CARP ANGLER north american
EDITOR IN-CHIEF ADDRESS
As we all hunker down for the winter we have all had to adapt to life and fishing while the under the cloud of COVID 19. For the most part, I have seen many anglers enjoying the outdoors with many people suddenly re-discovering our passion for the sport. Fishing and being outdoors not only offers a break from modern technology, but also helps with your daily dose of vitamin D; at least that’s the excuse I tell my wife!
In this online edition we spotlight a couple of Fall Tournaments, which considering the many restrictions in place were both great successes. Well done to all of the organizers and anglers who took part. We also have several articles from CAG members and we hope you enjoy them all.
Dean Brookes
We also look forward to reporting on the CAG Big 4 Fall competition and Discovery month in the next edition along with some valuable winter tips.
As always we rely on our members contributions and I want to thank everyone; both past and present who has contributed to this magazine over the years. Without your input the magazine would cease to exist.
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
Dean Brookes
This has been an extraordinarily difficult year for so many. Covid-19 has not only levied a devastating toll on people’s health but has also led to severe economic hardship. Our thoughts are with those who have been impacted by the pandemic and we are thankful to those who have been on the frontlines to care, serve and protect us.
For CAG it has resulted in tough decisions to postpone or cancel some events. The uncertainty over local Covid restrictions and social gatherings meant that we could not run the Junior Tournament and CCC this year. We have also decided, in light of the rapidly increasing number of cases in many parts of the country, to cancel the 2021 First Fishing Folly.
Our ability to get out and fish as individuals or in small socially distanced groups has not been especially impacted and it is encouraging to see folks continuing to post pictures of some truly wonderful catches.
As we approach the Holiday season I would like to extend, on behalf of the Carp Anglers Group, our best wishes to you and your families. Please Stay Safe and Stay Well.
Tight Lines!
Iain Sorrell CAG President
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CAG members are invited to submit photographs that capture what is unique and exciting about carp fishing in North America.
Each month the winner will receive a special prize plus recognition for two runners up.
The photos do not have to be of someone holding a fish (this is NOT a Trophy fish competition) but they should be recognizable as being related to carp or buffalo fishing in North America and should reflect the capture of a special moment.
The ‘essence’ of carp fishing in North America might memorialize a remarkable scale pattern, someone’s first carp, a group of friends fishing together, a spectacular sunset, time of year or perhaps a dramatic background or landscape.
The judges will be fellow members who should pay particular attention to the subject matter and composition and not just the photographic or editing skills. In the event of a tie or any disputes the CAG BOD will be the final arbitrator.
Each month we’ll announce a winner and Award a prize or voucher (worth $100) with the winning photo appearing in a forthcoming NACA magazine as well as the CAG Forum Site and Facebook page. The top 3 will also receive CAG Medals.
The Rules:
The entrant must be a Full CAG Member & the owner of any copyright to the photograph.
An entrant may submit a maximum of TWO photos only in each month.
The photograph must have been taken in the submission month (final date for submissions is 24 hours after the end of each month)
All fish photos must demonstrate appropriate carp care and catch & release
Each submission must include the following details:
1.The type of device (e.g. camera or phone) used.
2. The date the photo was taken.
3. Location (nearest Town and State).
4. Your Name
5. Photo Title (e.g. Mirror Magic, Waiting for the Bite etc)
Entries should be submitted to the “CAG Essence of Carping Competition” under the appropriate “Month” below.
Entrants agree that CAG may use or display a submitted photo on the CAG website and Social Media resources.
August Winner
1st Place – Dave Pickering
SEPTEMBER 2020 WinnerS
Joint 3rd Place – Norman Finke
Joint 3rd Place – Kosta Djordjevic
2nd Place – Dan Swartout
1st Place – Ceasar Espinoza
Catch & release angling for common carp in North America is now growing at an unprecedented rate! More and more anglers are recognizing that not only do common carp grow big but also fight as hard as any freshwater species. Common carp should not be confused with many of the invasive Asian species such as big head or silver (jumping carp). Common carp were introduced by the US Government in the 1800’s to provide a sustainable food source for the growing population.
Angling for common carp is now a $ 5-7 billion industry across Great Britain and Europe and almost all the carp fishing tackle shown on many sites and video channels originates in Europe. While purpose made carp tackle is sometimes quite expensive and complex you can, if you are new to carping, begin with just a very few basics. You may even have enough tackle items already or easily find them at a local store to get you catching carp!
A typical common carp covered in scales. Mirror carp have only a few but larger scales
A 7-10’ rod capable of casting 2-3oz (heavier if you are adding method or pack bait) plus a spinning or bait runner reel holding 150-200 yds of 15-20lb mono or 30-50lb braid is a great combination. We’ve included some suggestions for rod & reel combinations that you can find locally. If you can stretch your budget a little further there are also some very reasonable 10’ – 12’ entry level carp rods for less than $100.
A couple of grains of sweetcorn on size 8 or 6 hook fished under a bobber or on a sliding sinker is often all it takes to catch a carp.
But a carp’s ability to spit out a baited hook can make setting the hook a real challenge! Overcoming this challenge led to an ingenious set up called the ‘hair rig’.
Here the bait is suspended on a short length of braid (known as a ‘hair’) instead of being placed on the hook. The carp confidently sucks up the hair rigged bait and tries to spit it out when it feels the hook, which by now is already inside its mouth. The action of ejecting the bait causes the hook to take hold and the carp is hooked!
The reaction of the carp when hooked on a hair rig results in a sudden and powerful run that, unless the angler has loosened the drag or uses a bait runner reel, can result in the rod being pulled into the water!
When you pick up the rod with a carp that has been hooked on a hair rig and is running away from you there is no need to strike.
Just tighten the drag or engage the bait runner and keep a tight line to the fish.
Video not showing? Try manually by clicking this link: https://youtu.be/Bw-FhtPfWV8
There are now US & Canadian carp tackle companies that sell top quality European Carp hooks. You can also find some excellent hooks in local tackle stores. Here are some recommendations from fellow carp anglers that can be found online or in local stores:
A carp over 20lbs is typically considered a trophy sized fish and could easily be ten to fifteen years old.
Care in the handling of carp of any size will help protect them & ensure more reach trophy sizes.
A simple in-line sinker set up that can also be used with method wrapped around the lead.
The Carp Anglers Group strongly recommends that anyone fishing for carp practice catch and release (especially of trophy sized fish).
We recommend the use of an appropriate sized net to land fish, a protective mat or pad to keep fish from laying or flopping around on dirt
or rocks while being unhooked & photographed, a weigh sling or bag (such as a simple laundry tote with a couple of drain holes) to lift the fish for weighing.
We also suggest newcomers spend time studying proper handing techniques (do not lift or weigh fish using the mouth or gills) when handling the fish.
The choice of baits is extremely varied and almost all will, at some time, catch carp! We’ve limited the range of choices in this section just for simplicity.
Particles: Canned Sweetcorn or Chick Peas, Field Corn (soaked 24 hours and boiled 40mins to soften) and other seeds such as tiger nuts (chufa) etc.
Boilies: Specially prepared dough balls made with nutritious ingredients, flavors and eggs. The term boilie originates from dropping the baits in boiling water for 1-2 minutes to harden them. There are now several US based boilie makers as well as European made imports available.
Imitation baits: A carp’s inclination to pick up objects while feeding has led to a wide range of plastic imitations that look like grains of corn, tiger nuts, boilies etc.
Puffs: Corn puffs can be flavored & treated then mounted on a hook. A popular bait among anglers using pack bait. Arrowhead Mills Corn Puffs are among the most popular.
Flavors
Carp anglers like to flavor their bait for added attraction. There are many commercially available carp flavors plus a visit to your local supermarket will also provide plenty of choice.
Fruit flavored drink powders & jello are good options especially in pineapple or strawberry. Savory spices including turmeric, chili oils & garlic work well and don’t forget umami, yeast or amino based products which can also be very effective.
But don’t overdo it! A ‘Less is More’ approach usually works best as too much flavor can actually repel or disorientate fish.
Chum or Ground Baiting
The use of chum or ground bait to attract fish to your hook bait is a highly effective tool in consistently catching carp. Just don’t put too much in as you want them to be able to find you bait. Once again a little but often, especially after landing a fish, is a good routine.
Warning: Chumming is illegal in several states so always check local regulations!
The use of chum squeezed in a ball around the hook (pack) or around the lead / sinker (method) is a very effective technique especially when fishing a water for the first time.
You can find many recipes for Pack and Method using grits or oats. Feed Corn is an inexpensive chum and can be purchased at many outlets. It needs to be covered in water for 24 hours and then boiled for 40mins to soften before use.
A simple method recipe:
One can of creamed sweetcorn, One 54oz tub of Regular oats (not instant or quick). Place the oats in a bucket and pour in the can of creamed corn. Mix thoroughly for at least 2 minutes. The mix will feel ‘tacky’ but should not stick to your hands. Let it sit for a couple more minutes. Take enough to mold fully around your lead / sinker. Firmly squeeze in place using your hands until you have a tight ball around of method around the lead. If you’ve got it right then this will withstand casting but breakdown quickly when it sits on the lake or river bed.
