Photo of the Day- "Good Size Summer Carp"

 

I landed this 20 lb. carp this morning. Yes, large carp
can be caught in the dead of summer.  Cooler times of the
day like morning, evening and after dark are best on
hot summer days.

Dropping Water Temps Perk up Fishing

 

Here's a carp in the net that I landed today.
Fishing has perked up in the cooler water.

When I walked in the water today in my waders, I felt that the water was noticeably cooler. That northeast wind, cold temperatures and rain in the last few days was responsible for dropping the water temperature. It was just enough to perk up the carp fishing, which had been poor in the heat wave.

Today I found good numbers of actively feeding fish, something I haven't seen in the last two weeks. I landed 6 carp today in a few hours of trying. These fish ranged from small five pounders up to fish in the 20's.  All the fish were landed on a combo bait of a kernel of maize and a white artificial corn fished on a hair rig.

I also noticed the turtles were not active today maybe due to the cooler water. They have been real pests in the last couple of weeks in the hot weather.

Results- RI CAG SPRING BIG 3

Evan- silver medal

 

Dave- gold medal

We recently completed our Spring Big 3 Tournament. This event began back in April and finished at the end of June. The members who chose to take part entered their biggest carp by weight for the months of April, May and June.  The final point total was the weights added up.  The first, second and third place finishers will get medals donated by CAG.  Here are the results below for each month and the totals.

1. Dave- 25/14 + 33+ 31/4 = 90/2

2. Evan- 23 + 25/4 + 26/12 = 75/0

3. Tom- 23/5 + 19/9 + 22/9 = 65/7

4. Brian- 16/12 + 17/8 + 14/9 =48/13

5. Scott- 0 + 26/2 + 20/4 = 46/6

Tom- bronze medal

Highlight of the Day- A Ghost Carp

 

A ghost carp comes to the net. Notice the dark 
and light blotches all over this fish.

Yesterday I landed my first ghost carp of the year.  A ghost carp is usually a common carp that has very light, whitish, ghostlike pigments in its scales.  When coming to the net, they almost look like a small white sheet at the end of your line.

The one I landed yesterday was about 15 lbs. and had a lot of white blotchy spots on its head and along its sides. I caught it on a combo bait of maize and a white artificial corn fished on a hair rig.

While rare, I usually will  get one or two "ghosties" a year.

RI CAGers Score in National Big 4 Tournament

Evan Aziz- 15th place-
102 lbs., 14 oz.

 CAG just completed one of their signature tournaments, the Spring Big 4.  In this event more than 50 top notch carp fishermen, all CAG members, from all over the country squared off in this three month event.  The idea was to enter their 4 biggest carp by weight and that was their total. This year produced some of the biggest catches ever entered with some of the top guys averaging over 40 lbs. a carp.

We had great representation from RI.  Two of our members, myself and Evan Aziz, scored in the top 15.  The top 15 are the prize categories in which gift certificates were awarded.

Evan came in 15th place and won a gift certificate to Bottom Feeder Baits. He landed carp weighing 26/12, 25/4, 25/2 and 24/12 for a total of 102/14.  It's amazing that Evan has been only fishing a few years but already is posting numbers like a seasoned veteran. 

I came in 8th place and won a gift certificate to Big Carp Tackle. I landed carp weighing 33, 31/4, 31/2 and 27/2 for a total of 122/8. Fortunately, I landed a carp of 31 lbs. on the last day of the tournament and that moved me from 10th to 8th place. Every year I enter this event, and every year I am shooting for a top 10 finish.

Note that all of my carp and Evan's fish were all caught in RI waters. Yes, we have some big carp here in RI!

Dave Pickering- 8th place- 122 lbs., 8 oz.

Carp Fishing Slows in the Heat

 

Carp fishing has slowed in the recent heat wave.
But, they can still be caught by targeting the 
coolest times of the day.

I just wrote a post about how striper fishing slows in the heat.  Well, the same can be applied to carp fishing. In the last week since this latest heat wave arrived the carp fishing has slowed considerably.  In addition, the best fishing has occurred in early morning and late evening, the coolest parts of the day.

Carp are naturally creatures of comfort.  On these searing hot days, they might be found in the shade of overhanging trees.  They might venture out into deeper and cooler water. I've also seen some this week hanging out under lily pads.  The pads are like beach umbrellas to carp.  So, consider all these examples when deciding where to prebait and where to toss your lines.

