(GA) needmotime2fish
-
Posts
322 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Articles
VIDEO'S & other MEDIA
Forums
Store
Downloads
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by (GA) needmotime2fish
-
-
Since I'm older than a lot of you, I've been fishing long enough to have a number of (somewhat) humorous stories. Please bear with me, and let me know if I'm posting too many.
This one isn't exactly hilarious, but it certainly had its funny moments while it was playing out.It was the summer of 1966 (I remember, because I turned 21 that year, and I was able to buy beer - legally). A friend and occasional fishing buddy had heard about another friend and I catching some big carp in the Potomac, and wanted to go with me. The opportunity came up one Friday evening. But we lived in PA, and the fishing venue was across the line in MD. I had a non-res license, but he didn't -- and being late Friday, there was no way he could get one on short notice (in those days, non-res licenses had to be bought from the county office), so he borrowed one from another friend. No, we shouldn't have done that, but we did cut some corners in the interest of time and convenience. Luckily we didn't get checked that trip.
Back then I owned several rods and reels that worked ok for carp fishing (nothing like the 12 foot rods and fancy reels we use today). But my friend had only one baitcaster and an old beat-up Zebco 202 reel, spooled with 6 pound test he used for occasional trout fishing. I grabbed an old 6-foot solid glass spinning rod for him to use with his Zebco, and off we went.As fate would have it, our only run that night came on my rod with my buddy's little Zebco. He hooked the carp, and promptly discovered two things: (1) the fish was big, and (2) the drag didn't work on the Zebco 202. The only way he could play the fish was to press the release button and feed the fish line through his fingers (OUCH!!!), and then reel if and when the fish gave him a chance to recover some line. Fortunately, he was a pretty tough guy, and was able to tolerate quite a bit of pain. (Naturally, during the fight there were more than a few howls of pain -- and some language used that I won't repeat here in case any of our junior members read this.)
The battle went back and forth for quite some time -- remember, the reel only had 6 pound line, and he was fighting a large fish without the benefit of a drag. And not once, but twice, the carp spooled him. But both times the fish decided to turn back toward shore instead of giving one more kick in the opposite direction -- which certainly would have broken the line. Eventually, even though his hands had become a bloody mess, he managed to lead the carp into the net. We had no scale, but we did measure the fish -- a very nice 36" common.
You may have heard the expression, "Death by a thousand paper cuts"... This was "Carp by (at least) 50 line cuts". After we released the carp, we poured some beer over his hands to clean them. The beer -- or maybe the carp slime -- must have done the trick, because his hands healed in just a few days with no infection. -
Zatesta's story reminded me of an incident from nearly 50 years ago, when I was fishing at a paylake in southern PA. We were enjoying catching a few carp one Saturday afternoon. Being the weekend, the lake had a number of "occasional" fishermen who had no clue about carp fishing, so they were using worms and not catching much. We were chatting with the group fishing next to us, and offered to share our bait (doughballs) and a few suggestions. One young guy tried some of my home made dough, cast out, and just laid his rod down at the edge of the water. I warned him to anchor the rod to prevent a biting carp from pulling it in the water, and also suggested loosening his drag. Next thing I knew, his lightweight webbed lawn chair was skidding across the ground, with a rod handle stuck in the webbing of the seat and the rod bent sharply across the chair's back. The chair -- and the rod and reel -- all went flying into the lake. Fortunately, it was only about 3 feet deep at that point, so the guy ran into the water chasing his chair and rod. He was lucky enough to reach them before the carp got too far from shore and into deeper water. I seem to recall that he even managed to land the fish, but that was a looonngg time ago, and I can't remember that detail for sure.
Anyway, we got a real charge out of watching that carp pull his chair and rod across about 10 or 15 feet of bank and into the water, and then watching him chase them into the lake.
-
I don't do much -- if any -- long range fishing, so I've been using a 12-foot telescoping surf rod I bought online about 10 years ago for my spod rod. I seem to recall that I got it from Cabela's for about $25.00 -- of course they aren't one of our sponsors, so if the advantages of a telescoping rod interest you, I'd suggest that you first check with the folks that support the organization to see if they carry them.