Top tips:
Cover the method with a wet towel to stop it drying out. If it is too dry and won’t hold together add just a little water at a time until it molds nicely again. Some anglers like to add some salt and / or flavor (add this to the creamed corn before mixing with the oats). While some anglers prefer to place the bait & hook in the method ball so it does not tangle on the cast some prefer using a short hook length of 3-4” which also keeps the bait in the method pile. A boilie wafter, imitation corn or couple grains of field corn on the ‘hair’ are ideal bait choices when fishing method!
If you are using a baited hook then watching the tip of your rod or float and being prepared to strike is critical to setting the hook. A couple of taps on the rod tip followed by a steady pull will indicate the carp has taken your bait and you should strike firmly before it spits out the bait. If you are fishing a float or bobber then you may see the float dip a couple of times before moving steadily away which is the time to set the hook.
If you are using a self-hooking hair-rig then a couple of taps on the rod tip are usually followed by a screaming run with line being rapidly pulled off the clutch or the bait-runner. There is no need to strike with the hair-rig just tighten down and the fish will be on!
A rod rest or bank stick is a good way to ensure the rod tip is easily visible and clear of any bankside vegetation or obstructions.
There are plenty of indicators available that clip or hang on the line and with a little ingenuity you can even create your own. Inexpensive bite alarms, that sound when the line is being pulled, are a nice option and give you a rest from staring at the rod tip all day.
If you have never battled a carp, especially against a river current, then you are going to be amazed at the incredible power and endurance of these fish.
Setting the reel clutch / drag properly is critical.
A good way is to have someone hold the end of the line (with NO hook attached!) and set the drag so that it pulls from the reel when the rod is bent over to about 90 degrees. This is usually around 2-3 lbs of drag. Less drag is often better than too much as you can always hold your finger against the reel spool to apply more pressure as needed.
The initial run after being hooked can be quite intimidating. If there is space to let the fish go against the drag provided it won’t run into any snags. One of the biggest dangers is allowing the carp to ‘kite’ towards snags further down the bank. If the carp is ‘kiting’ then change the angle or direction you are pulling the fish, or move further down the bank, if possible to land it - but don’t forget your net!
After that first run you can steadily ‘pump’ the rod (lift the rod tip without winding then wind the reel as you lower the rod) to recover line and bring the fish towards you. The carp will likely make some more powerful runs against the reel clutch but you will gradually get the fish closer to you.
When the carp is closer or under the rod tip this can be an especially tricky time. A lot of fish can be lost when the carp surges under the rod tip and it is best to let the carp pull the rod tip downwards instead of trying to keep the rod tip high in the air.
A good sized net with a fish friendly mesh will make landing the fish much easier. Do not chase the fish with the net as you are more likely to spook it. Simply draw the fish toward you and over the net, then lift until the fish is safely in the mesh. Unless you are going to weigh and photograph your fish then it often best to simply unhook and release it while still in the water.
We hope that this introduction helps you in catching your first carp! In the next NACA magazine we’ll give you some more advanced tips as well as ideas on how and where to find key spots to catch carp.
The carp fishing apprenticeship is a learning experience. Joining the Carp Anglers Group can help you learn from experienced anglers as well as find local groups where you can join others on the bank and pick up key tips and tricks.
www.joincag.com
You can also find us on Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/groups/carpanglersgroup
Thanks to Dave Ash and Tim Mathewson for allowing us to use a couple of your photos.
The law of unintended consequences
Around 2005, I traveled each summer for a few years to Waddington to help with the Saint Lawrence Junior Tournament. My two elder sons were of age to participate and reasonably eager to fish (how things changed since then!). One of them even finished in third position with a team award. This event quickly became close to my heart.
Around 2015, the junior event was masterfully coordinated by the amazing Jo Ann Roberts (my hero!) and I started to go again every year to help as a marshal. Also, as CAG treasurer, I was the one signing the checks for the happy winners.
When you’re a marshal on a section with a dozen kids trying hard to catch a fish with a single rod, you really want to do everything you can to help them and it is not unusual to see a marshal wade chest deep in water to try to get a fish out of thick weeds.
Back in those years, a father (Stelian [Adrian] Bogdan) came to participate every year, fishing with one of his daughters. I must say I don’t remember that day, but Stelian told me that I once went wading for Anisia and we got a precious fish out. I saw Stelian and Anisia several times over the years and we became friends.
We also fished the CCC 2017 side to side and Stelian netted many fish for me as I got super lucky with the peg draw (leading me to win the total-weight, my first CCC award after my section win back in… 2003, my very first CAG event!).
Over the past few years, I started to do regular road trips, visiting and fishing multiple locations and states. A certain big river in the Northeast really caught my attention and in 2017, the stars aligned and I caught 6 thirties (up to 38lb) in 5 days, securing a win at the CAG Big-4 Fall that year. I was quite impressed by my score of 134lb, a new record for me. Those fish were rather peculiar, a small mouth and a very thick body.
To put the rest of this story in perspective, let’s go back in time for a minute, back in 2009. During the spring Big-4 event, Mario Kok hit an incredible home run in Mexico, with a total of exactly 150lb (40-13, 37-8, 36-6, 35-5). We were all absolutely stunned and I remember thinking something like “there is no freaking way I will ever pull off something like that”…
To my utter amazement, it turned out that multiple CAG members did succeed to improve on Mario’s score in the following decade:
• Pawel Salamon, Dean Brookes and Kody Clayton cracked the 150lb bar rier!
• Jacob Ayotte broke the 160lb barrier!!
• Daniel Slaby broke the 170lb barrier!!!
Let’s fast-forward to 2019 now. Remember Stelian? It turned out that he likes to fish another section of the river from where I got all my 30s in 2017. I had actually spent a few days during a previous road trip exploring this area (before figuring out that he fishes around there!) and had expertly assessed that this was not inspiring (let’s charitably say that my mind was a little clouded by my 2017 winning spot).
When Stelian invited me to visit him in the fall 2018, I said ‘yes’ because you don’t say ‘no’ to a friend, but I wasn’t too convinced…
After a mosquito-laden miserable day fishing -and blanking- in the mud, my hopes weren’t exactly lifted.
Stelian invited me again to come in the fall 2019, I said ‘yes’ again, not expecting much from a muddy and apparently featureless spot. I was so completely wrong. In just one day, I landed four 30s (up to 38lb) and vaulted in first place for the 2019 Fall big-4 early on. It took me a while to find my jaw which fell on the floor several times in the process.
After several weeks of traveling around, I secured a win against the mighty Claytons (Sean and Kody) by just a few ounces, with a last-minute 36 pounder from another big river. My big-4 total? A stellar 141lb.
This reminded me of my astonishment with Mario’s score, but my assessment remained the same, absolutely no freaking way I could ever do better than Mario…
As of the time of writing, we are at the end of a very dreary year in many respects, 2020. My spring road trip (where I had planned to fish 5 new states) got canceled. My summer plan (Costa-Rica, baby!) got canceled.
I got bored to death for most of the year, pretty much stuck at home, spending many hours trying to get those freaking airlines to reimburse various trips we had planned for me, my wife and my children (yup, I got all our $$ back).
I tried to revisit some local spots close to home, got a bit surprised at how things changed in a decade, but overall I didn’t catch much besides a glorious koi one night at 2am.
To say that I was VERY eagerly waiting for a month-long road trip in the fall would be the understatement of the year.
Since I couldn’t fly anywhere, I had decided to revisit some of the Northeast places which impressed me the most in past years, plus a couple of new places. I rented full apartments with Airbnb to play it safe with COVID and spent my days outdoors (or driving in my car).
I was very happy to spend a week fishing a big tidal river with the young and promising Ryan Munn. I had one interesting day where I caught a lot of fish, one of them broke my line on a rock and was kind enough to bite again a bit later to return BOTH rigs. That was a first!
In the following days, Ryan hit gold with multiple 30s, moving straight in first place for the fall Big-4 2020. Twice, I got a bit lazy, didn’t get out of bed early enough, then got an excited phone call from Ryan asking me to move my butt to come and take a picture of a 30+ he had landed…
The last day, we decided to fish another spot, we caught only one fish, another 30+ I netted for Ryan. I started to crack jokes about “the tortoise and the hare”, but I was rolling my eyes a bit as this talented youngster was just totally crushing me…
I kept going with my trip, exploring various areas, not catching much, including at my 2017 wonder spot. The last step of my trip was deliberately scheduled at the end of October, hoping for bigger fish. I was going to join Stelian again and this time, I was totally ready to believe that we would catch big fish, back to where I did so well the year before.
Day 1, I landed three 30s, up to 37-8lb. Day 2, I landed four 30s, bringing me to a Big-4 of 140-8lb, and allowing me to revive the “tortoise and the hare” jokes with Ryan (who had a very respectable 132lb score by then). Stelian also landed his new PB (a hefty 37-8lb fish) as heavy rain started to pour. Most of those thick fish had an incredibly small mouth, probably due to a diet of tiny mussels.
I was getting hopes of catching my first 40+ common (strangely enough, my only 40+ so far has been a big mirror, while I caught multiple 38 pounders and a 39 pounder and just couldn’t crack the 40lb barrier with commons).
