john montana
-
Posts
557 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Articles
VIDEO'S & other MEDIA
Forums
Store
Downloads
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by john montana
-
-
I've used indicators in rivers where you can drift a fly, they work. If you can see any shape at all though, i'd stick with no indicator. try to put the fly to the side of the fish, and then set the hook when the shape changes position. Pretty tough spot from the sound of it!
-
cool stuff...if you get up to OR let me know Lee. I think you'd dig fishing some big flats.
-
very cool...glad you found some fish!
-
nice!
-
You don't need to see your fly in order to sight fish...just watch the fish, you'll know roughly where your fly is. WT once said that a "carp can untie your fly from your tippet and you won't feel a thing." he is right...but if you watch the fish and they do something they were NOT doing when your fly is near the zone, set the hook.
-
I fish a river the same way i'd fish a lake, sight fish, but adjust your cast to account for the current. I have had success blind nymphing with indicators in rivers in MN, but if at all possible, i'd seek out ares where you can see the fish. The blind thing works if there are a ton of fish in the area.
good luck!
-
Good luck!
-
Windknot, detecting the take at a distance is the toughest part. In general I watch the fish. I usually try to put the fly slightly left or right of the fishes head. If you can do that successfully then the fish will have to turn slightly to take it. Let him turn, wait a beat and set the hook. K also watch the tail a lot. When they chow down the tail will often speed up to keep the carp in position so I will set the hook on the extra motion. You can always try to keep in contact with your fly and go by feel too,but I have better luck with the visual cues. The big keybis forcin the fish to turn it's head to eat. Even when casting at a big dark shape you can tell when the fish changes direction slightly.
Rough day today. My dad and Mr p got blanked. I squeaked out six but the wind was crushing.
-
There don't seem to be any hard and fast rules with regard to carp, and the only thing I know enough to say for certain is that I am certainly no expert. I have fished to and caught enough carp now to at least make a few statements based on observable things, but I wouldn't draw too many serious conclusions from any item listed below.
Water Depth
The number one factor in the areas that I have found more big carp is water depth. That is not to say that I only find carp in deep water. In fact, I've caught plenty of 20 + lbers in just inches of water with 1/3 of their body out of the water. I've had zero success blind casting to carp unless it was nymphing below a dam, and 100% of my carp caught here in OR are sight fished. I don't even cast unless I can see them. The main feature that screams big carp water to me isn't actual deep water, but access to deep water. I don't think I've ever caught a big fish (20 or better) that ran more than 20 ft to get to water that was waist deep or better. I just flat out don't find the big boys way up on a flat with a hundred feet to waist deep water. Instead, I find them in places where they can bolt in seconds to 4-10 ft deep water. The frustrating thing here is that with that nearby deep water in which to hide, it is often a timing thing. I might look at the same mini flat twice in one day (walking in, walking out) and see a big fish on it once, or twice, or not at all. Sometimes a big boy chooses the wrong moment to feed in the spot where it can be caught. More often then not, they are pretty safe only hopping into the shallow water for a short time to feed, then heading back into the depths.
Bottom Structure
If I'm looking for big fish, I don't like mud or sand. In general, I look for rocks, the bigger the better. I like places where there are rocks that you have to walk around, rather than over...places where being stealthy is tough because you are tripping and slipping around. Cobble is good...softball size rocks are better, and rocks the size of my dad's belly are better yet. Mix in a few boulders you couldn't lift and I'd have my eyes peeled for a big tail.
General Traffic
I don't fish for big fish near a boat launch, beach, or anything of that sort. I just do not see 20 + lb fish in an area where there are regular people.
Again, I don't claim to know what big carp like. Out here I've found that when I look for combinations of the stuff above, I find more big carp. It seems to me that the big boys like to be safe, have access to food, and to be left alone. Walking water that drops off quickly and is covered in big slippery rocks that make it impossible to be sneaky is tough. I spook more fish than I cast to, that is for sure and on days that I hunt big fish, I don't see nearly as many fish. It is a total trade off...hit the big flats and cast at many targets, or peck around the edges and look for a big fish. Only on the rare occasion do I find a place where the numbers/size coincide.
The only other thing I'll add about big fish...don't expect to get close to them. If I see a big tail breaking the surface 100 ft away, I start my first cast at no closer than 60 ft. Sneaking up within a rod length of a 20+ lber is mostly about sheer luck. Cast when you see them, don't wait for the perfect shot.
Take the above massive pile of text with a huge grain of salt. These things have worked for me, but we all know how tough carp can be, and I am a long way from figuring them out. I would love to hear from some of the guys that fish bait...they catch a LOT bigger fish than I do!
-
Great pics...love those buffs!