I also have (and regularly use) a pair of 12-foot MadDragons that I really like. There are better rods out there for certain situations -- and especially for extreme long range fishing -- but for an old retired guy like me, the MadDragons do just fine for my needs.
-
Funny story, and a nice Buff, too.
Actually, I'm not too surprised that a duck ate your bait -- I don't know why it doesn't happen more often. I've had them try to eat maize while it's sinking when I'm spodding, but I've never had one take it off the bottom -- at least not with my hook in it.
-
Praying in Georgia!
Same here.
-
While fishing a local lake & waiting for some action, I saw two mink pups feeding along the shoreline in front of me. I had just landed a few carp & their slime was heavy on my landing net that was laying near the water. One of the pups got into the net & I guess the odor of the carp attracted him. I guess he thought he was going to get a meal or maybe just having fun. He bit & tugged on the netting & I thought he would tear it up but after much effort no damage was done. I asked him what he was doing but he looked at me like I was the intruder. He stayed for a while & I had a good laugh watching him.
Maybe the little mink heard of "Max, the Ultimate Carp Hound", and his famous "Lick and Release", but got confused and was performing "Lick After Release" instead.
-
I'm not sure what's considered a "funny" fishing story -- something "funny/embarassing", or maybe something a bit strange or unusual ("funny/peculiar") -- but here's one of each (both true), from many years ago.First, the "embarassing" story. My first, and all-time best fishing buddy (we began fishing together nearly 60 years ago when we were just 9 years old) missed several days of school early one spring. It seems he had been fishing with his dad on opening day of trout season, when suddenly "nature called". Despite the fairly large crowds of other fishermen, he found that he just couldn't put it off, so he made his way deep into some thick bushes to take care of the situation. Unfortunately for him -- as he discovered the next day -- the leaves he used for cleaning up were from the poison ivy vines that covered the bushes of the only secluded spot he could find. OOPS!!! Needless to say, he put up with quite a bit of good-natured ribbing for some time afterwards.And now for the "unusual" story -- one that seems to defy all the odds. It might not be "ha-ha funny", but it's certainly "peculiar funny". I was in my mid teens and was sucker fishing with my dad. We were fishing a large tributary of the Potomac River that is several undred feet across at the spot we selected. We used a rig with a 1-ounce bank sinker tied to the end, with a #8 snelled "dropper" hook tied about 8 or 10 inches above the sinker, and a second dropper about the same distance above the first one. I was using a medium-light spinning rod with just 6 or 8 pound test line. Since we were fishing a tight line, we would prop our rods on a forked stick, and wait for the rod tip to move slightly, indicating that a sucker was biting. At that point, we would sharply lift the rod to set the hook.Well, I hooked a good-sized sucker and fought it to the bank -- which was about 3 feet high. That meant that I had to raise the fish up the bank, since we had no long-handled net. When I attempted to lift the fish, it flopped, and broke my line just above the top dropper hook. Oh, well -- time to re-rig and try again, right? So I tied on a new rig identical to the first one, and cast to the same spot. After a few minutes, I had another "bite", set the hook, and again fought the fish to the bank. This time, I successfully got the fish up the steep bank, which is when I discovered that I hadn't actually caught the fish on my new rig. Instead, the fish that broke off a few minutes earlier was still hooked, and had dragged the trailing bank sinker across my line, and one of the little #8 hooks on my new rig had caught the sinker of the first rig -- right in the line-tie hole. Just what are the odds of a #8 hook catching in a 1/8 inch hole in a piece of lead being dragged across the bottom of a 200-foot-wide stream?
-
It was cloudy here in Georgia, too, this morning. I attached several shots. The first was taken about an hour after daylight and shows the sun "trying" to peek through the clouds. The other three were taken much earlier, at "daybreak" (which wasn't really "sunrise" because of the clouds).
Of the five CAG members who registered, only two of us, Deni Hodzic and myself, actually showed up to fish. But Tim Lewis drove over to visit with us for several hours, and Jim Fouts, the non-member who I was expecting, brought his wife and son to chat for a bit. Jim says that he and his son plan to join CAG this year.
Several catfish were landed (most of them by Deni after I left), but no carp were caught today. I did have one nice run, but I only managed to lose a small fish -- which I think was probably a contender for the "baby carp' award -- LOL.
Happy New Year, and "tight lines" to everybody!
