"That Which Does Not Kill Me Makes Me Stronger"

by Sean Lehman AKA: "Miso_Ohio"

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North American Carp Angler

A Quote to live by this past weekend at the year-end Alum Creek Carp-In. This was event full off rain, sleet, cold, winds in excess of 30 mph, and of course carp. Before I start I would like to thanks everybody who came out and braved the weather, this was about as bad as it gets. Here is the list of the "Xtreme Eighteen" that fished the event.

Ak aka CarppieLooker, Sean aka Miso_Ohio, Tim aka Tim412, Tim aka TimJC, Dick aka 10BoilieDick, Craig aka Cypry, Phil aka RadaarPhl, Clayton aka CWCarper & fiancée Bambi, Rick aka CarpioHunter, Brian the South African, Mike aka Carpless & future Brother-n-Law Jeremy, John aka CarpChaser, Justin aka CarperBoy, Rick aka Catking, Jack aka Flathunter & son Steven

I would also like to put a kind word on all Brollies and Bivvies used this weekend, every single one of them from Fox, X2, Chub Tackle and Duck Blinds held up brilliantly under extreme winds and weather conditions.

Ak arrived way too early Friday as usual, I think he was there around 10 AM, reports from him was it was windy as heck. Anyways I finished loading the old Jeep and headed up there only to arrive around 12:30. Ak was still setting up, I borrowed his cart and got my gear out there, and also set up Shawn Woerlein's brolly (thanks for letting me borrow it), a very difficult task in the 10 mph winds. After setting up we both baited a little and then sat down to a cold one awaiting the magical 3 Pm when the event officially starts. At this point I was a little afraid of a poor turnout due to the weather.

3 pm comes and goes and our lines are in the water, meanwhile Tim from PA shows up and starts to set up, he had a new Chub Tackle Cyclone EZ brolly, it was great, everybody should check them out. Very soon afterwards Tim from Cincy, Dick of 10 boilie fame and Craig (the reigning Ohio Carp King) show up and set-up. While this is all going on AK starts landing the fish pretty consistently. A little later Phil shows up to setup for the next day, and Clayton and Bambi show up. The evening has been set with 8 carpers on the bank and 6 staying the night, the bank was starting to fill up with Brollies.

The night went on with the winds picking up a little and on and off showers, AK quickly lead the way with something like 11 carp landed, followed by Craig who landed a bunch as well. Most other people landed at least one this night as well. It didn't take long, at about 9 PM AK lands the big one of the event and season at 21.5 Lbs, he followed this one up much later with a 19.5 Lb fish, he also landed a nice 8 lb mirror at this time the only one of the event. Craig landed a bunch of low teen fish out on the point; this was about the average size of the fish caught. I experienced a few problems with the zebras and bumped up the shock to 80 Lb power Pro. Lots of runs and a lot of missed fish that night, and a lot of false alarms due to the wind. Rick from Indy showed up in the middle of the night, he set-up and then went to the truck to wait out the weather. Brian also showed up and sets up and chums a swim, then heads for home to give it a go the next day. Around 10:30 Ak heats up some Chicken Vegetable stew to warm everybody up, it was tasty and hot.

Saturday morning, came about to very calm conditions, I started to think to myself that the weatherman was wrong until the dark clouds appeared in the distance. Then came the rain, which quickly turned to sleet about half the size of a pea. We had about 5 sleet storms of different degrees from morning to about 11 AM, meanwhile Mike, Jeremy, Catking, John and Justin show up and setup and fish. The weather was nasty but at least the winds where somewhat manageable at around 10 mph. Then Jack and Steven show up and the wind decides to up the ante, we are talking wind at around 15-20 with gusts well over 30, I was waiting for Brollies to go flying everywhere, but they all held. We also had on and off showers at this time as well as temps in the low 40's, we are talking Xtreme Carping here folks. I have fished in the rain, the snow and heat waves but this was plain nuts. During this time not too many fish if any where landed, mainly Craig and Brian where catching, and again there was a lot of missed fish due to the mussels.

3:30 Pm Saturday, AK has a TV setup in a shelter so we can all watch Ohio State get embarrassed in Iowa, meanwhile we start getting the food ready. Around 4:30 the call for soups on went out and carpers started braving the walk from "Bivvy City" to the shelter house, I also get the call that Tim from PA is landing a fish at this time. After we all enjoy a good hearty meal of BBQ Hot Sausages, Meatloaf sandwiches, Scalloped Potatoes, Pickled and Deviled Eggs, Chips, and Choc & Lemon sheet cakes it was time for the raffle drawing and next years venue discussion's. I will let Shawn give out the official results but I will let everybody know that the CarperBoy has a new rod and reel, Carpless a new landing mat and RodMan is the luckiest man alive. After the venues discussion was complete everybody helped clean up and we went back to carping around 7 PM.