Day 3 started very poorly. Steady rain overnight made a mess, it was quite tricky to avoid a hard fall on a steep and slippery muddy shore. Fortunately, Stelian planned well and brought a big canopy under which we stayed sheltered for long hours as nothing was moving. He also brought a wooden crate, so that we could land fish without getting ankle deep in the mud.
In the past couple of days, it was really quality more than quantity as we fished very long hours and bites were quite spaced out.
Still, day 3 just seemed to elongate to a miserable wet blank. I finally got a run mid afternoon. I could feel it was a nice fish, which was confirmed when I was about to net it.
Which is exactly when my second rod started to scream. I hastily netted what seemed to be yet another 30 pounder and grabbed my second rod.
I was a little annoyed at this second run, I wanted to weigh the first fish and see if it would improve my big-4 by a few ounces and help me beat my former record (141lb if you recall). So I did something I almost never do, I horsed the second fish, it got a bit stuck in some weeds while moving towards me, I got it out forcefully and quickly brought it close to shore.
By then, to avoid a snag, I was 20 yards from shore, somewhat elevated, Stelian had his net ready, I couldn’t really see the second fish and quite frankly, I didn’t care that much.
Stelian started to get real excited saying “it’s bigger than your first fish, way bigger”. I was tired, a tad skeptical and just asked him to net the fish.
He did and started to scream at me, look, look, it’s a giant. Still incredulous, I came closer, looked in the net and… er, this does seem a bit bigger than I thought... I grabbed the mesh of the net and anybody having caught big ones knows the feeling, the weight of the fish pulling on the mesh, which slices your fingers in turn, THIS feeling really tells you that you have something special.
My fingers complained like they never did before. I got the fish out of the water, on the mat close to the first fish, which suddenly looked much smaller in comparison. Stelian was jumping around excitedly, I was trying to stay calm and go through the moves, zero the scale, get the fish in the weigh bag (barely fitting in there!), grab the scale, lift the whole thing and… the arrow moved a tad past 50 pounds. No, wait, there is no freaking way. I did it again, we even took a picture of the scale and yes, indeed, it was 50-4lb.
To say that I was stunned is not even close, I could barely think. We took some pictures (in the rain and the mud with a steep shore, this wasn’t a recipe for a photography award) and fortunately Stelian thought to ask me to kiss the fish, which I did, on the landing mat.
This picture turned out to be the one showcasing this gigantic fish the best. I released the beast, quickly weighed the other one (30lb and change, hence an 80lb brace!), released it and… had to sit down for a minute, all energy totally drained out of me.
This giant fish reminded me of the nice photo montage my wife assembled for Kody Clayton, which I gave him at the 2019 Junior tournament and my surprise when I figured out he caught a 50+ (bigger than mine, hmpf) and yet never caught a 40+. And I realized that I also did what should be known as “a Kody special”. I caught a bunch of 30 pounders, then skipped the 40+ step (for commons) and moved straight in the 50 pounder rarefied club.
And here we are, the loop is closed, illustrating the law of unintended consequences. I went to the junior tournament with my kids some 15 years ago; a few years later I helped a young girl named Anisia, wading in the water to go get a carp stuck in the weeds.
Stelian was grateful, we became friends. We fished the CCC together, I got lucky, then he had the incredible generosity of inviting me to a truly unique fishing spot and sticking with me in rain and mud. And I landed the fish of a lifetime, an incredible 50 pounder. Which brought my Big-4 score a little over 160lb, a whole 10 pounds over Mario’s incredible result from 2009. This 2020 year wasn’t all that bad, in truth…
PS. Once I regained some energy after landing the big one, Stelian and I started to give a few phone calls to share the news. Stelian called Anisia and said “Jerome got a fifty!”.
The slightly rebellious teenager dryly replied “so what, it’s just a fish”. And I burst laughing, releasing all the bottled up emotions of the day…
Pieter Oberholzer with the Deeper Pro + system He won in the 2020 Cag Membership Drive.
2nd
Second Prize:
Worth $200
John Pojman
A Carp Bait USA Session Pack
First Prize:
Worth $280
Pieter Oberholzer
Deeper Smart Pro + Castable Sonar plus accessories
1st
3rd
Third Prize:
Worth $100
Kien Vuist
A selection of Carp Bait USA goodies
4th, 5th & 6th Prizes
- Gary Chapman
- Michael Christensen, - David Kiah
RidgeMonkey VRH300
Rechargeable Headlamp worth $50
7, 8, 9 & 10 Prizes
- Stuart Roffe
- Tyler Andrews
- Craig Joe
- Jonathan Stewart
Carpology Magazine Digital Subscriptions
Worth $25 each
2020 Fishin’ Factory 3 CT Carp Open
By Kyle Carlson
The fishing tournament that almost didn’t happen.
The 2020 Fishin’ Factory 3 CT Carp Open odds to take place were looking grim. The year of a global pandemic, Covid - 19, threw us one challenge after the next. I decided to roll the dice and let registration kick off in mid-July with the looming thought that I may have to cancel it. To my surprise, the tournament field filled up in just 2 1/2 days. We were all shocked to say the least.
A combination of other carp tournaments canceling and anglers having that tournament itch, resulted in everyone flocking to our unique venue in droves.
With 70 anglers and 40 teams representing 15 states the field was deep. Covid-19 plans were submitted to the state, town permissions granted, CT DEEP approval in the pocket, the mighty, tidal, Connecticut River in perfect condition, and there was only one last thing to do! It was time to fish!
The peg draw was as suspenseful as it could get! As always some teams were happy and some were not but this would make for the most interesting moving day on record. The FF3 CT Carp Open has a unique format that allows for teams that are unhappy with their drawn peg to move to a new peg 24 hours in. As you may guess, this has its pros and cons but it’s a proven strategical tactic. In 2018, Mike Hudak & Chris Gastringer moved to a new peg and won it and Ray Chagnon & Ray Strong moved and took 3rd.
Thursday – Day 1.
Fishing began at 7am and for late October we were looking at sunny skies and temps hitting 90 degrees. Not ideal fishing conditions. The first leaderboard fish (the tournament has a minimum weight of 22lb) didn’t come in until around noon and overall it was a slow day with the high pressure system making for a slow bite. A few other fish were being called in but the moving day option being on the horizon had lots of teams strategizing and wondering whether to stay or to move.
Friday Day 2 & Moving day!
7am hit on Friday and we had 4 teams that acted quickly and moved. Joe Lutz & Chad Rinck moved from peg 30 to peg 33 to get out of the current and weeds that wreaks havoc on lines entering the water this time of year.
John McGreevy & Bob Harnish moved from peg 29 to peg 18 for the same reasons. These were the only notable moves at the start of moving day but it was by far from over.
The last waves of moving day was wild to say the least. Catalin Serban moved out of peg 17 to the newly opened peg 31, Norbert Samok & Jason Edward’s moved out of their favorite peg 20 (which has placed in every tournament), to go to peg 17, while local angler, Bailey Hood, moved from peg 21 to the newly opened peg 39. So moving day had ended and everyone was positioned!
The day got off to another slow start with a few leaderboard fish being called in. Ivelin Petrov & Kevin Miller took a commanding lead at peg 51 by putting up 2 low 30’s early. Marcin Targonski fishing solo at peg 40 stuck to his proven game plan and also put up a couple leaderboard fish. Christie Haney & BJ Thomas put up 4 leaderboard fish by days end Friday at peg 35 to set the tone.
Saturday
Day 3 started with a bang! Marshals woke up with an influx of weighable fish. Marcin Targonski added to his total weight and so did Bailey Hood. Joe Lutz & Chad Rinck started to climb the board at their new peg 33. Sean Reed & Brian Savage at peg 11 stayed consistent and filled up their big four board. Overall a much more consistent day of weighing with many teams getting a 22+ pound fish to get on the board.
Sunday -
The final day! Bailey Hood took an early lead weighing in a 28lb lump at peg 39. Joe Lutz & Chad Rinck filled up their board soon after. Then Marcin Targonski called in with a couple of fish to weigh in that got him the lead with 5 hours left to go.
The final hours! Anglers were focused and grinding hard not yet knowing where they stood due to the enforced blackout period.
Some more teams put up a leaderboard fish. Norbert Samok & Jason Edward’s called in a 20.4 lb mirror to take the big mirror lead by 4 ounces over Steve Clow. Peg 32 Pawel Wesolowski & Kamil Augustowski called in a fantail that tipped the scales at 27.2 lbs. And at noon the tournament was over!
The award ceremony kicked off a couple hours later at the Elks Club in Middletown with everyone wondering how they placed.
The final results are as followed:
Big Four 1st place
Big Four
2nd place Peg
Big Four 4th place Peg
$10,000
Big Four 3rd place
This tournament would not have been possible without our dedicated marshals Matt Kelly, Pat Schunk, and Lee Hurn. Special thanks to Peter Aarrestad and the CT DEEP, Fishin’ Factory 3, Andrew Nichols & Alicia Kennedy, and to all of our sponsors that have been more than generous...
For more details: https://www.facebook.com/groups/313001709231412
Hope to see everyone next year!!
