2019 Q1 NACA

After a successful release of our yearly printed NACA we look forward now to a regular online version. Having been back at the helm for the last 6 months I’m back into the groove and after this current edition we’ll be releasing a Spring NACA in quick order. My goal is to get back to three or more online NACA’s each year, along with a special printed edition as well.

This edition see’s us encompass the end of 2018 and the start of 2019. As the winter in the northern states leads to cabin fever I hope everyone finds some relief while flicking through the articles.

We have a review of several CAG events, including the Fall Big 4, CCC, Discovery Month and the award of Champion of the Queen.

I always like to highlight these events as they are the lifeblood of CAG, where friendships are made, memories are collected and overall makes the American carp angling scene much stronger.

Fast forward to the upcoming events, including the New England Carp Conference and the ever popular ATC.

We also have some excellent articles with another feature from Ed Skillz, a quick hit winter special, and a review of last years’ CT Carp Championship. We also look back at the great Rod Hutchinson, who regrettably passed away last year, but who remains a massive influence on many generations of carp anglers.

Hope you all enjoy this edition and as always, if anyone would like to contribute; please send any communications or materials to naca@carpanglersgroup.com

Onto 2019 and we look at the FFF, which once again attracted great participation and a number of outstanding catches.

Dean Brookes Editor in Chief

There are plenty of good things happening within CAG. Over the past 12 months CAG membership has grown by almost 60% and along with the increased numbers on our Facebook page it highlights the continued growth and interest for carp fishing here in North America. In 2018 CAG celebrated the 25 years since it was formed and by now I hope each member has received a copy of the printed 25th Anniversary NACA along with the special limited edition pin. I’m truly proud and thankful to the many members who have served CAG and worked tirelessly over the years to help run events, fish-ins, produce the NACA and so on. Thank you all!

Sadly there is some less good news…

I’ve said many times that social media is often not social. We still see people on many social media sites being harassed, intimidated or ridiculed just because a photo, post or question they have posted does not pass the lofty expectations of a few judgmental individuals. CAG will not tolerate such behavior on our Facebook or Forum pages. Our moderators will block access to those who cannot treat others with the appropriate and necessary respect. An area that has caused some angst in recent months is the apparent misunderstanding by a few regarding the following part of the CAG Mission:

C) To treat the carp with respect, promote the release of trophy-size carp and encourage others to do the same

The wording was chosen with great care. It was written to help recognize the great traditions that embody North American anglers and hunters. Any fish species, especially one that is typically abundant, should be no exception to a limited harvest (within local regulations) that still protects trophy sized fish. Even among our most respected and top carp anglers (who may or may not be CAG members) there are those who’s culture or heritage is to harvest a small carp to celebrate key festive occasions. I certainly don’t see this as being ‘a conflict of interests’ but quite the opposite. CAG has always had an open-door policy to anyone wishing to learn more about carp fishing. This creates the ideal opportunity to help educate people further about the benefits of Catch & Release, safe & proper handling techniques, appropriate tackle choices and most importantly helping them discover why carp fishing is so much fun!

I would also point out, following years of discussion between myself (as CAG State Chair) and State Fisheries, that Connecticut recently became the ONLY state to introduce creel limits that specifically protect trophy sized carp. I would encourage everyone to become engaged in efforts to protect trophy fish of all species, especially those that are impacted by commercial or even recreational over-harvesting.

One again thank you to our all our CAG members (especially those who volunteer their time in some capacity). You are truly helping ensure the respect and protection for trophy carp here in North America!

The NACA magazine not only puts you in touch with dedicated carp anglers across North America but has readers worldwide.

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A 1/4 page advert starts from as little as $45 and includes a live link to your webpage or become a Business Supporter and get a Full Page advert in each NACA plus a web banner link on the CAG Website and Forums for only $300 / year. For more information simply click on this advert

Cag Carp Classic (CCC) 2018

2018’s CCC was held on the mighty Hudson River, located in New York. The Hudson river has a good stock of carp but being a tidal river the fishing can prove to be challenging and you’re never quite sure what will show up.

The CAG Carp Classic (CCC) returned to the Hudson River once again for 2018. Last years event produced some great fishing so it was with eager anticipation that 28 anglers had signed up in the hopes of becoming the next name to be engraved on the North American Champion Trophy (4 biggest fish), the recipient of the Carp King (Big Fish) belt buckle along with section wins and other awards.

Friday evening started with a social gathering at the Pegasus Restaurant and bar. The BBQ & Smoke truck provided some great food and everyone gathered outside to enjoy the warm evening sunshine.

CAG Founder Dr Michael Keyes came down to meet up with everyone and we were also joined by Nigel Griffin and Tony (Quid)

Blankley two other CAG founder members.

The draw took place at 7am, after breakfast at Chrissy’s diner, giving anglers just enough time to get to their assigned pegs for the 8am start.

As in the previous year the pegs were divided into three sections:

Section 1 (Pegs 1-12) were at Coxsackie Riverside Park, Section 2 (Pegs 13-22) at Dutchmans Landing and Section 3 (23-36) at Catskill Point.

Anglers knew that with an outgoing tide until the low at 2pm they would have to work fast to maximise their catching opportunities. It wasn’t long before we got reports of the first fish being caught… a nice mirror landed by Ed Wagner.

Sadly many struggled for bites with a few blanks here and there, however there were also some notable catches in each section.

Tim Lago and Chris Labucki each caught 7 fish in section one while Mark Reece landed 8 in Section 2 and Miguel Angelo a further 8 in Section 3.

Once fishing had finished everyone returned to the Pegasus Restaurant for a wonderful dinner that included Beef, Chicken and Scrod along with plenty of vegetables and mashed potatoes. After dinner came the CAG Plenary Meeting, CCC Awards Ceremony and a grand Raffle draw.

David and Zach from Big Carp Tackle made the long journey from Oklahoma to fish the CCC

Awards

The awards were consistent with the CCC tradition; being the following

The North American Champion trophy which is awarded to the angler with the four fish with the greatest total weight (big 4).

Each year the winner’s name is added to the incredible list of previous winners!

Additional trophies will be given to each section winner (big 4). In case of ties, see the rules in the previous post.

The North American Carp King is a Jeweled Belt Buckle that will be awarded to the angler catching the single heaviest carp.

Winners

In addition, we will have a special awards for the angler landing the First Fish, and for the angler catching the Biggest combined totalweight.

In the end Chris Labucki in Peg 12 swept the board with a convincing Total weight of 108lb 4 ounces for his 7 fish, a Big 4 weight of 70lb 3 ounces and a Big Fish of 22lb 10 ounces. Congratulations Chris on being this years North American Champion AND Carp King!

In Section 2 Mark Reece took the honors with 90lb 1 oz and in Section 3 Miguel Angelo with 105lb 7 oz.

North American Champion (Big 4), North American Carp King (Big Fish) & Overall Total Weight Winner got to choose from some first class prizes.

1. Shimano Tribal Spod Rod & Shimano 7000 Reel – Value $225.00

2. Shimano Tribal Spod Rod & DNA Bait Package – Value $225.00

3. A TF Gear Hardcore Bivvy – Value $225.00

While each section winner received a RidgeMonkey Modular Bucket

First Fish winner Ed Wagner received a set of Homer Simpson Hangers donated by Matt Lazlo

Chris with his trophy, presented by Barry Howard and Iain Sorrell

Ed Wagner with the first fish of the event, being a rare mirror carp

A huge thank you to Barry Howard for once again taking on the mammoth task of running this years CCC and to Ed Wagner for helping with the pegging and baiting up. And thank you to all the participants many of whom made significant journeys to fish this years CCC.

If you would like one of your local lakes or rivers to be considered as a future location please don’t hesitate to contact CAG either on the forum or email naca@carpanglersgroup.com and we will forward your information to the Board of Directors.

The Big 4 contest runs each year in the Spring and Fall and this Fall we saw an introduction of some new rules with the competition adding regional awards.

What is the Big 4?

The CAG Big 4 is a bi-yearly contest that takes place in the spring and fall of each year. Contestant’s log the fish they catch on the online leaderboard in the various categories

How do I enter?

Simply go to the CAG Store and pay the $10 entry fee.

If you are not a member, join CAG and join in on the fun.

*What are you waiting for? Get registered for the Big 4 today. All competition rules and Categories are as follows* JUST CLICK HERE!

