbers, I had 564 mirror carp and 561 commons. Usually, I catch 3 mirrors to every common but not this year.  It was the first time ever that my common total and mirror total were nearly identical. I attribute this to the fact that the Blackstone River here in RI did not fish well for me this year for mirrors, so I went out in search of other places where common carp were more abundant. While on numbers, my biggest day of the year was on April 10th, a day that I landed 32 carp. My best month in terms of numbers was April, a month in which I landed 219 carp.

My most unusual fish this year was
a sturgeon.

It was also a year of big fish for me.  I had three carp over 30 lbs. I also had a good number of them in the 25 to 29 lb. range. Admittedly, I spent more time targeting big fish in the Connecticut River and the numbers of big fish landed reflects that.  My biggest CT River fish went 34 lbs. My best month for big fish was June.

I landed good numbers of fish this
year making it my second biggest year.

It was also a big year for unusual fish.  I landed my first ever sturgeon, my first ever fantail common,  my second every pike on a hair rigged bait, and more channel and white catfish than I have ever caught. Catching these unusual fish adds to the excitement of carp fishing.
So, with everything frozen up at this point, it is unlikely that I will see another carp in 2017, but nonetheless, this year will go down as a real good carp fishing year for me.

Photo of the Day...

In the Winter Mode

I landed this gorgeous common today using hair rigged
sweetcorn.  Not bad for Dec. 20!

Most people know that I fish year round for carp here in southern New England. With a lot of the small ponds iced or semi-iced over, I am now in my winter fishing mode. I am fishing either moving water or larger ponds and lakes that are free of ice. I'm also using my winter techniques.
Many people think that carp go dormant in the winter. Not so.  I've always found that they are still actively moving around, albeit slowly, in the winter in the moving waters of streams and rivers.  They are less active under the ice of a pond. Problem in the winter is that they often are not in a feeding mood.  I've watched in frustration while fishing in small streams as carp would move right over my bait without even looking at it.  Yet, at other times, they will scoop up anything on the bottom.  You have to catch it just right to have a good day in the dead of winter.
Winter techniques also come into play. The key is to go light...light sinkers, light line, small hooks, small baits, small method and short hooklink. Carp are not voracious feeders in winter and usually a kernel or two of sweet corn on a short hair rig off a #8 or #10 hook is as good a bait as any. Watch your rod tip also as the hits will be subtle bounces rather than screaming runs.
I was out today testing the waters in various locations.  Yes, the right spot makes a big difference and the hotspots can change in winter just like they do during the year.  I managed to get a few good fish today using my winter techniques. One common, about a 15 lber., was the highlight of my day. Not bad for a December outing in which the temperatures remain in the thirties!