St Lawrence invitational
By Colin Peters
On July 23 news broke that the Ed French tournament had just been cancelled. Anglers all over the country were desperate for a tournament, so in a moment of madness I decided I would run a tournament here on the St Lawrence river. Had I run one before? No! So was I jumping in at the deep end? Yes!
After a quick scan of the calendar September 17th to 20th was picked and with just 8 weeks to get a tournament together from scratch there was no pressure… LOL
My first job was to get a team together so quickly I enlisted Shawn Rafter for his fishing knowledge and his many useful contacts along with Jevonnah Foster as grand Marshall and IT genius.
I explained to them what I wanted and sent Shawn off to talk to the people that mater in Waddington... the Mayor and the power authority. Jevonnah was tasked with building a website and the social media pages.
The format was going to be a Big 4 outcome with a minimum 20lb qualifying weight. All we needed now were some anglers to fish the tournament. We decided to make it an invitational event so the next few days was spent sending out invites.
It was decided that we would have a maximum of 30 teams but with 35 pegs. I spent many hours talking with Shawn about the merits of certain pegs because we wanted a tournament where you could win from any peg. Our tournament was not going to be won or lost at the draw! All pegs we chose were fished and checked for snags. We even spent a week working at one peg just pulling weeds and snags out to make it fishable!
I wanted our event to be different and tried to make everything go as smooth as possible including trying to be Covid aware at all times. We decided that the order for the draw would be done live online so with one push of the button the ‘draw order’ was decided two days in advance.
Another one of my pet hates are the raffle tickets sold at the awards ceremony so I decided that my weigh Marshall’s would sell raffle tickets to the teams while they were doing their rounds so that come the awards the raffle would just need to be drawn.
On the day of the draw it was a simple task of getting teams to get into line ready to draw. Numbered discs were replaced with numbered balls as balls mix better. I think the whole thing from start to finish took maybe 45 mins. I was so relieved once the peg draw had been done so I handed over control to my grand Marshall and could concentrate on doing some fishing.
The St Lawrence river had been dropping for a few weeks and water was disappearing at an alarming rate. The weather which had been mild decided that now would be a good time to send in a cold front and a northerly wind but fortunately the teams just got on with it.
Day One: As with most tournaments it was a slow start with only a few fish being caught and the magic 20lb mark being elusive. The first team to show were Frank and Francis Bateman, a local father and son team who put a couple of high 20s on the board at Peg 31 Brandy Brook.
Shawn Rafters team on Peg 28 b were seeing some action and also got a fish on the board. I wasn’t going to put this peg in but Shawn was persistent so I told him if he made it fishable then I would put it in, so he did and then drew it. Teams were kept up to date as soon as fish were weighed and recorded on the scoreboard.
Peg 3 at the lighthouse was performing and the Hitchcock boys were finding a few fish, this peg can be great when the wind blows into the bay but at other times you can struggle.
So the days and hours ticked by and not much was changing on the leaderboard with just the odd 20lb plus fish being caught. On Saturday things really started to happen as teams started finding bigger fish.
Peg 8 Barry Howard team
Peg11 Bogdan and Mihai
Peg12 Mark Reece and Tim Phillips
Peg28b Shawn Jen and Austin
Peg 31 Frank and Francis
Peg31a Tamas and Nubosi
It looked like these were the only teams in contention as we headed to the Sunday morning results blackout. But once the tournament ended and we headed to prize ceremony, the outcome was soon to be revealed. Congratulations to the winners and everyone who took part!
In 2019 Marcin Targonski came second overall in the CT Open Carp Tournament. This year he managed to go one better. Here his story.
In the first round of the peg draw Marcin drew pegs 40 & 48. “I’ve always been drawn to this peg” says Marcin, but no one did really good here before did they? But I went with my gut. I had a couple of other peg favorites but I needed to go there and find out.
Marcin says he liked that this swim was very much on it’s own with a choice to fish in the deep water and current or closer to the bank in slack water. His only real concern was the rocks.
While the tournament started at 7am on Thursday work commitments meant Marcin did not get down to the swim until midday. After hauling his gear down the steep bank he then spent some time plumbing the depths, watching the water and especially the movement of the weeds coming down river. Marcin said this was important for him to think of a strategy for locating the fish and for chumming so his first cast was not until 3pm… 8 hours after everyone else had started!
Marcin chose to fish one rod in the deeper water with a 6oz in-line lead and another closer in in 8-10’ with a 4oz in-line. He fished method on each rod using boilie crumb, chicken scratch & grits flavored with banana maple. He also chummed the swim as dictated by the number of fish being caught with method ball mix but with ½ boilies, and corn added.
For hook baits Marcin fished a variety of options including imitation corn, tigers, corn but it was a single 20mm Strawberry Crab boilie made by Peter Wilinski that ended up catching the fish. His first run came at about 6pm. It felt like a good fish he says but it got stuck and he lost it. Later that evening at about 9pm he had a 23.09 to get him onto the leaderboard but then after a couple more smaller carp and a catfish the swim went dead!
During the day on Friday Marcin didn’t get a run! But come Friday night he says fish were rolling everywhere although not many were over his hook baits. Then he started catching!
At around midnight he was woken by his alarm and was into good fish that tipped his scales at 32.11 (but lost 4oz in the sack so weighed 32.07 on marshals scales) Marcin is very happy! Another fish comes and it weighs 24.04 and around 3am he gets another run.
This fish feels much bigger. But the fish gets into a snag and won’t come out! Marcin has to run down the shore and climb up a tree in an effort to get it out.
Eventually the fish swims out of the snag and takes off down river. After several powerful runs and some tense moments he finally gets it into the net. It is another good fish at 30.09 and Marcin now has 4 fish on the leaderboard.
Saturday was the same as Friday with no fish being caught during the day. Marcin was getting nervous as he knew other people were posting fish. The weather also changed with a significant drop in temperature overnight going down to 38F. A few more fish came over night including a 21.00 and a 21.15 that Marcin says he checks the weight of several times before finally letting it go!
Among the challenges Marcin faced was the need for checking & sharpening his hooks before every cast! The hook points would often be bent from bouncing over the rocks in the swim.
Luckily he did not suffer the problems with weed like some swims and in the end all his fish came on the one rod fished in the shallower water.
As the final tournament catch results were now a closely guarded secret until the awards ceremony Marcin knew he needed one more good sized fish to have a chance of being among the winners.
At 9am he had a slow steady run that resulted in a 25.12 adding another 2lb plus to his big 4 overall weight.
The tournament ended at noon and with no more fish Marcin packed up and headed to Middletown for the awards ceremony still hoping that he might have made it in to the top 3.
At the ceremony Marcin was very nervous as the places were announced. 4th place went to Brian Savage & Sean Reed with 104lb 3oz.
Marcin knew he’d done better than that so was staying hopeful. 3rd went to Bailey Hood with 111lb 0oz so now it was down to who had 2nd place.
The tension was almost unbearable! 112lb 9oz secured 2nd for Chad Rink and Joseph Lutz. Marcin could not believe it… He’d won the Big 4 & $10,000 by just 7oz with a total weight of 113lb 0oz. Plus he’d won a further $2500 for the Big Fish award with his 32lb 7oz common.
Congratulations Marcin on a very well deserved CT Tournament win!
Forgotten Baits - Particles
By Iain Sorrell
There seems to be a generally accepted notion that a well targeted boilie campaign will produce bigger fish than particles. The main argument being that boilies are favored for their nutritional value. This might be true for premium brands boilies but take a look at the nutritional value for some of the particles listed below and you might be surprised!
Particles have been responsible for some truly extraordinary catches over the years. While many came as a result of well executed baiting campaigns others simply arose from opportunistic moments during stalking or short sessions.
Cost Effective!
One of the key benefits of a particle campaign is the incredibly low cost compared to boilies!
A couple of 50lb bags of Feed Corn for example will cost you less than $25. Just compare that to $500 – $600 for a similar weight of boilies. That’s a truly massive difference!
A delivery of over 500lbs of particles. Hopefully enough to last me for a couple of seasons!
The Baiting Pyramid
Here in North America, unlike most European waters, the carp are almost entirely dependent on natural food sources. A particle bait will often produce an ‘instant’ result compared to a boilie as the carp are more likely to readily accept them as a natural food item. Even just a few handfuls of sweetcorn, tigers or chick-peas can soon have carp feeding vigorously – especially on a water that has seen little or no carp fishing. When considering a longer term baiting strategy the relatively low cost of particles allows much larger quantities to be used - but just not all at once… If it is used in combination with a baiting pyramid approach over several weeks then the chances of catching the bigger fish are greatly increased. Learn more about the Baiting Pyramid: https://www.carpanglersgroup.com/forum/index. php?/files/file/164-the-baiting-pyramid/
A 40lb plus common that was caught on Peruvian corn over Feed Corn in the St Lawrence River.
Warming up!
Once water temps rise above 55F there is no doubt in my mind that particles can really begin to work their magic!
Twenty five years ago, shortly after moving to the USA, I was fishing a popular swim on the CT River in MA. It was mid August and unbelievably hot, humid and overcast. Water temps were close to 80F! Normally I would only consider early morning sessions in such conditions but work and childcare arrangements determined otherwise.
