Still Going

 

Here, in the weigh sling, is a big
common that I landed in the past week.

We've got this beautiful weather, and it has extended our carp fishing. In most years the cold weather is here by now and the fishing is headed downhill.  But, not this year. In the past week I have gotten out just about every day.  Last week I landed a good number of hefty commons. In the last couple of days I have targeted mirrors and I landed good numbers.

I will continue fishing for carp until the ice arrives.

Here are some suggestions to anyone fishing for carp in late November here in RI:

*Small bodies of water are far easier to fish since the fish have no where to go.  In larger bodies of water, the carp are heading out into deep water for the winter and they can be hard to find.

*Fish the warmest parts of the day.  Late afternoon until dark is the best time.  After dark can sometimes produce on a warm night.

* Go light on the bait.  I tend to fish just my bait on the hair rig without a method ball. I will prebait if I can but even that will be lighter amounts.

* Hits may not be screamers.  The carp's metabolism is slowing in the cold water and sometimes the hits will come as just bangs on the rod tip. Pick up the rod and pull if that happens.

*I tend to catch smaller fish overall in the cold weather. I've never landed a 30 lber. after Nov. 15. Not complaining, though, about 20's which I have caught.

*Dress warmly and good luck if you get out!

Here is a good size mirror coming to the net.
I landed this fish and others this afternoon.

Fall Combo Tournament Results So Far

 

Tom Perron entered
this hefty 34 1/2 inch
common.

We are 2/3 of the way through our RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament and the results are posted below. This tournament runs for three months from September to the end of November.  Members who entered post their biggest Common, their biggest Mirror and a Bonus fish (catfish, horned pout or sucker).  We measure everything in inches, add it up and that's the point total.

Here are the latest results:

Results- Common + Mirror + Bonus

Dave- 34 1/2 + 31 + 16 1/2= 82 points

Evan- 35 + 27 + 20 = 82 points

Tom- 34 1/2 + 31 + 15 = 80 1/2 points

Scott- 27 +30 + 0 = 57 points

Brian- 0 + 32 + 21 = 53 points

Check this out- A FANTAIL Common!

 

Brian Savage (right), one of our best carp fishermen in RI.
landed this fantail common recently while
fishing in the CT Open Carp Tournament.
This is Brian's PB fantail.
These fish can be found in the CT River but I 
have never seen one in RI waters.
Congrats to Brian on a terrific catch!

Warm Weather Heats Up the Fishing

 

One of several hogs landed in the past week
in this warm weather.

This warm spell of the past week had a big effect on the carp fishing here in RI. I've gotten some real bruisers in the warm-up. This frequently happens in mid to late fall.  The water temperatures will drop sending the carp into a non feeding funk.  Suddenly, we'll have a warmup which will elevate the temperatures slightly, and that sets the carp on a feed.

I am currently fishing in the national CAG Big 4 Tournament.  That event has sharpies from all over the country competing to catch their 4 biggest carp. My current score of 110 lbs. was bolstered by some big fish in the past week. So far, I've landed two 30's and two mid 20's in the tournament.  I've landed a bunch of 20's in the last week.  All of my fish have fallen for a combo bait of a kernel of maize and a white artificial pop-up.

Get in while it lasts because this fishing for big fish will end in a couple of weeks when the cold really sets in.

So Far, October Has Been a Struggle

Here's a good looking 18 lb. mirror that I landed
a few evenings ago. So far, October fishing 
has been a struggle with a fish here and there.

 I am coming off two real good months of carp fishing.  August was the very best August I have ever had with big numbers of carp as well as many big ones.  September was not quite as good but still good with lots of big fish and good numbers.  And, along comes October, and it all goes downhill.

This month has been a struggle.  I have fished just about every day in multiple venues.  I have managed to land exactly 8 carp so far in the month of October, very poor numbers for this time of year. My one highlight is that I did get a 30 lber., my seventh 30 of the year. But other than that, I haven't even banked a 20 lb. carp.

October can bring slow fishing.  I have seen it in the past.  There are big weather changes this month and the cooling water tends to have a chilling effect on the fishing. Carp sometimes do not adjust well to rapidly dropping water temperatures, and I think these 40 degree nights are responsible for the slow fishing. In the past I have done the best in mid to late fall on unusually warm days or days followed by warm nights.  A warm rain can also light up the fishing.

All About the PB

Evan, one of our newest members, landed this
PB common earlier in the month. It weighed 
19 lbs.

 PB, Personal Best. In carp fishing, that's what every carp fishermen strives for.  They are constantly out to beat their personal bests. For some, that might be a carp in the high teens.  For others, it might be a carp in the 20's,  a fish considered "big" here in RI.  And, for others it might be a mega fish in the 30's or even 40's (yes, they do exist around here).

We are currently running our Fall Combo Tournament. Many of our guys are out looking for a big common or a big mirror.  For two of our newcomers, they landed a couple of PBs while fishing in our tournament.  Evan landed a PB common which tipped the scales at 19 lbs. Scott, another newcomer, scored his PB mirror, a carp that weighed in at 19 lbs. also. Huge congrats on those PBs. I'm sure these guys are now out there looking for a PB of over 20 lbs.  Stick with it....it's coming.

Scott, another new member, landed this PB 
mirror that weighed 19 lbs.

When I first started, my goal was to get a 20 lber.  It took many years for that to happen, and for at least 10 years, my PB was stuck at 27 lbs. I looked long and hard for a 30.  Finally, the search was over when I landed a 36 lber. here in RI.  It took me ten years to find that one thirty, and the next year I had six of them over 30 lbs. You just seem to figure out how to do it. My next goal was a 40.  That took only a couple of years, and soon I had a 40 lb. PB mirror and a 40 lb. PB common. Those are my current PBs.  My next goal is to get a mid 40. Not easy to do, but possible. In fact, I might have had it on this spring, but the hook pulled right at the net (I hate when that happens!). But, rest assured, I am out there looking!

Fox Micron X Bite Alarms with Receivers

 Recently I purchased a new set of Fox X alarms. I've used Fox alarms in the past and find them to be very durable and high quality. These alarms came in a set of 2 along with a receiver (see link- https://www.bigcarptackle.com/bite-indication/fox/fox-micron-mx-bite-alarms.html ).

The alarms work great.  They have volume and tone control.  They also have the ability to change color with the push of a button.  The receiver is really neat. When turned on, it will sound when an alarm is going off.  It will show the specific color and tone to determine which alarm is going off.  Today I used the alarms with the receiver. I was fishing a peninsula and set up rods on opposite sides.  I could see one outfit but could not see the other.  So, I turned on the receiver and attached it around my neck. Suddenly, the receiver went off signaling a hit on the alarm I could not see.  I ran over, hooked the fish and soon a 20 lb. common was on the shore!

These engineering marvels are not cheap, but in my mind, well worth the money.  The two alarms along with the receiver were $219.  It also came in a sturdy hard case.