2018 CAG BIG 4 Rules

2018 Fall Big 4 Competition has been extended and will run: Oct 1st through Nov 30th 2018

You must be a CAG Member to participate – Entry Fee: $10

Registration is open from Sep 10th until Midnight Oct 15th

PRIZES & AWARDS

- The Top Ten Big 4 Fish Captors -

will be awarded prizes based on the order of the total weight of Biggest 4 Fish submitted by a registered angler & caught from anywhere in North America.

1st - $300

2nd - $150

3rd - $100

4th - $75

5th - $50

6th thro’ 10th - $30 each

(amount based on retail value of prize or gift certificates)

- Additional Prizes will be awarded for the Biggest Common and Biggest Mirror -

- Regional Awards -

A Photo Plaque will be given to honor the Biggest 4 Fish winners from each of the 5 Regions shown below (anglers will be required to indicate the state in which those fish were caught). Regions I - IV shown below Plus Canada & Mexico Region V

Only Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) will count for Big 4 Total, Big Mirror & Big Common

- Anglers can fish any combination of legal waters anywhere in North America

- Anglers must register and manage their own catches and photos in our online leader board.

- Follow instructions posted under the leaderboard topic in this section.

- Any number of fish can be added, but only the biggest Four Fish will count.

All Submissions must include:

A Photo clearly showing the Angler, the Fish, the Scale used and the relevant Big Four Logo (see instructions shown below).

All submissions must be posted to the Leaderboard by no later than Nov 30th (11.59pm)

Fish must be caught on rod & line using legal methods and must be released safely

The Live Leaderboard will be displayed on the home page from Oct 1st through Nov 30th Fish caught BEFORE the date and time of your paid entry cannot be entered!

Corresponding stories in the forum are encouraged and will be linked to the leader board Catches logged at any other event will count, but all event requirements above must still be fulfilled

FISH SUBMISSIONS

Please make sure you are registered on the New CAG Leader-board.

You only have to register ONCE, if you’ve already registered (say for the ATC or CCC) then all you need to do is Log in and add the Big 4 event to your name.

In the event of any discrepancy or questions arising from the submission of a fish for the Big 4 the CAG BOD will review the entry and will make a determination on accepting or disallowing the entry.

Instructions on how to use the leader-board can be downloaded here:

Any questions, please e-mail Willem at BIG4@JOINCAG.COM

The Logo

The logo for the 2018 Fall Big 4 will be posted in a separate thread just before the the Big 4 start date.

You are required to submit 1 photo of each fish you catch along with it’s weight.

This photo MUST CLEARLY show the angler holding the fish, a printed 2018 FALL Big 4 logo, and your SCALE.

Remember, the star of these photos is you with your fish. Your photo may end up in a magazine! The logo and scale just need to be there somewhere to prove you have them. They can be anywhere in the photo as long as they are identifiable.

A good way to manage this is to tape the logo to your scale:

Alternative Options

The Big 4 Logo is only 3.75 x 2.75.” This is the size of many state/provincial fishing and hunting licenses. You can Also put your logo in a standard license holder from any tackle shop, and pin it on your clothes, or even your unhooking mat.

Competition Winners

CATCH PICTURES

Champion of the Queen

Every year the Carp Anglers Group votes on an award, which is described as ‘Champion of the Queen’. CAG Is solely run by volunteers, who pay their memberships the same as everyone else. Typically, this constitutes a small number of individuals who selflessly donate their time to the club.

The Champion of the Queen award recognizes those volunteers who go above and beyond the call and work tirelessly for the membership.

At the CCC 2018 Plenary meeting it was my privilege, as CAG President to award Barry Howard the Champion of the Queen Award for 2018.

Barry has been an exceptional volunteer and loyal and dedicated member of the Board of Directors for many years.

He excels in his capacity as Store Manager & Membership Director, He’s a First Class Organizer & Event Planner, He’s driven thousands of miles in support of CAG events, taken on & learned new computer skills, and has always remained calm even in a crisis.

Congratulations and thank you Barry!

Winter is coming…..is a well know phrase in the hit HBO show, Game of Thrones. Although that involves a fantasy world, the fact is that for anyone who lives in one of the Northern States of America, Winter comes EVERY YEAR!!

I’ve lived in the North East of America for over 15 years and in that time I’ve definitely experienced what a true winter really is. From around November or December each year we see the cold weather arrive in force, which brings cold winds, rain, lots of snow and sometimes artic conditions. This typically sticks around until late March, sometimes running into April. If you want to catch a ‘snow carp’ you have around 3-5 months each year to try this!

If you want a snow carP Come to New England in the winter

As an avid fisherman you have three options;

1) Pack away your fishing gear for 5 months

2) Go on vacation to warmer climes

3) Embrace the winter and find waters that are fishable

I’ve never been a fan of packing away my gear as my fishing time is limited anyway, so to throw away 5 months would be a waste. I do sometimes arrange winter vacations that also involve fishing and I’ll cover some of these in this article; however, for the most part I keep fishing, no matter what the weather throws at me.

Winter Essentials

Before I delve into my winter fishing there are a few things that you definitely need if you plan to brave the cold. Depending on the length of time you will be outdoors will really affect what you need to prepare for. As a general rule, whether you are on a short trip or a longer session you’ll want to make sure your clothing and foot ware is up to the job.

Layer Up - Wear several layers of clothing to trap the air and keep you warm. I wear a base layer of Under Armor, which comprises of a thermal long sleeved top and matching leggings/ tights. I then will add a second layer, with fleece lined pants and a fleece top. Finally, I’ll add a pair of salopettes and fleece lined waterproof jacket.

Extremities- Don’t forget the areas that lose heat the quickest!! Add a pair of thick woolen socks, possibly two pairs. A good neck gator, warm hat and gloves will complete the outfit. Remember, it’s always easier to remove layers than add them later as it’s a lot easier to cool down than warm up.

Foot ware: This will depend on the area you are fishing and if you’ll need to go into the water. I’ll either wear a good pair of hiking boots, a pair of Kamik’s (fleece lined boots) or neoprene wellington boots.

Extra’s- I’d also recommend keeping some extra clothing in your car as it’s not unusual to get wet. I’ve fell in the river a few times fishing in the winter, especially once snow is compacted and slippery. Hand and foot warmers are also a good idea.

Food and Drink – For shorter sessions a hot flask of coffee and tea is always welcome and on longer sessions I’ll take a stove so that I can also prepare hot food.

Longer Sessions – If you do plan on being on the bank for longer periods then I’d also suggest the following:

Bivvy or Shelter – A good shelter will keep the warmth in and the rain out.

Sleeping Bag – You’ll want a 4 season bag for extra warmth

Heater – You can purchase several versions of portable heaters, but make sure you get the ‘CO2 free’ versions and also make sure the area you are heating is ventilated. NEVER close the bivvy door and turn on a heater or stove, as there are lots of examples of anglers burning down their shelters!

Location is the Key

I’ve stated this in several articles as it really is my number one concern, but never more so than in the winter.

As the water temperatures drop and the fish start to slow down they become much more localized.

While there is somewhat of a misconception that carp will always be in deeper water in the winter, they will definitely seek out areas where the therma-clime is comfortable, usually close to a food source and often in areas where they can also access shallower water, which is quicker to heat up if the sun is out.

In New England our choices of winter venues are somewhat limited as once the temperatures drop most of the lakes and rivers will have 1-3 feet of ice covering them!

I typically target flowing water or will be looking for spots where warm water is entering, such as warm water discharges from factories. I have three or four areas, that I know are usually fishable and depending on the weather, this will determine where I chose to fish.

If you’re unsure of whether fish are in the area you are targeting, I’d suggest trickling bait into several spots and then fishing them in a rotation until you find the carp.

Once you do locate them, you’ll find that for the most part they will stay in the area for the whole of the winter and they will also be there from year to year.

As I just mentioned, I prefer to trickle in the bait to keep the carp active. If you make the mistake of over baiting you may find that the fish switch off completely as they really do not want to expend valuable energy digesting large amounts of food. A little and often approach usually keeps them searching around for food and you’re more likely to get bites.

Your choice of bait is also very important. While I have caught on boilies in the winter, I tend to use easily digestible particles.

Sweetcorn really cannot be beaten, as even if the carp do not eat it, lots of other species will. I also use pellets, chick peas and various other particles as well, but these are generally used as loose feed.

I will also use a ground bait mix, that is heavily favored to ingredients that breakdown quickly, such as liquidized bread, grits or deer feed. As an example, I’ll use a 50% base of liquidized bread, 20% grits, 20% deer feed or carp ground bait and a can of corn. To this I’ll add a can of creamed corn to bind and usually a flavored liquid of some description.