So I’d arrived late morning around 11:30 am and intended fishing into the early evening. I set up with two 1.75 test curve rods (yes that’s ONE point Seven Five!) fishing 2-3 kernels of feed corn on a simple hair rig. I began by catapulting out a couple of pounds of feed corn and settled back hoping to pick up the typical 3 or 4 fish that might be expected from such a session.
By 1pm I’d had a couple of aborted takes and was quite disappointed that I’d not banked a fish as yet. I was certain there were fish in the swim so I catapulted out a couple more pouches of corn and before I’d been able to load a third one of the rods was away.
A mid teen common soon came to the net and as I released it the other rod registered a solid run and a screaming Delkim. This time it was a better fish of around 18lb. And so the action continued. After every fish I would simply put out 1-2 catapults of corn – ‘a little but often’ as they say.
The fish kept coming and soon I could only fish one rod as the bait would barely settle before I got another run. At 6pm I packed up, rather earlier than planned, and only because I was completely exhausted!
In a little under 5 hours I’d had over 30 runs and landed 22 fish including 5 going over 20lb with the biggest going 26lb.
The start of an amazing session on the CT River – note I’m already reaching for the rod as the Monkey Climber is headed skywards!
Too Little or Too Much?
How much bait should you use really depends on where you are planning to fish and for how long. Rivers with a big head of carp like the St Lawrence or Senneca can clean out a swim in no time before they move on in search of other areas.
However dumping in 5-10 gallons of bait and then hoping to catch immediately is a very shortsighted approach. It is usually far more productive to start slowly and then build up the amount & frequency of feed as the fish demand. On ponds & lakes with smaller stocks of carp you can bait up with perhaps just a pint or two and keep fish coming back for more on a regular basis.
One of the biggest mistakes I see is the use of particles when fishing rivers. Small, light particles such as hemp seed or millet will sink very slowly and can soon end up a long, long way below the area you are fishing. The fish will most likely follow and you’ll be sat scratching your head as to why you are not catching! I avoid using mass bird seed mixes (such as pigeon feeds) in rivers for this reason as it can be very difficult to predict the outcome. It is also vitally important to determine the depth you are fishing and the flow rate.
Throw a few particles in and ‘time’ how long it takes them to sink a foot or two and then adjust accordingly when throwing the bait in upstream of where you are fishing so that it hits bottom around your hook baits.
If you ‘bind’ your particles into a method or pack mix you can be even more certain of them getting down to the bottom with less risk of them being swept downstream.
Near margin fishing on lakes is often overlooked by many angler’s especially those intent on demonstrating their casting prowess. Here in North America the abundance of unpressured waters means that carp will very likely cruise and feed along the shoreline.
Even if there is considerable bankside activity during the day they will often move in once things have quietened down after dark. If there are overhanging trees or dense bankside vegetation that limit access to the water then there is a good chance carp will feel comfortable patrolling and feeding in these areas.
While you can in some cases fish directly over the top of some vegetation such as reeds etc it is often best to put in some bait and make a cast from a nearby swim parallel to the bank.
A couple of pieces of imitation corn fished on a suitable rig with a supple braid hook link is very effective for such situations. Baiting up could not be simpler. A bucket of particles plus a baiting spoon or a catapult are all you need to quickly & easily spread bait in a few key spots along the margins.
Imitation corn fished over particles in the margins fooled this big common on a highly pressured European venue.
Precision is Key!
A big difference when baiting particles versus boilies is in the spread of the bait. When fishing boilies it often pays to spread them out over a wider area to encourage the fish to move about in search of the next bait. A few boilies around the ‘sharp end’ are all that is then needed to help the carp home in on the hook bait.
But the opposite is true with particles, especially mass baits. Ideally you want to keep the baited area as tight as possible to encourage more competitive feeding. You can spread the bait out a little when prebaiting but once you have homed in on a more precise location it’s important to stick to your chosen spot.
This requires accurate work with a Spomb or catapult as well as precise casting with the baited rig to ensure you are continually ‘on-target’. If you spread particles out over a large area you’ll end up with the carp meandering around slowly picking up the potentially hundreds, if not thousands of baits. Ideally the more fish fight over the bait the more likely one will be to gulp down your baited hook!
The Golden Rule…
“A little bit often” is a well known phrase for baiting up while fishing and nothing is truer when fishing particles. If you throw too many particles into a swim at the beginning of a session then your hook bait is going to be buried and it will be like finding the proverbial needle in the haystack.
If you can fish 2 or 3 rods then a narrow line of chum at 45 degrees to the bank to intercept cruising carp and is another very effective baiting pattern!
It is much better to start slowly and then build up as the swim develops. A half to a couple of pounds of particles (half as much for mass baits like hemp) should get them started.
Another Spomb or couple of catapults after each fish will keep the swim topped up and help the carp keep their heads down.
Another trick that I’ve seen work remarkably well when carp seem to be intercepting the bait before it hits the bottom is to fill a spod or Spomb with gravel. The carp will respond to the noise of the Spomb hitting the surface but since there is nothing to ‘eat’ will be more likely to feed on the bottom and pick up your hook bait. Another golden rule: “Once you’ve put bait in you can’t take it out”!
Particles, nutrition values and how to prepare them.
Sweetcorn
Still one of the best carp baits – Ever!
Straight out of the can a couple of grains on the hook over a few handfuls thrown in as chum are as instant a carp bait as can be found. One of my favorite ways to fish sweetcorn is to wander around a lake and throw or catapult in a few handfuls in a some likely looking spots.
I then return a little while later armed with a float rod or light ledger set up and look to see if any carp are feeding (look for bubbles or muddy clouds) in the pre-baited spots.
It’s a great way to stalk fish and sometimes produces some real beasts if you are stealthy.
A few drops of your favorite flavor or some Betalin sweetner can make sweetcorn even more attractive but there is no need to overdo it. A mix of sweetcorn and hemp seed is another deadly combination.
Sweetcorn:
- 14% Protein
- 5.2% Fat
- 81%Carbohydrate. - Potassium, - Vitamin C - Iron - Magnesium
Float fishing just a couple of grains of sweetcorn on the hook have resulted in some cracking carp over the years.
Feed Corn or Maize
Cheap, easily available and too often underrated. A 50lb bag usually costs less than $10-12 and when prepared & used correctly can produce some stunning results for a fraction of the cost of other baits.
I prefer to spend a few extra dollars on buying top quality feed corn as it will usually have bigger grains and been washed and separated from bits of husk, dust and other debris. Its bright yellow color really stands out and carp seem to become very preoccupied once they get on it. Almost any fruit flavor such as Pineapple or Strawberry will boost the attraction of feed corn. Cake and other spices (cinnamon, cloves etc) plus chilli, garlic and anise can all work well in moderation.
Feed Corn Preparation
#1 Quick & Simple. Soak in water for 24 hours and then boil for 40 mins. I like to let the corn cool slowly after boiling as I like to see up to half of the corn kernels begin to split open. If you like you can add your choice of flavor or coloring or both at this time. Put aside some whole kernels for hook baits.
#2 Germinated Corn. Place the corn in a shallow container and cover with water (check daily to ensure it does not dry out) and leave until it begins to sprout. This can take 2-3 weeks depending on the ambient temperature. As the seeds germinate the stored starch in the grain is converted into maltose a natural sugar that carp love! The grains will still need boiling for 30-40 mins to soften them sufficiently as hook bait.
#3 Fermented Corn. Follow the instructions in #1 and then leave for a few days in a warm place. In the presence of yeasts corn will soon start to
ferment and create an attractive sweet ‘boozy’ or alcoholic aroma. The complex starches will be converted to various sugars & alcohols which carp find very attractive. Adding some molasses or sugar along with some yeast will help to accelerate the process. Make sure the lid is loose fitting as the process generates carbon dioxide that can build up considerable pressure!
#4 Vomit Corn. As the name suggests this is not for the faint hearted! Follow the instructions in #1 and then fill 5 gallon buckets 4/5 full making sure it is covered with liquid. Now close the lid firmly and leave it in your garage or basement for a minimum of two weeks (I have some from last Fall ready to use this Spring!). Scrape off & throw away the nasty looking crust or sludge on the top and below it you should find a primeval soup. The bacterial digestion process will help create a wealth of sugars, amino acids and an aroma that will knock your socks off but seems to be remarkably attractive to carp.
You can also buy any number of commercially prepared corn baits which come in a wide variety of flavors & colors. These are usually too costly to use in any large quantity but do make excellent hook baits that will stand out nicely from the free samples.
Feed corn:
- 10% Protein
- 5% Fat
- 74%Carbohydrate
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Vitamin B6
- Iron & Magnesium
Peruvian Corn
These quarter sized grains really stand out. They are prepared just like regular feed corn and make excellent hook baits. I usually make up several batches with different flavors and store them in vacuum bags in the freezer until needed. You then have plenty of hook baits and can also add some to a bucket of regular feed corn for chumming. They are also available prepared like Hominy in cans which can be dyed in various colors so it really stands out.
