Heat + Sun + Calm = No Good

 I fished in the tropical storm on Sunday, and caught good numbers of carp.  I also fished the next day in the wind and cloudiness and caught good numbers of carp. Then, I fished in the heat wave on Tuesday and Wednesday and did not even get a hit.

Experienced carpers know that carp turn on during those rainy, crappy and stormy periods.  That low pressure gives carp a sense of reckless abandon and the urge to feed.  I could see it on that tropical storm day as I saw some some big carp jumping through the waves and white caps and others were torpedoing out of the water. They were as charged up as the weather.

Over the years I have learned to fish nasty weather, and quite frankly, I like fishing in the storminess.  I have had some of my biggest days with some of my biggest fish on days of northeasters, tropical storms, downpours and hurricanes. And, I have had some of my poorest outings on tranquil days with sun and heat.

Tropical Storm Henri Delivers

A 25 lb. carp sits in the net in the water in
the pouring rain.  Tropical Storm Henri 
delivered good numbers of carp today.

 Yes, I did fish today in that wind and rain from Tropical Storm Henri. Like every other time in the past that I have fished in these stormy events, it was very good.  I fished in a location that I had been fishing on and off for the last three weeks.  In those three weeks, I have not gotten a carp over ten pounds.  Yet, I was barely in the spot a half hour when the alarm sounded, and I knew from the fight I was onto a good fish.  Turns out the fish weighed 25 lbs., really big by RI standards and the biggest fish I have landed in weeks. My day followed with 3 small ones and another decent fish that was just shy of 20 lbs. Indeed, the storm lit up the fishing. Again!

The conditions today were brutal.  At times the wind was probably gusting over 50 miles per hour and the trees in the distance were swaying and bending to the breaking point. The wind driven rain was coming down sideways in sheets.  As miserable as this was for the fisherman, the carp loved it.  I saw many big jumps in the white capped water, and I had many other bangs and hits (guessing after the method ball).

I was using a combo bait of maize and a white artificial pop-up corn along with a method ball packed around my sinker. I'm guessing a boilie would have also done the trick as the carp were aggressively on the feed in this charged up weather. 

500

Number 500 on the year.

 I landed my 500th carp of the year today. It was a good looking mirror that weighed about 8 lbs.  In past years, I have reached that 500 mark right around September 1st, so in that respect this number is about average.

What sets this year apart from others for me is the number of big fish I have been able to land. Already, I've logged in 5 fish over 30 lbs. here in RI. That is the most fish over 30 I have ever landed in a calendar year in RI, and with several more months to go, there is a good chance I will get a couple more.  In addition, I've landed big numbers of carp from 25 to 29 lbs., sizes considered very large for RI.  I credit a lot of stormy weather for that big fish success. It's amazing how these big fish come to life in crappy weather.

I do plan to get out and fish in this tropical storm/hurricane forecast for tomorrow. My success on these types of days has been incredible in recent years.

Cool and rainy Keep it Hot!

Here's the biggest carp of the day on Thursday
in those monsoon rains. The fish went 20 lbs.

 It's been a cool and rainy summer so far and that has kept the fishing hot for me.  I had one of the better Julys this year as I landed well over 100 carp.  Not only did I have big numbers, but I also had big fish with many  carp over the 20 lb. mark.  The crappy weather along with the hot action just continued into August. I got a rare  RI August 30 lber. about a week ago along with several more fish in the twenties.  Smaller carp have been abundant.

I fished Thursday in that monsoon rain.  Once again, crappy weather and hot fishing.  There were times when I would cast out and even before I could position the rod on the alarm, the line was screaming off.  They would pick up the bait almost immediately.  I ended that rainy day with 10 carp with the biggest going 20 lbs.

Here's a rare 30 lb. common being released
from the weigh sling. Fish this size are rare in
the dead of summer.

All of my fish in the past month have fallen for the combo bait of maize and a white pop-up on the hair rig.  I'm also packing a method ball around my sinker which has also attracted turtles, catfish and suckers at time.