-
Hope you decide to fish, John. Good luck if you go.
Here in Georgia, we'll be fishing at a state park that doesn't even open until 7 AM (so there will be none of those "early carp medals" for us this year). In fact, we'll be lucky to be there in time to take any "sunrise" photos (officially, sunrise is at 7:41).
-
Rebel carp, where did you get the extended forecast? Would like a sneak preview for SE TN. Thanks.
John, you can also get it from www.weather.com (the Weather Channel's online forecast). http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/Cleveland+TN+USTN0094:1:US
You look good for Jan 1st -- Sunny, low of 36, high of 54. We should have about the same weather here in Georgia.
Good luck!
-
Dont forget to get next years licinence too,just remembered myself.
Great reminder for the folks in states where licenses are sold by the calendar year.
Here in Georgia, our single-year licenses are good for 365 days, starting the day you buy it. Being a "senior" resident (over 65), I get a free lifetime license.
Mine actually "expires" Dec 31, 2399 -- yes, you read it correctly, I'm covered for the next 385 years!
-
The Georgia contingent is coming on strong with five registrants. Georgia is now tied with Tennessee for the top South Zone representation. Thanks, so much.
I also have a "semi-commitment" from a non-member, Jim Fouts, who happens to live near our FFF venue. He walked by when I was fishing one day this fall, and stopped to talk, I let him fight a few of my carp, and he quickly became interested in carp fishing.
Our only "problem" is that the venue is at a state park that doesn't open until 7 AM. That means none of us will be catching one before 6 AM -- but we "might" be there in time for some sunrise photos. Oh well, it is what it is.
Good luck and "tight lines" to everybody!
-
Rescue dogs are the best. Happy to hear that's the direction you chose.
I hope you and Raven will share many enjoyable adventures.
-
I think those three ducks that you didn't know the names were Huey, Dewy & Louie. Donald couldn't have been far behind.
Good one, Skammer!
And maybe LaMon got some good fortune from Donald's lucky cousin, Gladstone Gander, to help him catch the "Christmas carp".
Another nice writeup, Horace.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
-
Neat!! A 14 pound carp at age 7.
I'd like to catch one double my age in pounds, too, but they just don't grow that big!
-
Hey all,
After looking through the US bait shops online, I am not seeing what I need in the form of Superior flavors.
Anyone willing to do some looking and possible shipping at the paylakes for me? Or if you know of another online source to purchase that would be fantastic as well.
I'll be sending you a PM shortly.
-
Nice job, guys!
I moved south from PA more than 45 years ago to get away from all that snow!
Unfortunately, I think I also moved away from some of the best carp waters in the USA.
-
Being quiet does nothing to hurt the bite. Why make noise when its not needed? Nothing upsets me more than a big mouth on the bank. Hell, why not bring your boom box and dance a jig? And to think some on here have mentioned how loud my alarms are???
jmho
Tom.
Tom,
In general, I wholeheartedly agree with you. Particularly in areas that are generally quiet, it makes very little (or no) sense to disrupt the normal situation. However, where a bit of boat traffic is "normal", I doubt that anything other than very heavy traffic is likely to turn off the carp bite -- but only because they've grown used to it. Other loud noises (boom boxes, banging tackle boxes, etc.) that the fish don't usually encounter would be an entirely different story, even on waters that have a number of boaters. By the way, I included my "throwing rocks" story mainly because it does appear to be unusual and counter-intuitive -- and because it really did work (at least it did 50 years ago).
-- Barry
-
This may or may not help your confidence, but I'll throw it out there anyway. About 50 years ago,
I fished with my Dad for suckers and carp in the Conococheague Creek in southern PA, just a few miles upstream from Williamsport, MD, where it flows into the Potomac River. There were several spots where we could always catch a few. The suckers and carp would "school up" in those spots, but sometimes they were a little slow to bite. At such times, we would toss a few good sized rocks (about softball sized, or even a bit larger) right into the spot we were fishing. We would see the fish scatter when the rocks hit the water, but after about 10 minutes, they'd start biting.
We figured that by scattering the fish, they'd quickly return to their "comfort area", but because they were forced to move around, a few of them would find our baits and they'd bite. But when we allowed the fish to quietly lie dormant, we would have to wait and wait for something else to get them moving before they would start biting. In these situations, the noise we created by throwing rocks into the water seemed to artificially stimulate the fish to bite.