My set-up will depend on where I am fishing. For instance, if I’m on a bigger river system I may be using a typical Euro approach, but using higher attract hook-baits. For instance, I’ve fished many December sessions on the Seneca River, in upstate New York.

This river has fish ranging from an average of 15lb right through to 40lb so in this case I’ll use similar tackle that I would use in the Spring and Fall. One thing that does differ is my bait application.

One such session where this approach was successful was a few years back where I fished on Christmas Day. I started the session by feeding around 100-150 baits into the area I was targeting. However, rather than standard boilies I used a home-made soluble boilie that had a 2-3 hour breakdown time. This was to get a lot of food signals into the area, without necessarily over feeding the carp. Once the fish started to feed I then kept a consistent baiting approach after each fish caught; in this case putting in 20-30 mire baits each time.

I only fished for 24 hours but I managed nearly twenty carp with a cracking Christmas Day 30lb common that was my reward.

One thing that I really am fastidious about is my hook-baits. In the late fall and winter I want my hook-baits to really stand out, as in some cases I’ll be fishing them alone, without any free offerings. I typically have my chosen hookbaits soaking in a flavor and as the water cools I make sure that these flavors are soluble. If you don’t pay attention to this, the liquids will solidify.

Using alcohol based dips, glugs and flavors solves this problem; in many cases this can just be straight alcohol such as vodka, whisky or bailey’s.

I used the single hookbait approach in the winter two years ago, with a session late in December.

My hook-baits were heavily soaked in a liquid and were cast out over 120 yards without any other baits being used. I’d timed the session to coincide with a warm-up in air temperatures and a drop in air pressure.

Although I didn’t arrive

When I decide to stay closer to home, I tend to fish 3-5 hours sessions and rather than taking the whole carping set-up I scale down to one rod and travel light. I also prefer to fish with lighter tackle as the rivers I am fishing have smaller carp in the 5-20lb range, so I’ll use a 12ft Feeder rod (around 1lb in test curve) and 8lb line, attached to a 6-7lb hooklink and a small lead or open ended feeder.

This set-up allows me to see a lot more subtle bites and as a result, more fish in the net. One of the areas I target also sees a lot of pressure. This was much different from when I first started fishing it, nearly 10 years ago.

At that time there was only one other angler mad enough to be out in the depths of winter. For the first few year’s I used a standard boilie approach, changing my tactics as the fish got wiser.

However, fast forward to the present and it’s not uncommon to see several anglers fishing the area, no matter what day of the week.

By scaling down my approach and fishing much more delicately, I’ve found I can keep ahead of the fish. On days when the carp are not feeding with any gusto, I’ll even go to a single lead shot on the line and I’ll ‘touch’ ledger, holding the rod and line and waiting for the slightest of twitches. I’ve caught plenty of bonus fish this way.

Getting Away

As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, one other option in the winter is to plan a trip to a warmer part of the country. I’ve done this a couple of times, traveling to Texas, where in February it’s often 20-30 degree’s warmer. One trip I made 4 years ago wasn’t as warm as I expected, but even with 35 degree weather, I was wearing shorts and flip flops, as I’d just come from temperatures at least 20 degrees colder!

On that trip I fished for grass carp, common carp and buffalo. That’s the beauty of Texas, it has several species that you can catch while fishing for carp.

I’ll be heading back in a few months to hopefully experience similar results. This will definitely break up the winter, but I’ll still be out in the snow trying to get a bend in the rod.

CARP ARE EVERYWHERE!

- TEN DAYS OF DISCOVERY -

By Jerome Moisand

It wasn’t planned at all, but during my usual fall road/fishing trip, I realized that I was going through an interesting discovery adventure, findings new spots and catching carp in very distinctive environments. Here is a multi-part story that ranges from the smallest pond to the largest lake!

Day 0 (PM) and Day 1 (AM): ponds and large river

My first stop was partly aiming at a section of the Hudson River that I briefly explored while driving back from the junior tournament this summer.

Proper shore access was very sparse, but I had found a nice park along the river, with lots of mussels on the shore and a nice river bend, and wanted to give it a try.

I arrived late afternoon at my Airbnb rental. I had noticed two ponds nearby and quickly went to explore them. Alas, there was no decent shore access besides an overused dock. Talking with one of the catfish anglers at this dock, he said that he knew a small pond in an industrial park loaded with grass carp. He showed it to me on the map, this was an hour away, actually on my way to my 2nd stop,

I took good note of it. Being friendly with local anglers can be invaluable during a discovery trip…

Dusk was near, so I rushed to the park along the Hudson, did some quick plumbing (good depth, bad snags) and dumped a full bucket of maize + birdfood in a spot that seemed reasonably snag-free.

I was back in the morning; it was quite pleasant to fish there. After a while, I got a nice run, which turned out to be a fairly sizable (and very ugly) catfish. One more run and I discovered a new snag and lost what seemed to be a carp. Then I finally landed my first carp of the trip, 10 pounds or so. Two more runs went straight in the snag, so I shifted my rods by 20 yards on the side, and… this killed the action. After eating my lunch, I decided to move on.

Day 1 (PM) and Day 2: mid-size lake and river lock

The second reason for which I elected to visit this area is that there is a lake where bow hunters regularly massacre 30 pounders and even the occasional 40. I knew that some CAG members gave it a try a long time ago.

Google Maps and Google Earth showed very little public access, mostly the local boat ramp. I drove there mid afternoon and stumbled upon a big rowing regatta.

Why do people get so excited about rowing on a very unstable boat while being screamed at by a totally obnoxious coach, I will never understand.

I was grumbling and kept driving aimlessly around the lake. Surprise, I found a nice little park that I had missed on the map, with a nice cove on the side that looked great except for the lack of depth.

I fished for a few hours, nothing moved, I decided to throw a good deal of bait and come back the day after. Which I did on Day 2 and… after three hours of nothingness, I wasn’t too eager to keep trying.

Running out of options faster than expected, I decided to go explore another river that intersects with the Hudson.

After checking the usual green spots on the map that did not translate in any actual access, I stumbled upon a lock on the river. Cool, I didn’t fish a lock in years and this one looked good. Multiple anglers shared the same opinion and were fishing there. I dragged my gear farther away, and set up three rods, one very close to the wall, one in the middle of the lock, the third very close to a big barge anchored on the other side.

I was happy with my cast (repeated 3 times with success, a foot or two from the barge).

One hour, nothing, then I heard the signal that the lock was going to open. And I got a timid run right then. It was a tiny carp, I lifted it instead of using my net, mistake, it fell back in the water.

The lock opened, freeing a lot of water, this usually triggers bites, but not this time. After an hour, I got another timid run near the barge, and landed one of the smallest carp I ever caught.

Well, this counts, I made it work! And that was it for the day.

Mid-size lake: fail!

Big river and lock: mini check!

Day 3: tiny pond in industrial park

On the way to my next Airbnb rental, I stopped by the ‘grass carp’ pond.

The weather was quite rainy, but I don’t have many opportunities to land a grassie, so I planned to set up my rods in three different areas of the pond (which was really quite small, everything was at casting distance).

Well, I didn’t have time to set up the 3rd rod, I got a run. Which turned out to be a common. Ok, why not. I landed two other commons and a catfish, then got a fish that started to zig zag.

This was obviously a grassie, but… the hook pulled, aarg. I tried for 2 more hours, and nothing moved, I probably chased all the fish to the other side of the pond with the commotions. I tried to set up a rod out there for a little while, but I had 3 solid hours of driving ahead of me and was tired of the rain, so I had to give up on my grassie goal. Still, tiny pond, check!

Day 4: urban fishing in a canal; big lake

This rental place was on the shore of a large lake that I fished earlier this spring with good success.

I had not perceived though that the access to the lake implied to go through steep and narrow stairs, ending up in an area overloaded with docks (snags!) that didn’t look terribly carpy.

Plus my host had no recollection of large jumping fish. Hm.

Anyhoo, it was raining cats and dogs. I finally went out around noon, aiming at a bridge near the center of the local town. I remembered noticing this area when roaming around last spring,

I could park the car under the bridge and fish a quay right there along the canal, this was perfect for rainy weather.

I set up two rods and I landed a 10 pounder rather quickly.

The weather cleared up, I caught the usual annoying catfish, and decided to go spend a few hours in a state park nearby, fishing the big lake in an area I discovered last spring.

