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Brad

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Posts posted by Brad

    Trilene Big Game

    in Beginning Carping

    Posted

    A thought- braid with a length of BG mono as a leader??? Minimize stretch a bit?

    My favorite shock.abrasion leader is 30 or 20lb P-Line Fluroclear to go with my braid mainline. Never tried Big Game as a leader in that fashion, but I used it for many years.

    how long can you sack a fish

    in Beginning Carping

    Posted

    One option with shallow water is wading out and placing the bank stick. But make sure it is firmly in, tug as hard as you can.

    I sack on double runs, or runs in early morning when sunrise is within a few hours and only if it is a special fish (PB, unique mirror) and then only if there is someone else to take my picture. If I am alone, I will go ahead and self time it. Always take practice shots and leave something on the ground to give you a mark to position when the time comes.

    Also consider the bottom makeup. Sharp rocks would be a bad idea.

    Another one bites the dust, a PB that is!

    in Pictures, Stories & Video

    Posted · Edited by mcwrestler

    Another one gone and another one gone, and another one bites the dust. Are these just lyrics by Queen, or the story of my latest fishing escapade?

    With the arrival of May it meant I would be racing against the spawn for some quality May Big 4 entries before a carps passion for food switched to other "interests".

    I had a rather tough trip in April, barely squeezing out a couple fish on a 5 day 4 night trip. Sometimes it just doesn't break the way we want it to or expect. Of course being a carp angler, you take the good sessions with the mediocre sessions and press on. I conferred with my other partner in crime, Brummie Bri and we decided to make a go of it. Boom or bust we would be there. If spawn occurs a few days earlier than anticipated, blanking was all but certain. If we hit the time just right, PBs can be broken and records pursued. With this in mind, we rolled in on Friday to start our efforts.

    After setting up the rods and settling in for the night, I was impatiently waiting on the first run as I drifted to sleep. The first night was also very cold and every time I have a night time run, it is quite the site to behold. You can find me by following a trail of sleeping bags and blankets, maybe shoes and socks to whichever rod I have ran to. I am not very graceful when it occurs. Like clockwork, the alarm sounded, and the trail was made. What decided to wake my up in the early morning hours? None other than this 21lb 4oz common, who decided that a puff in the very closest of margins was a good idea.

    post-1552-0-02600900-1399258794_thumb.jp

    Being polite, I set the camera timer and placed it on the bank stick for photos. No one wants to be up and freezing to photograph a 20lber. Not long after that, Brians rod takes off. The end result of his battle was a 34lb 2oz common.

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    Then his son Evan would hook into a monster fish, that made his way into a vicious snag, and could not be retrieved. While we were a little bummed, it would quickly turn around because he was about to teach us a thing or 2. First he landed this nice 27lb 4oz fish, a new PB common for himself:

    post-1552-0-40158200-1399259160_thumb.jp

    Not to stop there, he then landed this 34lb 8oz fish and did all the fighting on his own. This fish appears to have some full scaled mirror in him. Just a monster fish all the way around.

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    Clearly he had every intention of showing us up. At that time a fish splashed again in my area. He had done it a few times, but now it was clear this denizen of the not so deep was mocking me. I tossed on the trusty puff and grits pack and threw to the splash area. As I was setting the rod, I triggered the alarm. Well, I at least thought I did. Every time I gave slack it would go off. It was then that I realized that not even 10 seconds into the cast, the cheeky fish was already hooked. I proceeded to land a stunning linear mirror of 27lbs 6oz. I have not had many linears, and it was a special fish.

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    This was just the start to a session of near constant action and anticipation. I will dial back on the play by play, because there were a ton of plays. I would catch 9 of the next 10 fish due most likely to their choice of structure or time of day. I had to jump in the water for this 22lb fully scaled mirror. Was up to my chest to retrieve him from a log.

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    That night, I was woken by the alarms of Bri. As I bolted from the bivvy, he advised me a catfish was messing with his line and I was to reel the rod in. Upon lifting it I realized a fish was actually hooked. Shortly after I proclaimed to him it was a carp. He replied good, most likely in his sleep. I ended up landing the fish, and it would be my PB fully scaled mirror, at 25lbs. I am still adjusting to taking better night pics and failed to turn off the head lamp.

    post-1552-0-55368400-1399259764_thumb.jp

    Following that fish, I would have a double run. Well maybe it was a double run, that will be left to you all to decide. I awoke to my right rod going off. I hooked into the fish and realized he had already crossed my left most rod. Hard to do considering how close in and to the left, the left rod was. I landed the fish, a 29lb 14oz common. Clearly I was being teased by near 30lbers now. As I weighed him I realized that he crossed the left rod because the left rod was probably 50 yards from where last cast. Something was on it. I immediately set the hook into what was a heavy fish. After a short fight (retrieving all the line he took while I slept) I had a 2nd fish on the mat. This one at 32lbs even. The 29lber is pictured first below.

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    post-1552-0-69668900-1399260193_thumb.jp

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    After this double, Brian would get a 22lb 2oz mirror. An awesome fish, and one that he wanted badly.

    post-1552-0-33092500-1399260327_thumb.jp

    It was not long after this that my rod took off. It was close in to the bank and I rushed to lean into him. Now 2 of my standard, every trip fishing rods are the original Willow rods by Resistance Tackle in 3lb TC. They are an extension of my body after years of use (2008 to present). What I was feeling was heavier than any other fish I had ever felt on it. Last year I had a 40lb mirror on a paylake setup. I could tell this fish would be big as well but how big was yet to be seen. As the fish was netted and we lifted it, I could tell that my previous common PB of 33lbs 8oz was history. Now I was hoping the fish would approach the 40lb mark. It fell 3 lbs short coming in at 37lbs even, but you won't hear me complain about it. Here are the pictures:

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    post-1552-0-07888000-1399260584_thumb.jp

    post-1552-0-96937000-1399260625_thumb.jp

    This would be the last significant fish of the day, I would end with a 14lb fully scaled mirror as the bite slowed down.

    All told it was one of the best fishing sessions I have ever had. I was able to set a new fully scaled mirror PB and break my common PB for the first time since May 2007. Even better I was able to help net Evans 2 new PBs that he caught, and share great bank talk with Bri and Evan as usual.

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