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.

Cold Water Tactics

I was out carp fishing today with Jeff Allard, another RI CAG member. We fished one of the small ponds at Roger Williams Park, one of my favorite late season/early season spots. Just days ago this place was covered in ice so the water was cold, 40 degreess according to my water thermometer. However, there were still fish to be had as evidenced by the picture that goes with this article.

Carp still do hit in cold water but realize that their metabolism slows down greatly as the water temperatures drop. There will be fewer hits, and when you do get hits there will be lots of bangs on the rod tip with few screaming runs as the fish tend to nonagressively play with the bait. If you hook a fish, expect the fight to be a sluggish battle. So, things do slow down in the cold, but they don't stop.

Here are just a few tips that may lead to some success with cold water carpin. Go small with the bait. If you use method balls, go small. Possibly go with only one or two kernels of corn on the hair rig if you fish with boiled field corn, or you might even try going with small and tender sweet corn kernels. Go back to doughballs. While bluegills and horned pout picked it apart a month ago, these pests are dormant right now. Try to find places where people are feeding bread to ducks. Carp just love doughballs; it truly is the universal carp bait. Try to fish the warmest part of the day. Noon to dusk is prime time now, especially on a sunny day. I also like to fish small, shallow ponds or shallow areas in big ponds like an shallow underwater sandbar. These places tend to warm up faster and the carp are seeking the warmest waters at this time. Carp also tend to pack up in the cold, so look for spots that have a track record of giving up decent numbers of fish at this time.

Overall, expect to catch fewer carp at this time, but still expect to catch some.

Chick Peas

Chick peas are a great corn substitute. We all know the ridiculous “Corn prohibited in trout waters” rule in effect here in RI. Note that we are the only state in the union that bans corn in trout waters. Since the state stocks trout in many of our prime carp waters, you will need to use a substitute bait. Try chick peas or garbanzo beans (same thing). I’ve taken many carp this year over 20 lbs. while using this effective bait. See photo.

You should purchase them dry in a supermarket like Stop and Shop. You can purchase them in cans, but canned peas tend to be too soft to use. You can prepare dry chick peas for fishing in two ways. First, put them in a pan of water overnight. They will swell and are ready to use the next morning. Here is another way to do it. Boil water in a pan. Then, I dump in dry chick peas. Let them boil for 20 minutes, and they are done and ready to be used.

I like to put two of them on a hair rigged hook (see photo). Note that the hair on the hook may have to extend a bit longer than you would have it with corn. I have a few extra long haired rigged hooks just to use with chick peas.

Carp Care

The most serious carp fishermen go to great lengths and expense to protect their fish. Here are a few ideas that carp fishermen use to ensure the safe release and health of the fish.
Treble hooks are out! Trebles can be very damaging to the fish. In addition, if a fish breaks off, it is possible that a treble could impale the fish’s upper and lower lip, thus locking its jaw shut. This would cause the fish to slowly starve to death. Sharp hair rigged hooks are just as effective as trebles and far less damaging to the carp.
Many fishermen use special carp nets with a fine mesh. Large Euro-style nets are sold at many online carp stores (suggest Wacker Baits). These expensive nets have a fine and soft netting that protects the fish’s scales. Normal bass nets have a harsh nylon netting which can cause damage to scales though those nets are a inexpensive and better than no net at all.
Many serious carp fishermen use unhooking mats. These are soft mats that have a nylon-type slippery surface. Once the fish is brought ashore, it is placed on this mat to be unhooked. I have one and find that they are especially useful to use on hard banks and surfaces with rocks and gravel. In many cases, I usually just keep the carp in the net and unhook it in the water, avoiding contact with the bank and making the unhooking mat unnecessary.
Never stick a weighing hook from a digital scale in the gill plate of a carp like you would with a largemouth bass. Carp gills are super sensitive and tear easily (which will cause death). If you want to weigh a big fish, you can do it safely in one of two ways. Keep it in the net and hook the net, lifting both the net and the fish with the scale. Another way to do it is to use a weigh sling. These inexpensive slings look like a sack with handles. The fish is placed in the sack and the scale hook is placed around the handle for weighing (see photo). Wacker sells these also.
The CAG is serious about promoting carp safety. The above procedures ensure a healthy release meaning the fish lives to fight again.

Big Week for RI Carpers

Just as I have predicted in the past this has been a big week for members of the RI Carp Anglers Group. There have been some very large fish taken and the good sized carp have been numerous. They are hitting in various parts of the state with the fall action peaking in many locations. The recent rains and cool nights have set off a feeding spree with these carp as they sense the approach of winter.

I fished the last three nights after dark at Lake Tiogue in Coventry. In that time period, I landed 9 big commons from 14-18 lbs., very good sized carp in RI waters. Jeff Allard, our newest CAG member, accompanied me a few nights ago and he landed his first RI 20 lb. carp, a big achievement for a first year carp fisherman here in RI. Last week, I also hit the Blackstone River (prior to the flooding rains) and I was able to catch several mirrors in the mid teens, very good sized fish for this species. In addition, Steve Mc Kenna, another new CAG member has been fishing Twin Rivers in North Providence in the daytime. Steve landed a bunch of fish in the past week that went from low teens to 20 lbs. In fact, he landed a pb (personal best) 20 lber. from this spot. This is another big accomplishment for a first year carp fisherman.

Judging from past years, this type of action should continue for the next couple of weeks in the above locations. But, it will not end. As fall moves on, the fish will seek the shallows on warm days and continue feeding right until the ice arrives. Last year I caught my last 20 lb. fish on Dec. 1. The next day I went back to the same spot and it was covered in ice! In past years, I have caught carp in open water every single month of the year.