Three hours later, I was none the wiser. This area was loaded with fish in the spring, as it is a spawning area. I realized that it wasn’t obvious that fish would be there in the fall too…

As I was deep in thought and short on fish, the rain resumed. On the parking lot, I noticed a guy holding rods.

He was friendly and said that he was going to another local spot I didn’t know, and suggested that I follow. Nice! A couple of miles later, he showed me an area behind a small dam. This didn’t seem terribly suitable, the water flowing quite hard.

He said folks catch large carp and catfish in the ‘pool’. I wasn’t sure what he meant, but the rain intensified and chased us away. Big lake and dam: to be continued!

Day 5: dam basin and another lock

I came back mid morning, having realized that the ‘pool’ was probably the water basin above the dam. I found access, I saw some fish rolling, this looked quite nice, and I set up two rods. And got a run right away, landing a small dinky carp.

I recast, I got another one, even smaller. And I smiled, thinking of the Big4 sign that I had printed in a local copy shop the day before, the lady thought it would be funny to print it on a double-size piece of paper and gave it to me for free – in addition to a regular printout.

So I went to my car to get the big sign, recast my rod, landed another dinky fish in no time and took a fun picture.

This is where I realized that I was doing something quite cool, discovering new spots in very diverse environments and that my plan for the days to come would continue to add to the list. This wasn’t quite by design, but I decided to go with the flow.

Since I actually didn’t catch many fish in the past few days, I settled down for a while, catching one fish after another (I quickly had to downsize to a single rod).

Ten dinky fish later, this was getting old. Another local angler had stopped by, obviously a tad disappointed that I was fishing this spot, he remained gracious and moved below the dam.

After wrapping up, I decided to be nice and go tell him that the space was available. He was pleased, we chatted a bit, and he told me that, two hundred yards further on the road, there was another branch of the same river with a lock.

This turned out to be a very scenic and pleasant area with nobody fishing there and I decided right away to spend the rest of the day there. One rod close to the wall, one rod mid-way, what next? I watched the river for a little while, and finally noticed some activity on the other side, close to a muddy outflow of sorts. So I cast there.

Nothing moved for two solid hours. I did notice a few carp jumping farther downstream though, so I took it easy and just read my book while watching the water from time to time.

Then my ‘other shore’ rod got a run. A low teen, way bigger than the earlier dinky fish, I was pleased. I used my good old trick of always recasting to the hot spot, trying to be as precise as possible.

With method balls, this can lead to hours of non-stop action if you do it right. It was a bit tricky in this case, as the river was wide and I was casting at 50 yards or so.

Still, I made it work and landed six fish total. I got a couple of pulls on my other rods, but no fish landed.

Now think about it, I had a 10+6=16 fish day, from two very distinct discovery spots. I didn’t catch anything big, but this was a very satisfying day!

Please note that without the friendliness of two local anglers (and me reaching out),

I would never have thought to go fish in this area, which I had not noticed on the map. Dam basin and another lock: check!

Day 6 and Day 7 (AM): weedy

small lake/canal

Rain again in the morning, aaarg. Around noon, I reluctantly decided to go try the urban bridge again, but the weather cleared up as I arrived. So I roamed around a bit and found a nice looking lake on the side of the canal.

I did a bit of plumbing and it was surprisingly deep, at least 12 feet if not 15. I learned later that the lake was formed when the canal was built, as the area had a significantly lower elevation than the rest of the town (my Airbnb host knew all about the corresponding history, multiple houses were displaced before the area was flooded).

I set up my rods, two in front of me, one in the corner of the lake. 45 minutes later, I was very pleased to land a 22 pounder (and to record my first official Big4 catch). Two hours later, I was less pleased to have caught nothing else besides a stupid catfish with an over-extended belly, undoubtedly full of my maize.

After running some errands, I came back near dusk and threw a full bucket of bait in there.

I always wonder if this approach truly works, as I suspect that corn disappears in a few hours once carp (and catfish) find it and then they have plenty of time to move away overnight.

I suspect this actually runs through a couple of cycles (they eat, they shit, they eat again!), their digestive system being so primitive that a good deal of the food goes quite straight! Still, I always add a good deal of birdfood when I chum at dusk, as such tiny kernels should keep them busy for much longer.

I came back in the morning, with a much nicer weather, and it did work, a big fish rolled in front of me, another one and I got a run in no time, a nice teen. Now the problem was the weeds.

Not only did I have thick floating weeds along most of the shore (wasn’t there the day before), but also with the depth, when I had a run, the line was getting caught in underwater weeds.

A trick I learned from Andy Phinn helped. Don’t try to lift your rod up, as your line then has to uproot the weeds.

Back up slowly while holding your reel, keep the line low and horizontal, and the line (and the fish) has a much better chance of going through the weeds.

This worked nicely for a little while, the fish were all muscular thick teens. I even had a double run and had to net both fish at once. Then the wind started to blow, and the floating weeds made it truly impossible to keep fishing. Weedy small lake: check!

Day 7 (PM): the big lake

I just couldn’t decide myself to fish the shore of the Airbnb rental. But I couldn’t shake the idea of the state park. Yes, I know, I had already fished this area in the spring, no discovery here, but I just wanted to have some fun catching a few 20s. In the past few days, every time I drove along the state park after leaving the rental, I stopped and chummed with a small bucket of maize and birdfood.

This actually cost me a speeding ticket, as the area was limited to 25mph (ah come on!), and well, when you cruise while watching the lake, you pay less attention than the local cop dedicated to this speed trap.

The charming police officer claimed I was going at 40mph, I seriously doubt this was true, but you can’t argue. Tourist tax. ARUMPH.

Anyhoo, this was my last day in this area, so after my success at the weedy lake, it was time to try the bigger lake again.

I spent the afternoon at the state park and caught absolutely nothing, saw nothing, zilch, nada. Big lake: I failed while the f*** cop got the prize.

Day 8, 9 and 10: great lake & tributary

My next stop was a fairly sizable city on the shore of Lake Ontario. The original plan was to fish for salmon with another CAG member, but due to health issues, he couldn’t make it.

My new Airbnb host was gracious enough to let me check in early, and I was in full discovery mode late morning while the weather had miraculously cleared up. I was flying totally blind, never been there, never read anything about it, didn’t do any homework besides a cursory look at the map the evening before.

My first instinct was “can’t really fish the great lake itself, fish the main tributaries or the harbors”.

On the map, a river crossed the city and numerous parks were located along it. I started by a very green neighborhood near the local university, but wait, fairly straight river + university = row boats and obnoxious coaches.

Plus the river had a really uninspiring color, very muddy. I kept driving and discovered that multiple parks downstream were actually quite elevated compared to the river, hence no real access.

I finally got close to the mouth of the river, where hundreds of expensive boats were anchored all over the place, leaving no shore access. LOTS of floating money.

At the beginning of a very long pier, I finally found some space (and some anglers). I actually saved the fishing rod of an old guy who didn’t see/hear the pull on his flimsy rod that I grabbed at the last second (it was a nice catfish). Looking at the other shore, I noticed space and some sort of backwater.

And a big current break in the entire area due to a protruding quay upstream. I drove there and settled in the middle of a group of salmon anglers who were a bit baffled by my fishing technique!

I had two rods in the backwater, one in the main river. I could see the occasional salmon jumping, this was fun, the local guys had no luck with them though. After one hour, I got a run on the river side and… lost it on a wooden pillar on the side.

This got a couple of salmon guys curious, we started to chat and it turned out that they occasionally fish for carp with sweet corn on the hook when they get too bored.

I asked about another pier a few miles away near a big bay that I saw on the map, they told

me a 40 pounder has been caught there last year and that the water was much clearer out there.

After a while, I tried to add more strawberry flavoring to my mix, as it was clear that carp had no visibility in this muddy water and could only find bait by scent.

Maybe this did the trick as I finally landed a 10 pounder (on the backwater side). It was missing a gill plate, not hard to guess that it was snagged by one of those salmon lures… Great lake tributary: check!

The day after, I drove to the other pier in the morning, and the configuration looked better, the pier was crooked in an ‘L’ shape and I could find some flat rocks to go down to the water to land fish.

Still, I had troubles to believe that carp would stay there, in the middle of regular boat traffic. It rained all night long, the rocks were wet, no way I would fish there for now.

So I chummed a bit, thinking to come back in the afternoon. In the mean time, I started to explore the bay, a very large backwater that looked really carpy.

