A Terrific March Outing

It was cold, windy and rainy here in RI today. It was my kind of carp fishing weather. I went to one of my favorite early season spots, a shallow water pond that has a tendency to produce within the first two weeks of ice out. I ended up having one of the very best early spring outings that I ever had!

Within a half hour of baiting up the spot and baiting my hooks, I had my first runner. The fish turned out to be a big (by RI standards) common of 20 lbs. I set up my tripod and camera to take a timed shot, and as the camera was clicking, the second alarm went off.....22 lber.! This continued pretty much the whole time I was there, and I ended up landing 12 carp with 4 of them going over 20 lbs! All the years I had been fishing this spot I have only taken a grand total of 3 twenty pound fish. It was a phenomenal day.

Early spring techniques were in play, and I think that made a big difference. I was using Big Bob's Strawberry Maize sandwiched between two kernels of sweet corn on the hair rig (see photo at right) with small hooks (size #8). I was also using Ace Hooklink, terrific stuff when it comes to hooking capabilities. I was also using a small oatmeal method ball flavored with molasses that was packed around a half ounce egg sinker. It was all delicate presentation stuff and that makes a big difference in early spring!

Making Hair Rigs (option2)

This is the way most carp fishermen make thier own hair rigs. It is called knotless knot. I will be using 50 lb. test braid to do it but many fishermen also use hooklink material. Cut a piece of line about a foot long. Begin by making a small loop with an overhand knot at one end and trim the excess. Pass the unknotted end of the line down through the eye of the hook. Adjust the size of the hair you want and hold in one spot. Next, start wrapping back (wrap on the side of the eye that is solid and not open). You want to wrap about 6-10 turns, depending on how far back you want to go. When finished with the wraps, pass the end of the line down through the eye of the hook. Tie a swivel at the end of your line and you are ready to go. Most of these leaders measure 3-5 inches long when completed. Note that some fishermen add shrink tubing to the shank of the hook to hold everything neatly in place. And, you do not need a fly tying vice to do this.

Making Hair Rigs (option 1)

The way I make a hair rig is to do it on a fly tying vice. I use heavy duty nylon thread, although you can use braided line also. Form a loop and hold it against the hook. Then tie along the hook, burying the line. You may want to pull your end line to adjust the size of the loop that forms the hair. I then tie off with a whip finish. Check out my video for a closer look!

Bite Alarms

Most serious carp fishermen use bite alarms and consider these devices essential in their arsenal of equipment. Alarms are basically sensors onto which your line rests. With your baitrunner reel in freespool, the alarm will sound as well as light up when a fish picks up your bait or runs with it.

If you go to http://www.wackerbaits.com/ or http://www.bigcarptackle.com/ , you will see there are lots of choices and prices for electronic bite alarms. You’ll pay more for alarms with higher sensitivity , tonal adjustments, and wireless remote capabilities, but rest assured the low priced alarms that sell for $25-$45 are very adequate and will do the job. I’ve used the same inexpensive Fox alarms for the last 5 years and they still run great. I also use the pricey Delkims and I admit that these are the Cadillacs of alarms and I love them. In addition, an alarm also has a light that goes on when a hit is detected. This is a must if plan to fish at night.

Note that your alarm must be mounted onto a holder. One way to do this is to purchase a rod pod. This is basically a rack onto which the alarm is screwed in place on buzz bars. Most rod pods can hold up to three alarms. The other option is to use banksticks to hold your alarm. These are adjustable thin, short metal poles onto which the alarm is threaded at one end.

Rod Pods or Banksticks

If you own bite alarms, you know these devices must be matched with some type of holder. There are basically two choices out there.....either banksticks or rod pods.

Banksticks are metal sticks that have a threaded top on which the bite alarm is screwed. The bankstick is adjustable and can telescope to about twice its length. They are pushed into a soft bank and are quite solid and versatile rod holders. Some fishermen will also use an additional bankstick at the butt end of their rod to make the rod sit in a horizontal position. They sell a butt holder that can screw into this back bankstick. I find banksticks to be especially useful on steep banks. They also transport well. You can purchase a quality bankstick for about 10-20 dollars at most online carp tackle dealers.

