Thursday, October 28, 2010

Flavor of the Month: Pineapple

My hands are smelling pineapple a lot these days. That's because just about every bait I am using.....sweet corn, maize, chick peas and boilies all are flavored with pineapple because that flavor is working the best these days.
With the exception of boilies that I buy premade, I am doing most of my own flavoring. Sweet corn, in particular, has been very effective lately. Buy it from the can in a supermarket. The Green Giant brand is especially good. I will pick the largest kernels from a can and place them in a small container. Then, I will add my flavor. Here are some pineapple flavorings that work: dip or flavor bought from online carp stores, pineapple extract, pineapple Skyy vodka, and juice from a can of pineapple. Let the sweet corn soak overnight and you are ready to go.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

RI Carp Fishing Still Going



Most carp fishermen make the mistake of quitting too early. Fall fishing is a hit or miss deal, but the carp are still around and usually willing to hit until the ice arrives. In the past I have landed carp in open water in RI on every single month of the year, including January.


This week I encountered an uptick in the fishing. Oh, it's not April or May, but I still have managed to snare one or two fish an outing with decent sizes up to around ten pounds. I was out this morning in dead calm water and to my surprise, the carp were all over the surface lazily finning and picking at something. In one location, I saw a bunch that probably numbered 60 or 70 fish. However, they were not interested in hitting, but at least one fish (left and right photos) was grubbing along the bottom right in the spot I had baited up.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Back to Sweet Corn

Whenever things are slow, I revert back to using sweet corn. Fishing is slow right now, but has perked up considerably since I went back to using sweet corn in the last week. Sweet corn is a very effective bait, but the drawback has always been that it also attracts turtles, bluegills, horned pout, etc. that will pick you clean. With the cooling water, the pests seem to have become inactive, but the carp are still hitting.
I have had good success in the last week using any type of pineapple flavored sweet corn. I usually flavor my own by buying sweet corn from the supermarket, picking the largest kernels and then adding a pineapple dip or flavor that can be purchased from online bait stores (try K-1 baits). Pineapple Skyy vodka is also good. Flavored sweet corn was my most effective bait last fall and produced until the ice arrived.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Big Fish Alert


I've noticed an uptick in fishing for large carp this week. They are active and hitting after dark. I got two real hogs this week with both fish pushing into the low to mid twenties, quite large for carp here in RI. Take a look at the one I landed last night (at right). I've also gotten a few smaller ones. The large fish are now on a fall feed, eating as much as they can in anticipation of winter. Just may be the time for a PB (personal best). Get out and try while the weather is still bearable at night.

Fall Fishing: Nothing like Springtime

Air temperatures and water temperatures are about the same but that is where the comparison of spring and fall RI carp fishing ends.
Fall fishing is nowhere near as productive as spring. In the spring the fish awaken after a long winter and are really on the feed. They are aggressive. They are also in the prespawn mode, often bunching up in large groups. It all makes for some incredible action at times.
I find fall fish to be moody. Sometimes I will blank for days even though I may see a few fish jumping (but not feeding). Ponds that are so productive in the spring are often dead in the fall. It makes you wonder where the fish are. However, I have taken some of my biggest RI carp in the fall. Just the other night I had a low to mid twenty pounder that was fat as a hog. It was my largest fish in months from RI.
So, fall fishing is what it is. It's a slow time, but nevertheless, a time in which a real trophy can be caught. I plan to continue my RI carp fishing until the ice arrives.