Long story short, the only (very limited) access I could find was occupied by marinas and the bottom of the bay was very thick with weeds and unfishable.

I drove back to the first pier to fish a couple of hours to try to land something before going back to the much more hazardous second pier. I added more sweet corn and flavor to my mix, and this helped as I landed a lively mid-teen and a couple of more fish. The salmon anglers has one run total in the mean time and the guy lost a big jumping fish.

Now that I had secured the fish of the day, I finally drove back to the second pier mid-afternoon, expecting it to be quite busy with salmon anglers.

Surprise, nobody in sight and the rocks were dry. I threw some freebies, cast a rod and… ten minutes later, I had a muscular 26 pounder in my net and I was having a hard time to bring it up from the rocks to the narrow pier. To say that I was baffled is an understatement. I took a scenic Big4 picture, recast the rod, I just had time to set up the second rod when I got a second run.

And as I was lifting the net and the fish, my second rod started to scream. What the heck? After awkwardly dealing with those two (almost losing my net in the water in the process), I downsized to a single rod, not wanting to kill myself on those uneven rocks.

I lost a fish on an underwater rock and then things slowed down. A couple of other anglers showed up. I added a second rod, and was immediately punished by a double take.

I had to scream for help for another guy to assist, he was all too happy to play a lively fish!

The other anglers didn’t stay. I was alone again fishing a single rod while the rocks in front of me got wet from my netting activities. I was quite tired and figured that I’d better play safe, give it a day, throw a good deal of bait, come back in the morning and be more methodical.

Day 10. The grand finale.

Single rod. Truly fishing the great lake (not a tributary or a harbor!). First cast, a run within minutes. Second cast, same thing. It kept going all morning, 9am to 1pm. Every time, I was throwing a full spoon of

maize/birdfood to keep them busy, a new method ball, and yet runs came within minutes. Two times, I didn’t even have time to put down my rod. Most fish were healthy mid-teens to upper teens, all big fighters. I also landed two 22 pounders, including one which dragged me all the way near the lighthouse, a good opportunity for a scenic picture.

A young angler from Virginia shared the experience for a little while, he was in complete shock by what was happening and had a huge smile when I gave him a run.

It was the kind of day where your back and legs scream for a pause, where you don’t listen to them, except for the lunch break where you HAVE to put rods out of the water to get a

chance to sit down and eat your sandwich. After 1pm, things slowed down, but I didn’t dare setting up a second rod, oh no. I finally got my last run of the day, the second 22 pounder. And then I had to drive 4 hours to my next stop, not before stopping for a coffee and a breather though, as my eyelids were getting heavy… Great lake/pier: check!

Final thoughts

During those ten days, I found carp in a tiny pond, in a small lake and a mid-size lake, in an urban canal, in a large river, behind two locks, above a dam, in a great lake tributary and in the great lake itself.

Only failures, the mid-size and large lakes, probably mostly due to lack of access and time dedicated to those venues. Besides the large lake state park, I never fished any of those venues before, nor do I know of a CAG angler having done so in the past few years. Carp are everywhere!

Although I fished very diverse environments, I never felt the need to change my rigs or my

bait (besides adding more flavor for the muddy tributary). I just don’t believe the choice of bait makes a big difference in a non-competitive context. If they find food and are hungry, they will feed, period.

The trick is really to find them, cast in the right spot and keep them active in front of you. Which does require multiple small adjustments and a good rig, mind you, but no need to switch bait in hope of making a choosy carp pick a specific item from a fancy menu...

In the next few days, I’ll fish known venues, including a very large river, and probably face other challenges (e.g. mud and very high water level). Tight lines!

Carp Angler

DiscoveryMonth -TheNewLake

ByKirkSuedmeyer

I catch myself sometimes focusing solely on the carp fishing-the rig, the bait, the chum, the weather, the indicators, the matt, net, sling, scale, etc. etc. and initially this was the case again with a new swim at a new lake venue. I have focused on creeks for the past couple years, but have gravitated to the lakes more recently. I decided to take the essence of the title “Discovery month” to heart; plain and simple, I “discovered” this new swim for me.

More importantly, carp fishing is my solace. Carp fishing isn’t just fishing. It’s enjoying the surroundings or discussing the world events with a colleague. I think we all simply seek inner peace. Too often we neglect the simple things around us.

This venue was one I noted on my way to another lake, but alas I didn’t even get a hit there, so I decided to try this. I went to work at 4am, just so’s I could get out on the lake at daybreak.

The morning was cool, a welcome relief to the stifling temperatures this summer. I arrived at daybreak, about an easy hour’s drive from work. The swim was a very small campsite with lots of vegetation, with a small cove surrounded by weeds and a cloudy, light breeze made the morning crisp. We so anticipate fall here in Missouri exactly for that experience! It gets the hunters primed for fall deer and duck season.

I set my pod and rods, baited my method leads with a new pack I’ve been using- a lemon, sweet corn, bird seed mix and one with lime.

I chummed about 3gallons boiled corn with just a touch of vanilla. I set my matt, net, sling, scale, photo tripod and as usual my sole attention focused on the rods.

As I waited, I consciously looked around and absorbed so many things that complemented my stay; a belted kingfisher with his carefree call and frenetic flight; two ospreys surveying the waters. A red shouldered hawk calling across the lake. Those were pretty obvious, but I started looking at the little things. A spider carefully constructed her protective incubator for anticipated babies in a fallen leaf.

Damselflies darted to and fro trying to catch and mostly successful with the mosquitoes hanging around the water’s edge.

A single stalk of goldenrod, the bane of allergy sufferers but a beautiful- AND THEN A RUN!!!.....ran to the rod and reeled in….one of 4 straight channel catfish..UUGGHHHH, not the start I had hoped for.

I made a gamble and concocted my original strawberry pack bait and reset my rods; two with strawberry and one with lemon pack bait.

I found more carp like the strawberry pack than catfish so hopefully I’d turn the tables this morning.

I admired the complexity and diversity of the plant and animal life; a reddened, as yet unidentified plant standing tall amongst a plethora of color palette plants and THERE IT IS!! ANOTHER NICE RUN!!!!-

I raised the rod and felt the strength of the fish as it plowed into the open water. I turned it and after a short fight, landed a WHAT?, my first carp of the day was a beautiful golden fully scaled mirror!

The colors were unbelievable and it shined when compared to the surrounding foliage. WOW, what a start!!

While watching two ospreys circle the water for fish I had another run, a nice smallish common, but so beautiful!....and then, lost my third fish to a snag after following the fish along the shoreline-no matter what I did I couldn’t turn the fish! Those are always the ones you imagine as much larger than what you actually land most times.

Things quieted after that so I looked around again; an old T-shirt, beer cans and old bait containers were strewn about, indicative of the lack of respect for our privileged surroundings. Nature perseveres, and once again rose above the “filth” to announce its power, this time in the

form of a cluster of aromatic asters, small, pretty, and fragrant, as the name implies. I won’t photo the trash-take the high road and show the positive, not the negative is my mantra.

Just a couple feet away, and intertwined with the grasses lining the shore, was a small, creeping vine, later identified as clamy cuphea, a branching ground plant common in the Ozarks of Missouri. Such a pretty, bold flower! I caught fish consistently after that; some larger than others, some likely representative of a shoal of carp and all about two hours after I had chummed the site. No master angler fish but exciting none-the less!

The day stayed cloudy, but as the bite stagnated I found solace in all I had experienced. I thanked mother-nature for her time, picked up the trash, cleaned the equipment, packed the car, and headed home, just as a flock of white pelicans migrated on their biannual trip through Missouri, another indication of falls’ approach. Sometimes, it isn’t so much the run, the fight, the landing and photos; it’s just living life in a simple way and I am so thankful…….

Discovery month

BEST VIDEO

Brett Du Preez

If you are not abel to play the embedded video please click the next link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=jU6ArUzKyko

CAG’s First Fishing Folly was back for a 15th year! FFF is an enjoyable, challenging, world-wide, CAG event held on Tuesday, January 1, 2019, during which registered anglers can fish anytime from 12:00 midnight to 11:59 p.m.

They enter their photographed catches in any number of FFF contest categories (first carp of the year, high total weight, big fish, small fish, big mirror, etc.).

Participation takes some strong will-power, a willingness to face the elements, a touch of goofiness, and maybe just a tad of craziness to go fishing for carp at all hours of the day and night on January 1, 2019!