They are still hitting but you might have to work a little harder to catch them.  You might also need to be more clever in your approach.

May Results for RI CAG Spring Big 3 Tournament

 

Scott checks in with a hefty 26 lb., 2 oz. common.

The May results are in for our Spring Big 3 tournament.  Once again, some very good size fish were entered. The results below show the April and May results with the totals.  We have one more month, June, to go to determine the winners. Note that all these fish were caught in RI waters.

Dave- 25/14 + 33/0 = 58/14

Evan- 23/0 + 25/4 = 48/4

Tom- 23/5 + 19/9 = 42/14

Brian- 16/12 + 17/8 = 34/4

Scott- 0 + 26/2 = 26/2

Evan landed this 25 lb., 4 oz. carp for his May entry

Photo of the Week....."Now, that's a HOG!"

 

An unnamed member of the RI CAG holds a hog
of a carp that was landed in the Lady Ginger
Carp Fishing Tournament on the CT River this
weekend.  A good number of RI carpers are fishing
this three night/four day event.

Action Slows with the Spawn

The alarms have been silent for several
outings as the carp spawn.  Rarely
do they feed when spawning.

 This warm weather has set off the spawn.  When carp are spawning, they have little interest in feeding. I saw carp spawning in multiple places this week.  When they spawn, you will see groups of them following one another and thrashing in the shallows. I haven't landed a carp, or even gotten a hit, in the last three outings.

It's interesting to note that carp spawn at different times in different spots.  This usually happens when the water turns 65 degrees. So, in a shallow lake that warms up quickly, they are likely to spawn earlier than in a deep lake which is cold.

With cooler weather forecasted for the next week, I am hoping the fishing returns
to normal.  Sometimes the carp can really go on a feed post spawn.  I hope it turns out that way.

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.

Ice Fishing Remains Hot

 

I landed this good size crappie today.  We landed a
a number of different species of fish as this ice
fishing has been hot lately.

With carp fishing remaining shut down in this cold due to icing, I've turned to jigging for multi species of fish. The weather has been cold, really cold, but the ice fishing remains hot.  I've gotten out several times in the last week jigging several different ponds, and I've gotten good numbers of fish.  It's been a lot of variety with perch, pickerel, crappie, largemouth bass and bluegills all hitting. 

Today I got out on the ice with my son Ben. I was amazed that there was almost 10 inches of ice in the pond we fished.  For the most part, we were jigging small Kastmasters tipped with Berkley Gulp maggots. That seemed to do the trick, but the biggest fish caught today actually hit a Kastmaster with a plastic maggot.

My son, Jon, hit a first yesterday as he jigged up a pike, the first we ever caught while jigging. It was a small one, about 3 to 4 lbs. A day earlier he got a bigger one on a tilt. He's been scouting around in a number of places and doing quite well jigging after his work day is done.

Carp Fishing Shut Down, But Other Opportunities Exist!

 

Here's a nice size largemouth bass that I jigged
up today on a small Kastmeaster tipped with
a fake, plastic meal worm

With carp fishing in a deep freeze, I have turned my attention to ice fishing, specifically ice jigging for multi- species.

With all these cold temperatures we've been having lately the ice is thickening all across southern New England.  I got out in the last couple of days and found safe ice in northern RI and nearby MA. The ice seems to be running a solid 3 to 6 inches thick with higher amounts the further north you explore.

Today I got out with my two youngest sons, Ben and Jon.  Jon is an avid ice fisherman and fishes extensively in the three state area of RI, MA and NH. He's already been steadily hitting the ice for the last couple of weeks, mostly in NH. Ben is on "maturnity" leave and has some time on his hands. He also lives on lakeside property along a very productive shoreline so that makes things easy.

We mostly jig when we ice fish and that usually leads to a lot of fish and a lot of variety.  Today we landed perch, pickerel, largemouth bass and yellow perch in good numbers.  Ben and I were jigging small, 1/12 oz. Kastmasters tipped with fake, plastic meal worms.  Jon, who landed the most fish, was using a 1/12 oz. grub jig. We cut a lot of holes looking for fish using my power auger, a real valuable tool when ice jigging. It's a trial and error game and we hit the jackpot after about a half hour of fishing.

Jon landed this good size pickerel on a grub jig.

If you are looking for some wintertime action, think about jigging freshwater ponds in southern New England.  If you are fishing in RI, CT, or NH, you will need a new 2026 freshwater fishing license.  In RI, your old 2025 license is good until the end of Feb.