-
Thanks guys...the columbia is quite a fishery! I would say the average fish out here is between 7-9 lbs, but without a doubt there are certain water types that you can find a larger avg. I've landed 9 fish this year that weighed over 20 lbs (I do carry a small digital scale) and last year I got 14 over 20. Last year is really the first time I figured out how to find the big fish...before that it was just a matter of lucking onto one on a normal flat. Out here, the big fish frequent different water. They stay out deep, and only occasionally go in shallow. At least that has been my experience. I'd love to fish lake MI, I know the average fish there is bigger than the columbia...one day i'll get to those flats!
-
Thanks guys! Still after a 35 lber but they are out ther!
-
I fished with my dad today, and it was a great day on the water. We both caught plenty of fish, but the show was stolen by this monster I landed on a carrot fly:
The picture doesn't do this monster justice, but it tipped my digital scale at 31.5 lbs...subtract a lb for the net and I landed my second 30 lb carp on the fly! It was even better that my dad was with me. He caught an 18 lber last year (and a 17 today) but the look on his face when I slid this monster into the net was priceless. A 12 lb carp on the fly is a big fish, a 20 is a really big fish, but this thing was an absolute horse! We found the big fish today, and I think it is just a matter of time before dad gets into a 20 lber...he'll be fishing this week, and I hope he nails one!
Shortly after leaving my dad, I did a little scouting. This place might be worth returning too:
-
I typically use a 7wt for most fishing. I use a 6 when I know the fish will be small, like in local ponds. you would definately not be overgunned with an 8 wt.
-
Good luck with the general Paul. I took one pic of him in the water last hear when I caught him but it was horrible. No
scale so he could be 12 inches long. Sorry about your camera!
-
Elia and I headed out of town to meet up with my parents this weekend. They are staying in the rv and dad has been after carp all week. Fishing has been slow for him I think he had only landed one or two so far. We started out today with low expectations and I was pleasantly surprised. The fish were not around in huge numbers but in the right water types they were tailing and feeding nicely. My dad had some great shots but no luck in the morning. I kept going and he went back for lunch with Elia and my mom. I had caught some fish by then but started to get into them pretty good along a deep rocky bank. One tailer took the fly so deep I just about lost a finger trying to get my fly back! Some great aggressive takes over all including several strip takes where I had the fish chasing and just kept stripping until there was resistance. Dad came back and we finished the day together. For the day I landed about 15 with two fish a little over 14 lbs. Mo monsters today. Dad got a few and we have one great double pic thatt I will get online when I get home.
One pic worth showing is of Elia. We hit one qui k spot on the way out of town and I hhoked this fish. Elia fought it for a while and then chased it around in the shallows with the net. She managed to scoop him up though! I just love being on the river with my little girl.
http://emobmg.photobucket.com/albums/v11/j...na/74d3addb.jpg
-
Nice fish Paul. I caught some trout in montana last week but I miss carping!
-
Nice!
-
wow...when you lay all those pics out there it really puts that trip into some perspective. what an incredible couple of days on the water!
-
Hah! Great timing...just put up a picture of the one I fish.
Basically Mr. P's original with some rubber legs and a slightly different body color.
Great fly!
-
Hey Paul. I don't take measurements, I just carry a small digital scale. I have found that weight for carp does not seem to be a function of lenght! Weird fish. You just have to weigh them.
Lee I fish one x always. These fish were breaking me off after running through rocks. Proably not much I could do. Any tactics to keep fish out of rocks? I tried side pressure but the damn things go wherever the heck they want.
-
I should be around but I am running pretty low on hall passes! Will have to see how the week goes. Would love to fish though.
-
You know you had a good day when you can barely lift you arm by the end! I caught a lot of carp today. The fish were just ultra aggressive, chasing the carrot fly all over the river. Most fish were 10-13 lbs, with several in teh mid teens and these two big ones:
The above fish weighed in at 21 and 23 lbs...I had a good shot at a third big fish, but passed on it to go after a nearby mirror carp. I do love mirror carp! The water was pretty warm, but every now and then i'd move through a cold patch that had me thinking of my waders! The only drawback to the day was that I lost about 5 or 6 carp to break offs. I was fishing in some serious rock piles and the fish had my leader all nicked up. I didn't have another leader with me, so I just had to keep cutting it back. I had to give 3 fish slack so that they would swim off rock piles that I couldn't wade too...those rocks are magnets for hooked fish. Anyone have any strategies for dealing with rocks?
All in all a great day!
-
Nice Paul! I love the mulberry hatch. I got out today. Will get a report up tonight. No mulberries but plenty of carp.
Some New Water
in Carp on the Fly
Posted
Sounds good to me! I have been out twice recently. Slayed them one day and skunked the next. Nice that you did some exploring though! I have a tough time mixing in enough exploration.