Here are some 2019 FFF guidelines that apply:

1.

No need for a fishing partner (although it is encouraged). It’s tough enough convincing our significant others to allow us to fish on New Year’s Day, and it can be even tougher finding a fishing partner to serve as a witness, especially for the wee hours of January 1.

Even though partnerships and group angling are encouraged, individual anglers will be allowed to participate in FFF 2019 and submit catches and related information without a witness. The honor system will be in place relative to your submitting accurate weights and times.

Keep in mind, though, that you are still required to submit a picture of you holding your catch (your face must be showing) for every fish/entry you submit. You better be good at taking “selfies” or at using a camera with a timer. Just be safe out there if you are alone!

2

. No need for a water thermometer. You will no longer be required to take water temperatures. North America will be split into a North Zone and a South Zone. Check the new FFF 2019 Zone Map carefully. Boundaries have changed for 2016 for a more even distribution of participating anglers.

Other than for the first fish of the year category and the Jerome Moisand adventure tale category, all other weight awards will be given both to an angler fishing in the North Zone and to an angler fishing in the South Zone (see map below (you may click on images for larger versions)).

There is no guarantee that it will be cold above the line and warm below. It’s just a line. However, it gives more anglers an opportunity at some prizes and recognition.

Prize Categories

Both the successful angler and the captured fish must be pictured in each photo/entry you submit for carp catching awards. The photo must include the angler’s face. If you are fishing alone, you’ll need long arms for a “selfie” or a camera with a timer. Don’t forget - the angler must be identifiable in the photo. We prefer that the photo include your camera’s date and time stamp, but it is not required. We trust your honor.

1. The FFF First Carp Award and Lucky 13 Awards: First carp of 2019! The time to be recorded is the local time at which the fish is safely in the net.

The required picture of the angler holding the fish plus accompanying data (time, weight, angler’s name) must be submitted. The winner will receive a prize valued at $25 and an online certificate.

The second place winner will receive a prize valued at $15 and an online certificate. The third place winner will receive a prize valued at $10 and an online certificate.

In addition to the $25, $15, and $10 worth of prizes awarded to the registered anglers catching the first, second, and third carp of the year in North America, those with the 4th through 13th carp will also receive a prize valued at $10 and a related downloadable, Lucky 13 certificate.

2. The FFF Monster Award: Biggest carp caught during the FFF. The required picture of the angler holding the fish plus accompanying data (time, weight, angler’s name) must be submitted. Winners from each Zone (North and South) will receive a prize valued at $25 for first, a prize valued at $15 for second, a prize valued at $10 for third, and a downloadable certificate.

3. The FFF Baby Award: Smallest carp caught during the FFF. The required picture of the angler holding the fish plus accompanying data (time, weight, angler’s name) must be submitted. Winners from each Zone (North and South) will receive a prize valued at $25 for first, a prize valued at $15 for second, a prize valued at $10 for third, and a downloadable certificate.

4. The FFF Emperor Persistence Award: Total number of carp caught by the angler. This is a quantity category. Winners will be those catching the most carp during January 1, 2019. The required pictures of the angler holding every fish plus accompanying data (time, weight, angler’s name) must be submitted. Winners from each Zone (North and South) will receive a prize valued at $25 for first, a prize valued at $15 for second, a prize valued at $10 for third, and a downloadable certificate.

5. The FFF Scubadoc Mirror Award: Biggest mirror (or leather) carp caught during the FFF (in honor of Dr. Neil Stern). The required picture of the angler holding the fish plus accompanying data (time, weight, angler’s name) must be submitted. Winners from each Zone (North and South) will receive a prize valued at $25 for first, a prize valued at $15 for second, a prize valued at $10 for third, and a downloadable certificate.

6. The FFF Sunrise Award goes to every FFF 2019 registrant who submits a photograph of the first sunrise of the year. The primary intention of this category is to share some fabulous January 1 photos with fellow CAG anglers. In fact, if it’s too foggy, cloudy, snowy, or rainy, you can still take a picture at the approximate time of sunrise. The picture may or may not include a fish.

Anyone submitting a sunrise picture earns an FFF 2019 Sunrise downloadable certificate. After all, you have to be out at sunrise with camera and carp gear for a photo (no small feat in itself). We will create a separate thread for submission of sunrise photos.

7. The FFF 2019 Hall of Fame. Anybody crazy enough and skilled enough to catch a carp of any size on January 1, 2019 between midnight and 6:00 a.m. (local time zone) will be entered in the very select FFF 2019 Hall of Fame.

The required picture of the angler holding the fish plus accompanying data (time, weight, angler’s name) must be submitted. All winners will receive a Hall of Fame downloadable certificate.

8. The FFF 2018 Jerome Adventure Tale Award. Many of you have submitted interesting FFF summaries with accompanying photos in the past. In honor of Jerome Moisand’s quick wit, photography skills, way with words, and dedication to CAG and FFF, we are, again, including a prize category for the best written summaries with photographs of your 2019 FFF adventure. Those will be judged by a panel consisting of Jerome Moisand, Iain Sorrell, and myself.

Winners will receive a prize valued at $25 for first, a prize valued at $15 for second, a prize valued at $10 for third, and a downloadable certificate.

9.

All submissions must be posted on the designated CAG forum thread by 1:00 p.m. (EST) on Friday, January 4, 2019. An angler may not win more than one award per category. In other words, you may catch the first, second, and third heaviest carp in your zone, but you will win only the first place prize. Keep in mind, however, that you can win 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in multiple prize categories.

Award prize donors have been finalized. Once winners are announced, I will be asking for your e-mail addresses for prize distribution.

Huge thanks to CAG for funding the prizes and to CAG President Iain Sorrell for arranging/organizing the prize package!

First Fish and Lucky 13 (13 anglers catching the earliest carp of 2019) and Jerome Adventure Tale (Written and Pictorial Summary of your FFF 2019 Experience) award winners will receive vouchers for CAG Store purchases!

Winners

FFF First Carp Award

Joe Carter - 12:39 a.m. - CAG Store voucher for $25 and Hall of Fame Award Certificate

North Zone

Dave Pickering - 20 lbs., 0 oz. - $25 voucher from Linear Bait Co. and Monster Award Certificate

The FFF Monster Awards

North Zone

Bob Harnish - 18 lbs., 2 oz. - $15 voucher from Linear Bait Co. and Monster Award Certificate

North Zone

Richie Eldridge - 17 lbs., 5 oz. - $10 voucher from Linear Bait Co. and Monster Award Certificate

SOUth Zone

1st - Cesar Espinoza - 30 lbs., 15 oz. - $25 voucher from Linear Bait Co. and Monster Award Certificate

SOUth Zone

Ray Arquette - 22 lbs., 9 oz.

- $15 voucher from Linear Bait Co. and Monster Award Certificate

SOUth Zone

Chris Vines - 15 lbs., 8 oz.

- $10 voucher from Linear Bait Co. and Monster Award Certificate

NORth Zone

1Jacob Ayotte - 1 lb., 9 oz. - Baby Award Certificate

(Jacob opted not to take the voucher prize, so it goes to the next angler in line.)

The FFF BABY Awards

NORth Zone

Martin Columbo - 2 lbs., 5 oz. - $25 voucher from Linear Bait Co. and Baby Award Certificate

NORth Zone

1Jimmy Sneed - 2 lbs., 7 oz.

- $12 voucher from Linear Bait Co. and Baby Award Certificate

NORth Zone

Todd Richer - 2 lbs., 7 oz.

- $12 voucher from Linear Bait Co. and Baby Award Certificate

SOUth Zone

Chris Vines - 11 lbs., 4 oz.

- $15 voucher from Linear Bait Co. and Baby Award Certificate

SOUth Zone

Joe Carter - 8 lbs., 4 oz.

- $25 voucher from Linear Bait Co. and Baby Award Certificate

SOUth Zone

Cesar Espinoza - 14 lbs., 8 oz.$10 voucher from Linear Bait Co. and Baby Award Certificate

FFF Emperor Awards

NORth Zone

1Jacob Ayotte - 10 CarpEmperor-Persistence Award Certificate (Jacob opted not to take the voucher prize, so it goes to the next angler in line.)

