An incredible FFF..... Options

[WG666666]

My son Willy (13) and I fished the FFF yesterday with some surprising results. I had been pre-baiting two areas for about a week, one was a new pond where I had seen some interesting koi and mirror carp.
I had recently discovered this “new” pond, but I hadnt had a chance to fish it til last week. I had an unexpected chance to fish this pond last week, when I came across 6 koi feeding where I had baited several times before. I managed to get a really nice one (previously posted on the Pictures and Stories Section) and it was then I realized that this spot might be pretty special.

During the week leading up to the FFF, the pond had skim ice forming across it in ever-increasing size. I didnt think that was a good sign. Increasingly cold days and cold fronts in general are not usually good times to catch carp. However, in one area, there is a small creek emptying into the pond and nearby there is a drainage pipe coming from under the adjacent street with a significant flow. I noticed even though the pond was almost completely frozen, these areas remained open, indicating the incoming water was warmer....hmmmmm...this got the brain thinking that even though it was cold, the fish in this pond could be congregating near these warmer areas. Last weeks fish confirmed this.

On New Years morning, Willy and I had about an hour to fish, before my 9 year old son Ben had an indoor soccer game to attend. We headed to a smaller pond where he had caught a large koi(18+ pound) a couple years back during the FFF. When we arrived, the pond was almost completely frozen except for a few small areas adjacent to a stone wall. We immediately saw a bunch of goldfish with a few koi were in there as well. After a few minutes of light chumming we noticed some mud trails…NICE! Willy hooked and landed one of the smallest koi we had ever caught, a 10-ouncer…….We thought, this could be a Baby Phone Candidate! About a ½ hour later, Willy caught another small koi, about 2+ pounds…..WOW, I thought 2 koi in one day…..IN JANUARY….I thought that was quite an accomplishment. We did see several larger koi cruising with no interest in our offerings. So off we went to the soccer game.

We got to the newly discovered pond at around 1PM. The sun had come out in the late morning and the remaining snow was melting. The iced areas of the pond had pushed about 60-80 feet out from the incoming streams of obviously warmer water. As we walked up to the pond, we saw a few koi feeding along with some common and mirror carp!!......Willy cast his single kernel of sweetcorn (on the old sz 16 hook steelhead style) with a small bobber into the area they were feeding. Within seconds he had a strike….FISH ON! He had another koi, and it was a much bigger one! This fish gave a good fight, and Willy was impatient to land it…..He wanted this one. I was finally able to get the net under the fish after about 10 minutes on the 4pd flourocarbon, and it was a mirror koi! What a beauty. We decided that this one was worthy to bring home to our koi pond.

We hurried and got his lines back in the water. In the next few hours he landed a largemouth bass, and then caught the same largemouth 2 casts later, 2 decent size mirror carp and a turtle (IN JANUARY!). Obviously the warmer weather and the warmer influx of water really had the residents of the pond looking for food. It was surreal to see koi and carp cruise out from under the ice to eat our sweetcorn….it looked like ice-out time in Erie, Pa when the steelhead cruise the edges of the receding lake ice floes in search of minnows. I had never seen this behavior in carp or koi, so it was pretty interesting to watch. There were several fish that never ate, while others would eat sparingly then bolt back under the safety of the ice…..again weird behavior for a carp.
As it got darker, Willy spotted another koi that was eating at the edge of the ice. A few minutes later he hooked his fourth koi of the day…….unbelievable! This fish also fought well, and after about a ten minute fight I got her in the net……We took our photos and headed home as darkness settled in. Four koi and two mirror carp on January 1st 2010 all released (one into our pond to fight another day …….What a great New Years Day and what a great FFF for us!

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[Zoomie]

What a fantastic trip and awesome pics !

I have yet to catch a koi. Yes I am jealous. WTG !

[Brummie_Bri]

Always love reading about the catches you guys have and this year is no different .Great job on catching those lovely fish !

[hammercarp]

Wow!

[Jerome]

What's incredible is that I am not even that surprised... Bill and Willy have this uncanny way to make such absolutely incredible things happen on Jan 1st. I mean how many CAG members caught 4 kois or more in your entire life? And Willy did it in a single day, on New Years Day of all time! Oh yeah, and he's indeed a very serious contender for the baby phone award. With a baby koi! FFF history was written again by the koi masters, dad & son.

(4 times!)

[george]

Way to go Bill and Willy! Gorgeous fish. A turtle feeding in January... you certainly found a warm spot.

[Brid]

Man -- those are some pretty fish!! WTG folks - AND -- on Jan 1st ----- it can only get better from here on out!!
Cheers,
Brid.

[WG666666]

Heres the mirrrors WIlly caught

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[Corey]

The Koi family has graced us again, thank you for another outstanding report.

[Brid]

Darn guys -- does it get any better The second mirror looks suspiciously like a 'ghostie' -- but --- even if not, there's a few fish there that most would die for
Very cool indeed!!
Cheers,
Brid.

[louis]

Nice one bill and willy. I sure hope to catch up with you guys again someday

[carpinken]

good to see ya back on . wtg to your son . man i want a kois ! 2 jealous .

This post has been edited by carpinken: Jan 2 2010, 08:58 PM

[WG666666]

Nice one bill and willy. I sure hope to catch up with you guys again someday

I think you still may have my number!?

[Flatlandcarper]

What a fantastic trip and awesome pics !

I have yet to catch a koi. Yes I am jealous. WTG !

Ditto.

Nice fish, congrats!

[FJR1]

Great pics and an awesome story. Congrats.-Frank