Most of us started baiting the swims when an amazing thing happened, the winds died down, it was beautiful, perfect (all though cold) carping weather. There was not a ripple on the water; Ak reels in a quick 3 fish and a few other people landed some fish as well. A few people went home and I can't say I blame them. After all was said and done Craig, Ak, Tim & Tim, John and Justin stayed out the night. There where a few runs in the night but again a lot of missed chances where fish where not there when you got to the rod. Meanwhile I doze off only to be awaken around 1:30 to a screaming run, I slid down to my pod and pick up the rod and then nothing, sliced clean, this became my routine throughout the night, I must have had my bait right at the bottom of a drop and I was getting sliced on the edge. The same thing was happening to TimJC throughout the night.

There I am sitting in the Brolly enjoying a snooze when out of nowhere I am awaken by one of the hardest and coldest winds we have had all weekend. The front of the Brolly was almost touching the ground; I can see huge swells in the water in front of me as the wind pushed it, I checked the time and it was 1:55 AM. The wind went on and off like this all night, at this time Tim412 and Ak decided to call it a night and head to the cars, I remember Ak saying something while he walked by me to the effect "You Guys Are Friggen Crazy". Throughout the wind the bite was not all that bad, Tim and I had many bites all night long all though we missed them due to cutoffs, I was really getting frustrated at this point.

By next morning the clouds where cleared and the wind was down, but still there and bitterly cold. I come to find out the John had landed three fish throughout the night in the wind, including one on Justin's pole that may have been bigger then AK's 21.5. Unfortunately they didn't get it weighed, makes you wonder what might of been if he would of, they where a distance from us and I can understand not wanting to make the run to get me in all of that wind. The morning up to the end of the event at noon Sunday was a nice clear sky, with some cold wind, but by far the nicest weather of the event. The problem with Zebra Mussel infested waters is they are very clear, and a clear sky normally means no fish and that held true throughout the morning. At noon we all packed it in, I handed AK his plaque for the Ohio carp King (I am thinking about having a crown made because it would look funny on him) and everybody headed their separate ways.

Sitting here thinking back on the event, it is like most events I have been too where the weather was rough. You hated being there, but you also develop some of your fondest memories from these events. There is something about going through this with other like-minded anglers that kind of bonds everybody together in friendship. I will always remember, hanging around AK's Bivvy and eating veggie stew at 10:30 at night Friday. Also zipping out of that sleeping bag and stumbling down the rocks (almost in the water) to my pod in the middle of the night, only to get sliced off again. Also tying a new rig around 6 AM in my Bivvy Sunday morning in all that wind only to have Craig poke his head in and say, hey you want to get a picture of the 17 I just caught. Also having a beer with Tim412 in my Bivvy with the heater going talking about carping in general. Brian landing that carp on his 16-foot single piece rod in the middle of the afternoon on Saturday. Watching the Buckeyes get demolished (not just beaten) by Iowa Saturday afternoon. Watching a young carper named Justin win a 12-foot Warrior Rod and Shimano 4500 reel in the raffle. Trying to setup a shelter for Clayton and Bambi with a tarp and some posts, it sort of worked. Catking not landing a single fish (sorry I had to throw that one in there). Yelling back and forth at TimJC all night while laying in the Bivvy about how warm you can get in a sleeping bag with the help of a little natural gas from those pickled eggs. The site of all those Bivvies set up on the breaker wall, something you don't see too often in the USA, as Craig stated, "it almost feels like I am back in England". There are many more memories then this but I have probably bored you with this many already so I will let the other members of the "Xtreme Eighteen" post them if they want.

Tight Lines, Best Wishes, And Cheers To The Next Session
Sean Lehman aka Miso_Ohio

2004 Ohio Carp King Winner AK "Carppielooker" of Ohio: 21lb 8oz Common

Those Left after 2 brutal days of fishing

Craig Welch, former Carp King Winner of Ohio, with a 17 Lb Common

Clayton Drees of Ohio with his first catch of the weekend

Acting Chairman for the weekend Sean Lehman presenting AK "Carppielooker" with the 2004 OhiO Carp King Plaque

To quote another carper at the event: "Walking back to the peninsula, I had a feeling I was back home in England again

Ak "Carppielooker" Reeling in a cold water carp