NORth Zone

Dave Pickering - 8 Carp

- $25 voucher from Linear Bait Co. and Emperor-Persistence Award Certificate

NORth Zone

Jeff Conroy - 6 Carp

- $12 voucher from Linear Bait Co. and Emperor-Persistence Award Certificate

SOUth Zone

Tom Schulten - 19 Carp

- $25 voucher from Linear Bait Co. and Emperor-Persistence Award Certificate

Martin Columbo - 6 Carp

- $12 voucher from Linear Bait Co. and Emperor-Persistence Award Certificate

SOUth Zone

Frank Aiello - 9 Carp - $15 voucher from Linear Bait Co. and Emperor-Persistence Award Certificate

SOUth Zone

Joe Carter - 5 Carp - $10 voucher from Linear Bait Co. and Emperor-Persistence Award Certificate

FFF Scubadoc Awards

NORth Zone

1Jacob Ayotte - 7 lbs., 8 oz. Scubadoc Mirror Award Certificate

(Jacob opted not to take the voucher prize, so it goes to the next angler in line.)

NORth Zone

2nd - Sean Reed - 7 lbs. 3 oz. -

$25 voucher from Linear Bait Co. and Scubadoc Mirror Award Certificate

NORth Zone

3rd - Todd Richer - 6 lbs. 7 oz.

- $15 voucher from Linear Bait Co. and Scubadoc Mirror Award Certificate

south Zone No captures

FFF Sunrise Awards

THE FFF Cracker Award

Kirk Suedmeyer

The FFF Jerome Adventure Tale Awards

2nd - Kirk Suedmeyer

To read all of the ‘Jerome Adventure Tale’ stories, click the following button:

CLICK HERE

Remembering Rod.

A tribute to Rod Hutchinson who passed away in June, 2018.

In the foreword to the Carp Strikes Back Rod talked about his thirst for knowledge and in writing to Dick Walker ‘the great carp messiah’ and ‘hanging on every word’ of celebrated anglers like Jim Gibinson. He said that he felt like an imposter to be considered a carp fishing expert, but by anyone’s standards even back then in 1983 and certainly in reflection some 35 years later he was clearly worthy of that accolade. As modern carp anglers we owe much of our knowledge and success to the groundwork laid by Rod Hutchinson. His inspiration, dedication and infectious enthusiasm was second to none.

Chris Yates, who first met and fished with Rod at Redmire back in 1972, said he had an incredibly analytical mind.

He could easily imagine him being in the technology industry. Instead Rod chose to focus that brilliance and innovation on his fishing. He was a great proponent of fishing particles and not only pioneered the use of different types but also developed insights on how and why they worked on a particular water.

He immediately recognized the importance of HNV (high nutritional value) baits developed by Fred Wilton and incorporated them in his paste and later boilie recipies.

His quest for better baits, flavors and tackle became the basis for the start of his company Catchum products in 1979. Rod’s original flavors like Monster Crab, Megaspice and Scopex soon became classics and responsible for some incredible catches.

Frank Warwick once asked Rod if he had to select just one flavor which one would he choose? Rod’s answer of ‘Coffee Cream” might come as a surprise to some but Frank says it has proven one of the best over the years and formed the basis for his own Caramel Cream hook baits.

Back in 2013, in an interview with Angling Times, Rod was asked what he considered his happiest moments when fishing. “Redmire Pool, with Chris Yates chasing a record, he replied. “When we enjoyed adventures together - that was a wonderful period.”

He also said “Savay, just has to be, to me, the most incredible thing I experienced in English fishing.”

Sadly I cannot claim to have known Rod as a friend but I did get to bump into him from time to time.

When I joined Ruslip Angling Club in 1979, who then still had the exclusive fishing rights on Savay, there were rumors that one or two people were ‘guesting’ (Rod disliked the term poaching…) at the time.

While carrying out my part time baliff duties for the Boyer waters I would sometimes see Rod on nearby Harefield (not much more than a stone’s throw from Savay).

For someone so disorganized it quite often seemed that he was ‘packed up’ and ready for a move… just not necessarily to another ‘Harefield’ swim! When I last saw Rod at the Carpin’ On show in 2012 he had a good chuckle when I mentioned that the ‘hole in the fence’ along the canal bank of Savay was still there!

An adventurer and pioneer Rod was among the first Brits to travel to fish some of the now famous French lakes. His trips to Cassein and Lac du Der not only made headlines for some memorable catches but also paved the way for the development of camping style gear for long sessions.

On and off the bank Rod managed to live life to the full and many of his exploits became the stuff of legend. But while he was often seen as a very much larger than life character he was also described by those who knew him well as

being quite shy and introverted. In the recent Carp Cast interviews celebrating Rod’s life both Frank Warwick and Kevin Nash described him as being remarkably clumsy (managing to fall in on a regular basis) but a very natural angler with incredible water craft that seemed to give him a sixth sense of where to fish on any given water.

Tim Paisley (who very kindly allowed us to use some of his photos of Rod) noted that Rod’s own photo collection was quite sparse as he was often “too busy smelling the flowers along the way!”

First Editions of his book the “Carp Strikes Back” (published in 1983) fetch incredible prices but fortunately the Kindle version at only $9.95 is remarkable value. It captures that extraordinary period of innovation and discovery during the 1970’s and 80’s that helped shaped the current era of modern carp fishing.

That much of Rod’s writing remains relevant today is no less remarkable. In ‘Carp Inspirations’ (published in 2011) many of the chapters and especially those on particles, attractors, and location are very applicable to catching

carp in North American carp waters. If you haven’t read either then you should!

Tales & Tactics by Rod Hutchinson (1981), Rod Hutchinson Carp Book (1981) Carp Strikes Back 1983), Carp: Now and Then (1998), Rod Hutchinson’s Guide to Carp Bait (1989), Carp Along the Way (Vol 1 2008 & Vol 2 2009), Carp Inspirations (2011), The Carpscene Years (2016)

Rod passed away June 24 2018. He was aged 74

Our thanks to Tim Paisley for sharing with us his photos of Rod.

Baits for Anglers By Anglers

After two great years of the NECC we are all excited to see it’s return in 2019, once again hosted at the Elks Club in Middletown, CT.

Saturday, April 6th 10.00am – 6.00pm

Carp anglers can stock up on the essentials for the Spring Season

Carp Tackle made the drive down from Oklahoma to show off some of the products they stock North American Carp Angler

Carp in the City Carp in the City

By Ed Skillz

There are many options when you want to catch carp. Lakes, rivers, canals; we love to travel many miles to have a chance at catching a carp. Often overlooked are the options nearby. Carp are widespread in our waterways and can survive in the most bizarre conditions, better than any other fish can. A shared first place with the catfish now perhaps.

Should we really always travel far to catch a carp? No absolutely not. It does not mean that there is a 60 pound carp in every water system, which is another story, but you can absolutely have a number of nice surprises. I love fishing in the big cities, as for example Amsterdam and its many canals running through it.

A true ‘urban’ environment

Also when I fish the rivers I find the parts that run right through the cities. You can find me in the heart of these cities hidden in the everyday madness waiting for a run. Tucked away in the midst of the daily hustle and bustle of city life, I await the right moment to strike. Urban adventures In search of the city gems.

In one way or another, it has a certain ray of romance. While cars and city buses are passing me, I’m sunken away in my adventure and this fades all the big city noises. My adventures often give me moments where I am visited by city pigeons and rats that are undoubtedly good for a deadly cocktail of bacteria in both cases.

It seems like I’m almost invisible while there are thousands of people passing by every day. Busy and always in a hurry on their way to their destination, they see nothing of what else is playing in the city.

The only ones that will notice me are the old and retired dog owners that have nothing else to do.

How are you doing young man? Asks a heavily grayed old friendly looking man with a respectable age of at least eighty years. Yeah sure, I answer. Have you already caught something? He asks interested. I am proud to show him a shot on the camera from earlier on.

Yes you can tell me even more, did you buy that big fish on the market! Does that really swim here? He asks! No, I joke back, it is indeed bought from the market. I must do something when the fish won’t take the bait!! He laughs at me and answers; Well I hadn’t expected that this canal holds such monsters. Good luck to you young man, he mumbles with a typical Amsterdam accent and continues his morning walk with Johnny his old bulldog.

A fish that shows signs of it’s urban surroundings

Observing people is also a wonderful time killer while waiting for a bite, to let everyone in his worth, I will not go to deep in to this. But you can imagine the things you observe when people are not aware of somebody being tucked away in close range with his rods out.

The nights are top! As soon as it gets dark, the lights of the houses and buildings change everything into the city of lights. It gives you the sight of an epic Hollywood movie, where in the next few hours I can play a major role, waiting for that run of an urban monster carp.