Rod pods are basically a two rod holding rack on which your rods sit in a horizontal position. These pods usually have "buzz bars" on which to screw your alarms. Butt rests screw onto the back buzz bars. Expensive pods have fully adjustable legs to deal with uneven banks. Some can even be adjusted in length to deal with rods of different lengths. I find pods to be very convenient to use, though some have to be setup ahead of time on the bank. I love my Fox Horizon Pod (see photo) that I purchased last year and would recommend it highly. Realize that quality rod pods are expensive items, generally selling for well over $100. Many inexpensive pods tend to be light and tippy.

If you are looking to purchase a pod or some banksticks for this year's fishing, check out the deals at Wacker Bait or Big Carp Tackle. Prices have dropped and are at their lowest in a long time!

Carp Rods.....How Long????

What is the ideal length of a "carp rod"?

True carp rods come from Europe. They are long wands labeled by test curves. A test curve is usually determined by the weight in pounds needed to pull the rod top down 90 degress from a horizontal position. Most carp anglers who use these rods are using either a 2.75 or 3.0 lb. test curve. European rods are also long, measuring 11-12 feet.

So, should you purchase a "real" carp rod? It depends on where you fish. I own a pair of DAM Green Crosspower carp rods (2.75 lb. test curve) and I use them about a third of the time I fish in RI waters. I especially like the fact that they can cast large sinkers (3oz.) loaded with method, and they offer great leverage when fighting a large carp. However, they are long and cumbersome, and you need casting room to haul them out. Tight spots with trees and bushes are not great places to use these rods. They are made for open river banks, beaches and cleared spots. They are also overkill when fishing for small carp under 6 lbs. Note that these are standard setups on most of the big carp waters in the US.

I use a pair of "non carp" rods about 50% of the time here in RI. These are 8 ft. St. Croix Triumph rods made for saltwater casting. They work well in all types of locations and they can cast those 3 oz. sinkers along with smaller weights. They work well with all sizes of fish and go real well with my Shimano Baitrunner 3500's. They are not true carp rods, but they are very versatile and have caught me some very large fish.

Finally, I have yet another pair of outfits that I use. These are short, 7 foot, heavy duty rods. They work well in wooded spots, places I call jungle spots. They are also ideal to freeline in tight spots. I often like to freeline doughballs, corn and mulberries in certain places where carp may be fussy. I might use these rods about 10-15% of the time.

So, just like in any other fishing, there is NO ideal rod. It just depends on where you fish, how you want to fish and what you expect to catch!

If you are looking to purchase a European carp rod for the upcoming season, check out the deals at Wacker Baits or Big Carp Tackle. Cabelas even offers their popular 11 foot, 2.25 European Predator rod at a very reasonable price.

Memorable December Carp Fishing Day

Dec. 11, 2008- It's a miserable day here in RI. Wind is howling, temperatures are in the 30's and it is raining on and off. I'm determined to go carp fishing, and I'm excited about the prospect of good fishing.

Just two days ago, most of the small ponds in the state were covered with ice. However, a big warm-up hit yesterday with balmy highs in the sixties that liquified the ice. I went carp fishing yesterday and blanked. In the past this was a common occurence that I attribute to the carp not used to an abrupt change in water conditions. It was always better a day or two after the ice left.

The small and shallow pond I am fishing is in East Greenwich. This place has a track record of producing in the dead of winter. I am using sweetcorn on short hair rigs, short hooklengths and small oatmeal method balls packed around a mall egg sinker. Small and lean are always better for finicky and sluggish winter carp. I casted out my first outfit and mounted it on a bite alarm. I am not even able to bait up the second outfit when the alarm screams off. I grabbed the rod and soon a five pound common was on the shore. The rest of the afternoon follows the same frantic pattern that is more like a Chinese fire drill. One alarm goes off, land a fish, another alarm goes off. Sometimes both rods are banging at the same time. It is terrific action, like I'm fishing the post spawn in June rather than the doldrums of December. My day ends two and a half hours later with ten carp landed, two on and lost, and at least another five runners that I missed. There were no monsters as most of the fished weigh 3-6 lbs., but they were some of the scrappiest winter carp I have ever caught.

Dec. 11, 2008- a miserable weather day, but it turns out to be a memorable carp fishing day.