Hominy
A much underrated bait but its brilliant white color really makes it stand out. It comes from a process of de-husking feed corn with a strong alkaline solution. I usually add it to a mix of sweetcorn & hempseed when float fishing and alternate it as a hook bait.
Cracked Corn
Another very cost effective addition to your chum / ground bait program. The small pieces of feed corn create a mass of particles that will keep carp occupied for hours. Preparation is simple. Carefully pour boiling water over the cracked corn until is well covered and leave to soak for a couple of days. Add it to feed corn chum mix but only if fishing a lake or cove on a river. In faster flowing water the cracked corn will quickly get washed down stream taking the fish with it!
Tiger (chufa) Nuts
Another great bait that is often over or improperly used. You can buy bulk bags of ‘Chufa’ here in the USA or order some of the imported, large sized nuts (ideal for hook baits) available from the commercial bait companies. I’ve done very well on some waters with tigers but less so on others.
The key is not to overdo it with the free samples as carp will repeatedly ingest and vent out pieces of tiger nut – almost ad infinitum!
You only need a handful or two of chopped tigers to start with and a pound or so should last you for a weekend session! Use too many and you’ll end up with a big spread of chewed up tigers that detracts from the hook bait being picked up.
Preparation is simple but takes time if you want top quality results. Simply place a couple of pounds of tiger nuts plus 1/4 pound of sugar in a bucket, cover with boiling water and then seal the bucket and leave for 3-4 days. Transfer to a large pan & boil rigorously for 30-40 mins making sure they don’t boil dry or burn.
Some folk will use them after this stage but I like to store them once again in a sealed bucket for a few more days to allow some fermentation to develop. You can then use them or freeze for future use as needed. I rarely bother flavoring tigers but some folk swear by soaking them in Red Bull, Coca Cola or even in cinnamon or clove spice. If you want them a little sweeter then try something like Betalin or Talin. A small drill allows them to be easily mounted on a hair rig and you can easily pop them up using a bigger drill and plugging the hole with foam or cork or create a balanced rig with an imitation and real tiger combo.
Tiger nuts:
- 25% Protein
- 25% Fat
- 50% Carbohydrate
- Potassium
- Vitamin E & B6
- Iron & Magnesium
Chick Peas (Garbanzo)
A hugely popular bait in its day but too often overlooked. Available dried (soak for 24 hours and boil for 30 mins) or buy them precooked in a can. They can be used with or without flavoring and can also be dyed a variety of colors. I like them for float fishing as a hook bait as they can be catapulted out a long way if needed. I usually drill them first before mounting on a hair to avoid them splitting.
Chick Peas:
- 19% Protein
- 6.5% Fat
- 64% Carbohydrate
- Potassium
- Vitamin B6
- Iron & Magnesium
Maple Peas
One of my personal favorites. They are not usually an instant bait but once carp are established on them the results can continue for several weeks with regular baiting.
Rod Hutchinson suggested they are best suited to fishing over silt or where there is prolific midwater weed and are especially effective in colored waters where carp rely more on smell than sight when feeding.
There is no need to color or flavor them. While they work very well simply soaked for a couple of days I prefer to get them sprouting as it really enhances the natural sugars and flavor.
Once the maples have been soaking for 24 hours I spread them out on a tarp in my garage. You must, however, keep them lightly dampened with more water so they don’t dry out.
After a couple of days they will begin to sprout at which point I use them straight away or bag them up and freeze till needed. Use them on their own or mixed in with other particles.
Maple Peas:
- 25% Protein
- 1.5% Fat
- 66% Carbohydrate
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Calcium & Iron
Peanuts & other Nuts
Another under rated but highly effective bait. Carp have been caught on a variety of nuts including brazil, cashews & almonds. The oilier the better which is why the distinctive aroma and oils in peanuts make them very attractive especially when fished over silt or weed.
On some waters it can be as deadly as sweetcorn while on others you can end up blanking! They can be used straight from the bag or blanched in boiling water overnight to release more of the oils and to stop them floating. Two or three half kernels can be drilled and then mounted on a hair rig.
I personally use an Enterprise Tackle pellet ‘cup’ mounted on a hair and trim the peanut so it sits well inside the cup with 1/8-1/4” protruding.
Peanuts:
- 26% Protein
- 49% Fat
- 16% Carbohydrate
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Vitamin B6
- Iron & Magnesium
Aduki, Black Eye, Lima, Kidney, Soya bean etc.
All of the above beans have proven successful carp baits over the years. They are rarely if ever used her in North America which might just be a good enough reason to give them a go!
Soak 1lb of beans overnight, boil gently for 30 mins and you should have plenty for a session or two. They often work very well without pre-baiting or adding flavor but don’t let this stop you from experimenting or thinking outside the box.
Soya bean:
- 36% Protein
- 20% Fat
- 30% Carbohydrate
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Vitamin C &B6
- Iron & Magnesium
Mass Baits
Tiny seeds which are usually too small to conventionally mount on a hook or hair fall into the category of ‘mass’ baits. These include hemp, rice, millet, cracked corn, grits and various bird seed mixes. Carp will often become totally preoccupied on such small baits rooting through weed, silt or soft mud in an effort to pick up every last morsel.
It is important to recognize the difference in this feeding pattern versus a carp searching out a boilie or natural ‘live’ bait (such as worm or crayfish) here and there. You should not over feed mass baits and ideally keep them focused in small tight areas rather than spread all over the place.
Most folk will fish a boilie or other larger particle on the ‘hook’ but even tiny seeds can be fished by super gluing them around a cork ball or you can use the Kryson ‘Bogey’ particle fixer.
Hemp Seed
A fantastic bait that can produce spectacular results but can also leave anglers scratching their heads. Hemp seeds are incredibly nutritious. They are a rich protein source and contain over 30% fat especially in two essential fatty acids, linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3). There have been many times I’ve seen carp rolling over a swim baited with hemp seed with barely a beep registered on the alarms, let alone a hook up! As a result I now only use hemp seed in much smaller quantities.
One great way to use hemp seed is when fishing boilies or imitation corn as a hook bait. Pack the hemp seed (you can also add in some sweetcorn) into a PVA mesh or bag so that the hook bait sits on top of a bed of hemp. The Hemp Seed available to buy in bulk in the USA has been irradiated to stop it from germinating so does not look quite as enticing as the commercial bait preparations you can buy from Europe.
Preparing hemp seed: Measure out one cup of hemp seed to four cups of water and boil for 30 minutes. You can add chilli or other flavors at this stage and some folk also add a teaspoon or two of Bicarbonate of soda to the cooking process as it helps to darken the seeds and make the white core stand out more. You should start to see the seeds begin to split open at which point you want to turn off the heat. Drain off but keep the liquid (reduce it with further boiling to add back to the seeds later as it contains a lot of the oils and flavors) and then cover the seeds in cold water to stop them cooking any further.
Hemp bean:
- 46% Fat
Once cooled drain off the cold water and add back the reduced original liquid they were cooked in. I make up 5-10lb at a time and pack into half gallon zip locks and freeze until needed. - 36% Protein
- 6.6% Carbohydrate
- Potassium
- Iron
- Vitamin E - Magnesium
Pigeon Feeds
Available in a wide variety of seed mixes. The content vary depending on the brand but most include a mix of peas and seeds such as yellow corn, millet, Canadian peas, maple peas, wheat, oats, kafir, safflower seeds etc.
It has become a popular chum among carp anglers in North America as it provides plenty of small items to keep carp occupied.
Sunflower seeds
Since they float naturally they are an ideal surface bait for carp. An effective bait but unshelled seeds need to be boilied or hulled if you plan to fish them on the bottom. The shells absorb dyes and flavors extremely well so you can have fun experimenting.
Rice
Anyone who fishes or follows the success of pack baits will know how effective rice can be. Packbait anglers use instant rice mixed with tomato ketchup but regular rice lightly cooked will also do the trick as a mass bait. Flavor or color as you feel necessary.
Wheat, Barley, Millet, etc
Often under rated these seeds can produce some stunning results. Wheat & Barely are particularly effective when allowed to ferment in a bucket for a few days before stopping the process by boiling for 15-20 mins. You can then add them to other particles and fish in the same way as you would with hemp.
Naturals
I’ve added this category simply to highlight the range of particles that carp might find naturally in their local habitat. It might take some extra effort in collecting them but for the more adventurous angler looking to do something a little different it can be a very rewarding exercise. Overhanging trees or bushes will drop seeds, nuts or fruits into the water. Carp are well known for eating cotton seed, acorns and mulberries when they are in season. I’ve also come across several waters here in New England that sit alongside farms that grow field corn. A few husks and grains have clearly ended up in the water where I’m sure the carp have taken advantage of this free food supply.
Storage of Particles
Dry, unprepared particles are magnet for mice and insects (moths & weevils) so are best stored in a cool, dry place and ideally in sealed containers such as 40 or 60lb Gamma Vitalle Vaults. Once prepared careful storage of particles is vital.
They can go off very quickly so vacuum sealing and freezing in session sized packs or gallon ziplocks is ideal. Larger quantities can be stored, covered in liquid, in 5 gallon buckets with a tight fitting or Gamma seal lid.