Big slimy bullies in the form of bream also play a role in this nightly play and compete their hardest to take the bait. They are taking their roles that serious that often it looks like the take of a carp, they are that big as well. But when it comes to picking up the rod it is already clear that another clown is on the other end of the line again. And yet I am happy with them. Where there bream is, the carp are not far away, often they even swim together in search of food. Once found it is the art of being the fastest and regularly that battle is settled in favor of the slimy bullies.

This common got to the baits before the dreaded bream

It is a must to get the line back in place as soon as possible, because every moment now the carp can be next. I like to using pellets and ground feed to get them going. And then you could say I’m asking for those bream using pellets. But since the bream are huge sized, without the use of the pellets I would still catch them.

The advantage of the pellets is that there is often a muddy soil in which the pellets create a nice food layer still detectable after hours. More often I throw out a new pva with additional pellets to add extra attraction. This way the place remains active by the attraction of the food track. A bite of the carp therefore isn’t far away.

Quality baits keep the confidence high

There are two methods that I apply to this kind of carp fishing. Instant and prebaiting. With the instant method I like to choose places that I know there are always carp passing by. Obstacles in the form of mooring poles, scaffolding or harbors and houseboats. Bridges are also a favorite and have a natural attraction for carp. When I choose pre-baiting I am not sure of catching without letting the carp get used to my bait in that area.

With several days of baiting up I assure myself that the carp come back more often on the spot to have a go at the freebies. Bait habituation and convenience ensure that the carp will show a conditioned behavior, which makes it easier to get a bite. The advantage of this is that the chance of getting a blank is reduced to the minimum.

This is not to say that you can’t blank, but the chance of fish is in any case already a lot bigger than the instant method.

Depending on the period of the year and the size of the water or water system and the presence of groups of bream, for example, I choose the quantity of bait to use. In any case a minimum of one kilo per rod is my favored tactic.

I often prefer fishing with an air pressure equal to or lower than 1016. It does not mean that there is nothing to catch above this number, but the fishing opportunities are increased, the lower the air pressure number because the fish are more active. Now you may think that I must have gone mad by saying this.

And you’ll just go fishing when it suits you. But just for the fun, when you catch your fish, write down the air pressure. Maybe you will see a pattern in it after a while. I have done this myself for years and concluded that at an atmospheric pressure above 1020, I could have just as well stayed at home anyway. For me the air pressure is even more important on the rivers and channels than the wind. The fish must be active and continue to swim in order to stumble upon my bait.

Now we are talking about the tactics, I would also like to talk about observation.

On many rivers and canals, at first sight, there is little to see because they are either too cloudy or too hard flowing.

Only when you take a little longer to look at any signs of life will you notice more than you could have imagined. Jumping fish for example, or heavy feeding bubbles popping up, which move clearly because a carp is rooting in the soil. If you really don’t see it at all and still want to get to know the ways of a certain area, then it’s waiting for the spawning time.

On every water, the carp show themselves well in the spawning season and you can see what your chosen fish area holds.

The spawning carp are fearless and no longer shy. The freshwater giants are along the shallow stretches or heated shore zones and are easy to observe.

In This period I spot the fish and I determine my campaign for the rest of the year. There are often fish that you did not expect to exist that will surprise you.

So, observing is the key to a successful campaign and especially the start of a campaign. If I do not see any signs of carp during this observation, then I will not be fishing.

Strong tackle and big leads are some essential tools of the trade

Urban carping is all about surprises. You never know what you will catch next!!

Always first I want to see the urban beauties. I love to play this game. I am absolutely not a target hunter but I like to know what I can expect. And even so, fishing in this kind of waters and areas remains an adventure full of surprises and you never know what will be on the other side of the line until it is in your net. One thing is for sure urban fishing is never boring!

When it comes to rigs I keep it very simple. No use going fancy on urban carp because there is absolutely no pressure on these fish. There are not many anglers targeting them and the way they feed is rough and careless. So, when you choose your rig you must keep this in mind.

Absolutely, no need for Ronnie rigs or bungee rigs or one of those complicated constructions.

I use a basic hair rig with a not too short a hook link. Because of the way the carp feed in these areas a short rig will not hook them well, or in the wrong place which might cause a failure and result in losing them during the fight.

Again, a long rig might feel a little bit uncomfortable for some of you, since short rigs are a trend nowadays, but you will absolutely benefit if targeting urban carp. Hair length I make around 1-1.5 cm from the shank of the hook. Bait size I prefer smaller sizes, 12-16 mm.

The reason for this is that I found smaller bait being picked up faster than bigger sizes, and somehow delivering bigger carp. We can argue about the sizes but that’s not what this article is about and over the years I just have become fonder of the smaller sized bottom baits because of the results.

Another method I use is pva funnel or pva solid bags to protect my hook and to make sure everything drops to the bottom well. You never know what’s in these public waters. There is not only vegetation in there but also domestic dump and cars and more things that shouldn’t be in there but can’t be seen from the bank.

Talking about the things that shouldn’t be there and become urban obstacles, I use a strong length of leadless leader to make sure my line isn’t cut off easily. This will help also for the mussel banks that are hidden all over the canals and rivers.

Eventually everything can but cut off, but it just gives you a little more time to fight the fish and get them off the obstacles and land them safely in the net. The carp are king in here and know every possible way to escape the angler and make it an unfair fight.

Taking hours and catching carp makes you familiar with their tricks and so you’ll be able to find out what is down there that you want to avoid during the fight.

Beauties like this are the reward for the brave urban carper

More about carp in the city in my next article and for now I wish good luck with your urban angling adventures.

CT Open Carp Tournament

By Iain Sorrell

The CT Open Carp Tournament is back!

After a break last year 2018 saw 41 anglers made up the 25 teams (fishing as pairs or individuals) signed up to take part in the 79 hour tournament that ran from 8am Thursday October 11th – 3pm Sunday October 14th. Up for grabs was $14,300 in prizes plus a chance to win $25,000 if someone landed a carp that beat the current CT State record of 43lb 12oz!

The peg draw at the Elks Club in Middletown on Wednesday evening was especially tense as anglers also had to consider the potential impact of Hurricane Michael on the river conditions. The choice of 39 pegs stretched from Charter Oak in Hartford to just below the Goodspeed Opera house in Haddam and presented anglers with all manner of interesting bankside and tidal river features.

The option to move from the peg drawn to a vacant peg between 7am – 5pm Friday added another dimension to the decisions anglers would have to make!

As the tournament started the rapidly falling barometer and warm humid conditions heralded the arrival of heavy rain and gusty winds later in the day.

The fishing got off to a slow start and for those catching only a handful of the carp landed were over the 21lb minimum needed to count toward the Big 4 total. As some were left scratching their heads others began considering the move option as day two dawned. In the end only 3 teams opted to move and for two it was certainly decisive!

In the meantime the River conditions continued to deteriorate through Friday and into Saturday. The rising water levels brought rafts of weed and other debris that included downed trees and old tires to play havoc with angler’s lines!

The outgoing tides also made the current especially difficult and most anglers were forced to improvise by taping leads together in an effort to hold bottom.

At 6:30pm on the Saturday night only 6 teams had registered 4 fish over 21lb on the leader board! As the tournament entered its final hours on the Sunday reports of some significant changes in the leaderboard began to circulate. Mike Hudak (peg 21) had landed a 30.08 common & Sean Rafter (peg 38) a 34.00 common. Meanwhile a few other pegs had also strengthened their big 4 total weights.

The ‘news blackout’ kept everyone in suspense until the awards ceremony back at the Elks Club. And the winners were…

Overall results were as follows:

Everyone agreed that it had been a great tournament and above all a real learning experience in how to adapt to fishing in such difficult conditions.

Congratulations to everyone who took part especially those who made significant journeys to participate!

Thanks to local angler Kyle Carlson and Andrew Nichols owner of the Fishin’ Factory 3 in Middletown for breathing life back into this prestigious event (run by David Moore and Kathy Kelly-Ori in 2015 & 2016). It is also important to recognize that such a tournament would not be possible without the invaluable help and support from CT DEEP Fisheries, local towns, law enforcement, weigh marshals, local anglers, key individuals and various sponsors. It was a great success!

Here are some pictures from a number of the competitors.

Ray Strong with a mid twenty common

A cracking upper twenty from Peg 25

Norbert Samok with another unusual looking fantail

The Fishin Factory 3, kindly donated the trophies

Discovery month

picture Jerome Moisand