Note that I see that experience much differently from the earlier post where the angler used his boat to put bait into the swim, and later observed the carp becoming active whenever he ran his boat over the area. That case appears to describe a "learned response" in which the carp associated the sound of the boat with being fed. I suppose the crash of a "bait ball" hitting the water could trigger a similar response under the proper conditions.
Unlike bass, which may learn to associate boat sounds with being caught and released, I doubt that many carp actually fear the sound of an overhead boat -- except possibly for fish in very shallow water. They may react to current and waves created by boat traffic, but -- like the carp and suckers I described above -- I would expect them to quickly return to their comfort zones after the boat has passed. Of course I expect that very heavy boat traffic might keep them on edge, but "normal" boat traffic probably upsets anglers more than it does the fish (just MY opinion, for what it's worth).
-
The book called "Carp!" by Tim Paisley is a great reference book to have. It's not a book you can read from start to finish but it definitely covers a lot of topics.
I haven't read Paisley's "Carp" book, but I do have several other books that I received as gifts. They were very informative, BUT...
be aware that some (most?) authors of carping books are also members of the "staff" of various tackle manufacturers, and thus, their writings occasionally may steer you toward using their sponsors' equipment. That's not really a bad thing, but you should know that before you read the books so you can keep an open mind. The books are -- as I already noted -- very informative, and worth reading.
-
Nice work!
-
Thanks, Willem
That seems like a good explanation. I overlooked the weather issues, since we've only had rain here -- no ice or snow.
-
Last evening I replied to a recent thread under the Beginning Carping section, titled "All Guests Non CAG Member Please Read". However, when I tried to post my reply, after a while it appeared to time out, so I clicked the "post" button again -- with the same result. I copied my response and saved it, intending to try again later. But when I logged on again today, I found that BOTH of my posts had appeared twice, so both of my attempts to post had actually succeeded.
Normally I would just chalk this up to a local problem with my own computer or wireless connection. But I noticed that "So Cal Carper" also had a post that appeared multiple times on that same thread -- and his posts appeared immediately ahead of mine (they all appeared within about 10-15 minutes of each other). Putting both his and my "incidents" together, I thought that perhaps the CAG website might have experienced a glitch around the time that we were posting.
This hasn't been a problem before, and might have been a one-time thing. Or it could have just been a coincidence that we both experienced similar (but local) problems. Anyway, I was curious to see if these were just isolated cases, or if the web site -- or maybe even the web host -- had a problem.
-
Although I only joined CAG about 5 years ago, in 2008, I've been fishing for carp nearly 55 years (I was about 14 when I caught my first one). I seldom participate in any CAG fishing events (except the FFF and an occasional local "fish-in"), and I've accumulated enough tackle in my 68 years that I don't need to order much from our vendors (so the discounts -- while nice -- aren't a big personal selling point).
But besides all the helpful and valuable information I've learned through the Forum, I've made a number of friends and met new fishing buddies. Without CAG, I would never have met most of those fine folks. Plus, there is one other huge incentive that encouraged for me to join.
CAG has given me a new perspective regarding carp fishing. Before joining, I was "one of those guys" who had been indoctrinated by certain outdoor writers and (supposed) fisheries experts who propagated and popularized the concepts that "carp are bad" and "carp should be eliminated". Although I always tried to never waste any resources, I admit to having killed a few carp (fortunately, just one or two) "just to take them home to show them off" (that was before digital cameras, and after all, I had been taught that "it's only a carp"). Since joining CAG and recognizing the value of carp as a fisheries resource and their potential as "game fish", I regret having done that (even if it was many years ago).
Anyway, the point here is that CAG provides an educational service to the public about carp and carp angling. Without the support of its members, it will be a lot harder for CAG to continue that service in the future. Disregarding any personal benefits you may like as a CAG member (or benefits you feel you don't need if you haven't joined), keep in mind that CAG's public education on "carpy topics" are ultimately intended to help YOU by keeping carp around, and accessible for your enjoyment.
Time-Lapse sunrise while carp fishing
in Pictures, Stories & Video
Posted
Verrrry Nice !!!