Saturday, January 7, 2012

A Real Challenge....Catching a Carp in January

Yes, I am still carp fishing, and I am still catching.  Realize almost no one fishes for carp in January and February here in RI.  There's good reason for that.  Carp are difficult to catch in cold water.  When the water temperatures drop into the mid and low thirties as they have this week, the carp get difficult to catch since they go into a sort of semi hibernation.  BUT, realize they can still be caught with some modification to your technique.
I'm on a roll, catching a carp or more every month in the last 2 years.  Here are some of my observations of what has worked at this time.  For bait, use sweet corn or small doughballs. Go light with the bait using only a couple of pieces of sweet corn with no method  ball. Use the smallest sinker that will hold bottom. Go small with the hook ( #8 is ideal).  Once ice forms on ponds, get into moving river waters that don't freeze.  Carp will tap lightly in the cold and rarely will you get a screaming run.  Pick up the rod and pull back on tapping rods.  I like to use a rod pod in winter since I can't sink a bankstick in frozen ground.
I got out fishing yesterday and landed 3 carp (2 mirrors and a common) in a spot that had ice along the shore (see pic).  Yes, they can be caught in the dead of winter!

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