Adding salt, sugar or citric acid can help preserve particles longer and reduce the risk of spoilage.
Session packs ready to freeze
Imitation Baits
There are now several different brands of plastic imitation baits available but none in my opinion can match the quality and range from Enterprise Tackle.
The choice includes Tigers, Lupins, Sweetcorn, Maize, Maples, Hemp Seed, Peanuts and so on, many in both buoyant or sinking options.
Some are also available pre-soaked in the more popular flavors from the leading European bait manufactures. These imitations can be fished very effectively in combination with the real thing or even fished just on their own over a bed of particles. The buoyant imitations allow critically balanced or popped up baits to be created as needed, plus the choice of colors (take a look at the new Enterprise ‘Washed Out’ range) allows you to either match the natural bait or use a bright or contrasting color to help the hook baits really stand out.
A solid twenty five pound common nailed in the bottom lip. Taken on a ‘shot-on-hook’ rig with imitation corn over a bed of particles.
PVA Tricks
One problem with particle baits is the water content they are infused with in preparation and storage. If you want to present particles in a PVA bag or mesh stick then it’s vital to remove any excess liquid (save it for method or groundbait mixes).
One of the easiest ways is to place the particles in a sieve, to drain the liquid, then sprinkle them with plenty of salt. The particles can then be loaded into the PVA without it melting.
Another excellent way is to drain off the liquid and then coat the particles with dry breadcrumbs (panko), oats or similar absorbent material to help dry them.
Once dried or salted they can also be mixed with a little oil such as hemp, peanut, sunflower or even the oil from a can of tuna or salmon if you want something a little different.
This will not only prevent the PVA melting too quickly but will also help dissipate the particle and oil aroma through the water column. If you prefer something other than using oils then mixing the particles with molasses, honey or condensed milk will also work brilliantly especially when the water temps are higher in the summer months.
Rig Choices for Particles
One of my all-round favorites is Frank Warwick’s Long Shank rig. Ideal for 3-5 kernels of feed corn on the hair when fished as a bottom bait or balanced with some pop-up imitation corn.
A size 4 or 6 long shank hook on a 5-7” hook length of coated braid (shorter if you are fishing method) is usually ideal.
The hair length can be adjusted to suit the size of bait and held along the shank with a piece of shrink tubing. Another piece of shrink tubing or commercial hair aligner ensures the hook turns over readily. A piece of tungsten putty, split shot etc can be placed on the hook length about 1” behind the hook, where the coating has been stripped, which will help orientate the hook point downwards to stick in the bottom lip.
I’ve also been playing around with various alternatives to the traditional blow-back rig for popped up particle baits.
The Shot-OnHook Rig uses a wide gape hook with a ‘ringed’ rig swivel positioned between two hook beads. However it’s the tungsten rubber bead positioned between the bend and the hook barb that catches out the carp. This rig is usually fished with a PVA bag or mesh full of particles. When the carp sucks up the small bed of particles this rig flies up into its mouth. However once there it sinks like a stone with the hook point settling just behind the lower lip making it very difficult for the carp to eject.
Components: PB KD Curve #8 hook (ideal for sweetcorn sized baits but use a #6 or #4 for larger baits like Feed Corn) tied to 6 – 8″ of soft braided hook link plus a Short Shank Hook Aligner. A Ringed #24 Bait Swivel is positioned between two hook beads and a ‘Shot-On-Hook’ tungsten rubber bead placed as shown in the picture. You can also use a split shot clamped around a short piece of braid over the hook bend.
In this instance I’ve added two pieces of Enterprise Tackle ‘washed out’ pop-up sweet corn by looping a piece of 12lb mono through the swivel and pulling it through the corn. I then use a gas lighter to melt the mono to create a ‘blob’ to keep it in place. You can of course substitute the corn for real or imitation tiger nuts etc. I usually fish this rig along the margins on a light 1-2oz running lead together with a PVA bag or mesh of hemp seed & sweetcorn.
There are of course plenty of other rigs you can use and I would encourage everyone to experiment to see which ones work best.
Anyway I hope I’ve encouraged you to give particles a try before reaching for another bag of boilies on your next carp fishing campaign!
On the Puff
By Matt Janiszewski
If you’ve overlooked fishing the ‘puff’ believing to be only a paylake or small fish technique then it’s time to think again! Matt Janiszewski has demonstrated time and time again a remarkable ability to put some very big fish in the net with puff n’ pack both in NJ waters where he currently lives or on frequent trips back to CT when visiting friends and family. Matt has an extraordinary tally of big fish that includes a stunning 53.12 common.
When not fishing Matt (aka SaxMatt) is a saxophonist who regularly performs in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Jazz, rock, blues, funk, this sax man does it all. As a woodwind specialist with over 10 years of experience Matt teaches private lessons, ensembles, composition, and improvisation. Matt holds a BA in Music, BS in Education and a Master of Music in Jazz.
One of the simplest and most effective yet overlooked ways to catch wild carp is with the use of pack and puff. Any angler can go to their local Walmart and buy everything they need to catch carp on pack and puff including bait and gear for under $100.
It is a style of fishing that was developed decades ago at southern paylakes, where they tested and fine tuned their bait and rigs at local tournaments. Over the years many tournaments have been won and big wild fish have been caught using pack and puff.
What kind of gear do you need for puff fishing?
For my rigs I use from size 2 to a 1/0 J hook or octopus hook, it’s extremely important to have sticky sharp hooks so check them before every cast.
I use 25-30lb floro or mono and a barrel swivel for my rigs and make them 2-4” in length, don’t tie the rigs much longer because the puffs will float. If you put 1 puff on a 1/0 hook it should pop up off the bottom for 20-30 minutes then sink on top of your pack bait, 2 puffs will make the rig float for hours.
You can use a variety of knots, just make sure your line is coming out through the eye of the hook towards the point of the hook, not the back of the hook.
A variety of different rods, reels, and line can be used for puff fishing. I prefer 12’ carp rods that are 2.75-3.00 pound test curve with 50lb braided line and bait runner reels.
I like the lighter rods with braid because I get less hook pulls, if you prefer using mono I suggest at lest 15lb for line strength and because of the stretch you can use heavier rods up to 3.5tc.
Many anglers like using shorter 9-10’ rods and those will work too, a lot of paylakers use shorter rods with conventional reels. I add a 3-4’ 30lb fluorocarbon shock leader to the end of my braid for abrasion resistance, stretch, and stealth.
I recommend using no roll leads or inline gripper leads that are 4oz or more if you are fishing heavy current. If you use leads lighter than 4oz the rig won’t work as well because it will be easier for the carp to eject the hook with less tension.
What is pack bait?
Pack bait is a mixture of simple ingredients that are designed to be packed around your lead and/ or puff. The mixture should be sticky enough so it doesn’t break apart while casting, but dry enough to break up within a few minutes once it’s on the bottom. The hardest thing to do when you first start using pack bait is getting the consistency right, so spend some time testing your pack in shallow water to see how fast it breaks up.
Here are three simple pack bait recipes. My go-to pack bait for most times of the year is oat pack. Just mix 1 large 42oz container of old fashioned oats, half a large can of quick oats, 2 cans of creamed corn and a dash of kosher salt. Another great pack bait especially in cold water is bread pack.
You can make bread pack by mixing panko or bread crumbs with creamed corn, but I prefer to use fresh white bread. To make pack using fresh bread just use your blender to grind the bread into a powder. Often liquified bread packs without adding anything to it, but if it doesn’t pack you can add small amounts of creamed corn until it packs.
The third type of pack bait I use is grits pack. To make grits pack mix 18oz instant grits, 9oz 5-minute grits, a can of creamed corn and a dash of kosher salt. Make sure you buy instant grits because if you try to use only 5-minute grits it will never pack. I usually don’t add any flavor to my pack bait but if you want to experiment with flavors try mixing a small amount into your creamed corn before you add it to the rest of the pack. A little flavor goes a long way, too much flavor or the wrong flavor can easily deter fish!
Pack bait can be used around your lead, your puff, or both. When you’re ready to bait up put a handful of the mix into your palm, put the lead or puff rig on top and cover it with the same amount of pack that you put in your palm so the ball turns out even.
Work the pack into a ball that stays on well, after the ball is done you can wet your hands and pack it a few more times so the outside is stickier and the ball doesn’t come off on the cast.
All of these pack bait mixes will dry out eventually and stop packing, when that happens add more creamed corn little by little until you’re able to pack it again.
If you want to make the mix stickier you can add a small amount of water: this will cause the pack to break up slower or not at all so it’s good for using around your lead in current, but I wouldn’t put water in the pack you’re using it around the puff.
Adding more quick oats or bread to your pack bait will also help it bind better, dry old fashioned oats or 5-minute grits will help the pack break down. You can even mix different pack baits together to create different consistencies and particle sizes. Like I said earlier, check your bait to see the breakdown time.
What is a puff?
A puff is a piece of puffed corn cereal such as Arrowhead Mills puffed corn, Kix, or Pops. Just put a puff or 2 directly on your hook, dip into your favorite flavor and you’re ready to put pack bait on and cast out. I like the puffs that are stale because they stay on better, a good puff will squeak when you put the hook through it.
