April Results for RI CAG Big 3 Tournament

Tom Perron had the
biggest mirror at
23 lbs., 5 oz.

 

Biggest fish so far is this 25 lb., 14 oz.
common.

The first leg of our Spring Big 3 tournament has ended.  Our members entered their biggest fish for April. We now move onto May and June.  I will say it has been a tough April with all this cold weather, especially at night.  The big ones have been hard to get, and some of our members have even been shut out in April. Still, some nice fish were caught. So, here are the results below:

1. Dave- 25 lbs., 14 oz.

2. Tom- 23 lbs., 5 oz.

3. Evan- 23 lbs., 4 oz.

4. Brian- 16 lbs., 12 oz.

It Was Going Great Until........

 

I've had some excellent carp fishing
in April when the weather was warm.
When the cold returned, it all went
downhill.

April was going great for me until the cold snap hit several days ago.  I was rolling with 60 carp in the first 18 days of April.  While the fish were generally in the 5 to 10 lb. range, I also had a few brutes in the high teens and even twenties.  That warm spell that we had with temperatures in the 80's really had them active with lots of fish jumping and feeding. It was like a spring coming out party.

Then, it all came crashing down.  The weather of the last couple of days went back to winter, especially at night. Those cold nights around freezing sent the carp back into hibernation.  I've caught one 10 lber. in the last two days.  I put in a good amount of time today and got skunked.  I did not even see a single jump in a place where I've seen a lot this month.

But, hey, that's April carp fishing in RI.  It's an up and down affair.  It will get better when the weather warms.  Just have to wait.

A Little Warm Weather Perks it Up

 

I landed this mirror carp yesterday. The bite has 
really picked up with this warmer weather.

Warming temperatures in the last couple of days have really perked up the carp fishing. Maybe spring has finally arrived.  For instance I got out today and picked up very good numbers of commons and one mirror from 5 to 10 lbs. Not real big but lots of action.  Also some of our other RI CAG members report getting out and getting their first decent carp of the year. So, it's all trending in the right direction.

With a big warm-up coming in the next week, I'm guessing the carp fishing will get even better. I'm also hoping the real big ones will start hitting since I have yet to break 25 lbs. in 2026, but I'm guessing that is coming soon. If you have the time to get out and fish for carp, now is the time.

Ups and Downs of April

 

I landed this common a few days ago.  Typical of
April carp fishing, it has been inconsistent.

We are only in the beginning of April but it's already showing its cards.  The month is all over the place weather- wise and that tends to mirror the fishing. Warm one day, cold the next, rainy, sunny, snowing, windy one day, calm the next. This changeable weather really affects the carp fishing, and it's hard to find any consistency.

In the last week, I have had some good days, but I've also had some complete blanks.  I've been fishing multiple spots but they have all fished the same- INCONSISTENT.  And, the weather hasn't mattered.  I had one day of hot fishing, banking 9 fish in a few hours, when the temperature struggled to hit 40 degrees.  A few days later, I hit a beautiful day when the temperature flirted with 70 degrees, and I came up empty. Admittedly, any day I had rain, whether warm or cold, the fishing has been decent.  Rainy days always tend to be best for carp fishing at any time of the year.

So, with little to no consistency in April, you have to just get out and try.  Some days you are rewarded, some days are bummers. That's April carp fishing! 

Two Big CAG Tournaments Underway

Winners in the RI CAG Spring Big 3 
tournament will receive medals donated by CAG.

 It's spring and that means two big tournaments are underway for CAG members. Here's a summary:

RI CAG Spring Big 3- This is strictly a RI tournament for CAG members.  You must enter your biggest carp (by weight) for the month of April, your biggest for May and your biggest for June. All fish entered must be caught in RI waters.  Add up the weights and that's the total.  Medals donated by CAG will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places.  In the past, this tournament has been very competitive as we have mostly experienced carpers in the club, and any one of them could win this!

CAG Spring Big 4-  This is a national event open to all CAG members in all the states.  You can fish anywhere in the US! You must enter your 4 biggest carp for the time period from March 15 to June 15. There are a lot of heavy hitters in this one, and it's very difficult to score in the top 10 (prize categories). There's well over a thousand dollars in gift certificates to the winners. In the past we have had many RI CAGers who have scored in the top 10 so our RI carpers are very competitive in this event.

 I got on the CAG Spring Big 4 leaderboard yesterday with
this beautiful common carp that weight 23 lbs., 4 oz.

Finally, the Carp are Hitting!

 

This 18 lber., landed today, is about
to be released from the net. Finally,
the carp are starting to hit!

In the last week, I have landed 4 carp here in RI.  I got three of those in today's 70 degree weather. While the water is still freezing cold to the touch, that little shot of warm air in the last couple of days has gotten the carp moving into the shallows and feeding.  I also landed one horned pout, a sure sign that spring is here.  I also saw a large sun turtle sunning itself on a log, another sure sign that spring is here.

I got all today's fish on a combo bait of maize and a white pop-up plastic corn on the hair rig, the same general rig I always use.  I did try method mix but that seemed to elicit almost instant bangs, a sure sign that catfish and horned pout are hitting the method.  Without method, the cats seem to leave the bait alone.

This is the start of it- FINALLY.  It's been a long winter. I've put away the skis and I'm ready for carp and stripers. April is the month when everything comes alive!

This is the rig that does the trick.  A kernel of maize
and a white, pop up artificial corn on the hair rig.

Off to a Poor Start

 The ice has been off most of the ponds and lakes here in RI for a couple of weeks now, but NOTHING is going on. I have tried carp fishing multiple times in multiple places with no success. I prebaited these spots before fishing but that did not help.  I saw no indication that any fish were active- no jumps, no bubble trails, no fish visible near shore. I know other RI CAG guys who have been trying with no success.

So far the alarms have been silent as we are off
to a poor start this year.

While we have had some warm weather, it has been brief.  I suspect the cold nights are throwing a monkey wrench into the early fishing.  In addition, there's been a lot of rain that has caused rivers to flood making river fishing impossible. Water levels in ponds and lakes are also high.

So, it's a matter of waiting for an extended warm spell to get the action moving. It's only March whcih can often be a fickle month when it comes to carp fishing- some years good, some years poor.  It's been poor so far.

Note: if you plan to get out carp fishing, you will need a new 2026 RI freshwater fishing license.  Trout stocked waters are also closed to any type of fishing until after Opening Day which is April 11.