The puff should stand out from your pack bait, it should be the cherry on top of a sundae. You can pre-flavor puffs by adding a small amount of flavor and a handful of puffs to a container, shake them up then put them on a plate and microwave for 10 seconds. Pre-flavoring puffs can sometimes make them shrivel up so I usually just dip my puffs right before I cast instead. The puffs get soft in the water and almost always come off when you reel in, don’t be worried if your hook keeps coming back empty.
If the water is calm and you look closely you’ll see the puff float to the surface when you reel in.
I usually rebait around every 45 minutes depending on the conditions, but I’ve left puffs out for over 4 hours and still caught fish, the puffs stay on better than you’d think.
In general I’ll rebait more often in rivers and places with catfish, but it depends on the current and activity. Puffs will come off a hair rig easier than a 1/0 hook so I wouldn’t recommend using a hair rig, plus putting puffs directly on the hook is a better looking presentation.
Now that you know the basics of pack and puff fishing it’s time to go out there and catch some fish. It takes some practice to get the feel for making pack the right consistency, but if you keep at it you will be rewarded.
I fish a variety of other baits and euro style rigs but the simple pack and puff rigs almost always out produce everything else. Pack and puff is an underutilized style of carp fishing and would be a great tool to add to your arsenal, whether you are a novice or an expert.
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Fishing the enigma of Dale Hollow
By Andrew King
My Dale Hollow trip, hope you enjoy reading my story as much as I did making it
We all approach each fishing trip with excitement, anticipation, hope, intimidation and a lot of other thoughts.
My latest 9 day session was to be the longest I have ever fished, and I was going alone, to a primitive location with, no showers or proper facilities. My wife thought I was mad. That is the attraction that Dale Hollow in Tennessee has to serious carp anglers, the thought of wild water carping on a 27,000 acre reservoir, known to have a high population of never before caught mirror and common carp. The possibility of catching my new personal best far outweighs the discomforts I might have to endure.
The day arrived, to say I was excited was an understatement. My truck loaded, and Garmin destination entered, off I set at 4am, my aim was to drive through with as few stops as possible to maximize my time there.
The countryside approaching DH is stunning, and the first view of the reservoir over the Obey Marina Bridge started my heart racing. I arrived after a 9 hour drive from NC and a good breakfast. The water level was extremely low due to the fall level reduction that occurs each year.
I began the arduous unloading process and setting up my bivvy and campsite. Do I really need all this stuff? I think I had everything from battery charging station to wet weather gear. I know this is a location that is unforgiving for the unprepared, that was not going to be me. I had read of people losing their tents, bivvies etc and getting rain soaked, I was packed as if I was going on an arctic expedition.
My session started with some depth checking with a marker float and I noticed huge weed beds between 30-40 yds out from the bank. I had to ensure I baited and cast out just beyond those for any hope of bringing in a fish successfully.
The weather was looking good with no rain forecast for the coming week and temps in the high 60s to low 70s, perfect for fall fishing. I was the only person camping at the site, just me and nature.
Once the rods were out I began the baiting regime, it was going to be a bucket early evening, and one in the morning after the usual bite time had passed.
That is hard work, and by the end of the bucket I was ready for a cup of tea and some relaxation, but no, I have to set up my campfire. Collecting as much firewood as I could close to my campsite, I started the fire going. By then it was dark and I was ready for a cup of tea.
As expected no fishing action occurred overnight, but the bad weather rolled in unexpectedly as it does in that area. It rained so hard all night and into the early morning I thought it was a monsoon. The wind was ripping across the site hitting my bivvy side on, I hunkered down and hoped I had pegged it down sufficiently, as I honestly thought it was about to take off and leave me in the open pouring rain.
The wind here is well known for being brutal and will take a lot of prisoners if you are unprepared and not a seasoned camper, don’t treat the weather at DH lightly! It can ruin your session and send you packing.
I knew that it would take at least a couple of days to get the fish interested in my bait and to stay in the area. The next day continued with the baiting and firewood collection, I saw no signs of any approaching fish, so expected another quiet day, allowing me to settle in to my new home and arrange my bivvy and get some PVA mesh bags prepared.
Here is a little tip, don’t prepare PVA bags and then store them in a zip lock plastic bag and leave them in the sun!! When I checked them after a few hours the bags had a nice level of condensation built up in them, and my PVA bags had lots of holes where the moisture had melted the bags, lesson learned.
trying to gather yourself together after being suddenly woken from a deep sleep………….. Where are my shoes? Why can’t I get my arm into my sweatshirt? Where’s my headlamp………. Stumble, stumble… …..I finally get myself out of the bivvy and hop down to the rod pod.
Strike 1, fish on, this is what I came here for. The thrill of fishing for me is the fact that you don’t know the size of the fish you have hooked into immediately.
This wasn’t a big one, but it was my first DH carp of the session, and a big moment for me. I landed a perfect 16lb common and went back to my sleeping bag a happy camper.
I settled in for the night, a nice hot meal inside me, I sat watching the stars, which always give me a lot of pleasure at these dark sites, the moon was almost full but rose quite late so I made the most of the dark sky before moonrise occurred.
I was expecting another run free night, but was pleasantly surprised when at 1am I was woken by the steady Delkim bleep I love, it’s always fun
I was woken again at 3am with a 13lb common, then at 3.25am with a very strong run, which after a 5 min struggle snapped me off in the weeds. I thought that was it for the night (or morning as it then was) but another run at 4am landed a nice 22lb common, tiger nuts seemed to be the bait of the day. I had to hit the sack again to get some sleep.
During breakfast at 8am another 11lb common was landed (guaranteed if you want to get a run, start cooking). It seemed the fish had moved in as 9.45am got me a small 11lb mirror, the first one of the trip.
The day passed quietly and I had the pleasure of meeting some guys from Indiana who were there for 4 days of carpin’, it would be nice to share some stories, and give, and receive help with the fish. Between 5pm – 10pm I landed another 7 fish, the biggest a 22lb mirror. The session was gathering momentum nicely.
Nothing occurred overnight until 7am the next morning when I had a “Delkim Screamer”, I knew this was a heavy fish, a nice solid feel to it, not much fight just a heavy slow drag. I landed my new PB a 32lb common with a nice belly, “YES, get in the net!!!”
I shouted in my best impression of Danny Fairbrass. This is why I had travelled to DH, and this fish alone would have made my trip worthwhile. Another 13lb common during the morning, then 5 more fish up to midnight including a 20 & 22lb mirror and 16, 18 & 26lb common making that one of my best fishing days ever.
At 1am I hooked into another big fish and after a short struggle it again snapped me off in the weed bed, was I fishing too close to it or should I use the “drop the lead” system, which I didn’t have with me. That day I landed 4 more fish, 2 x14lb’ers a 25lb mirror and an 18 ½lb mirror.
Tuesday night turned into another rain event with the wind whipping as it did on Saturday, I survived again, kudos to my Trakker Tempest Brolly, it can take a lot of hammering from wind and rain and I stayed completely dry and comfortable throughout my session. Also my Trakker Levelite bed and Duotex sleeping bag had me sleeping like a baby (when I was not occupied).
I was almost glad that no fish took the bait that night as I was not relishing the thought of having to step outside my bivvy in those conditions. In the morning I peeked outside to survey if there was any damage to my campsite due to the very heavy winds. I noticed that my rod pod was laying on its side and all 3 rods were on the ground, thank heavens I didn’t get a run, it would have probably taken my rod into the water eventually.
Another lesson learned, peg down your Rod Pod, I used 2 short lengths of guy rope and some tent pegs to secure the pod from being blown over if there were to be any more strong winds (think I will use this tactic for all future long sessions).
I then made the mistake of stopping the baiting for 1 day only. In my mind I didn’t want to overfeed the swim (stupidly as it turned out). The fish left the swim, that’s the only explanation I have. I only had 3 fish for the next 2 days. After chatting with several buddies they all told me, “keep the bait going in”, I immediately started re- baiting heavily again.
By early Friday morning the fish were back on the feed, 3 more landed 12, 18 & 19lb mirrors.
The final day for fishing had arrived, it was Saturday the bites started at 1.50am with a 10 & 13lb mirror. At 5am another big fish was hooked but after a short battle came off due to a hook pull! Then between 11am and 1am the next day I landed another 4 fish, 13, 2x14, and a 20lb mirror.
The rods were pulled in for the last time at 1m on Sunday morning.
I wanted an early start home so got up at 5am to start taking down my campsite and loading the truck, this ended up taking nearly 2 hours, boy did I have a lot of gear to pack! I was on the road home by 7am with a 9 hour drive ahead of me.
What a trip that was, I enjoyed every minute of it. Had some great weather, and some bad. My equipment held up well, no failures. Met some nice people who passed through the site while I was there.
This lake holds some stunning fish, but it’s not going to give them up very easily. You have to use all your cunning and stealth to lure them in and keep them there.
Each season will have its difficulties, for me it was fishing with a large weed bed. Heavy reliable tackle is needed and will help you land one of these beauties.
This is a lake that demands the best from you, and in return will provide you with its best fish, and make you want to return time and time again.
