fishhead
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Posts posted by fishhead
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WTG! nice fish on the fly! I see the fighting butt...what weight rod is that? 7/8, 8/9?
Steve
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thanks ALL for the replies/tips/advice!
I'll apply what I've gleaned from this and see what happens once I scout the new big water and choose a swim to fish. Most fish I've caught up to 14 pounds have been in relatively shallow waters from 3-maybe 7 feet with some swims near deeper water and some on featureless waters of manmade reservoirs, lakes, and even dredged city rivers.
Utah's Salt lake valley is pretty much treeless and flat. Only trees are planted. Carp were introduced in the late 1800's. I'm just looking to shorten the learning curve in a new state with screwed up regs and manmade waters with big carp in them.
best regards,
Steve
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just wondering if the 20+ pound carp that are known to be in a lake need or just prefer to have deep water nearby?
Obviously, this is an escape route if danger appears but I would like to know from those who've caught 20-30 pound carp if the proximity of deep water was ALWAYS an issue or a bonus.
Second question- should I be casting into the deeper water or the shallows near it? This would aid me in fishing a brand new lake (to me- NOT newly constructed) of considerable size and it's a manmade reservoir that's fairly featureless but has big carp mirrors included.
thanks for you comments in advance.
Steve
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Phenomenal! Congrats on both Maya and a superb Carp.
Steve
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First, congrats and a slaying and a sleighing day on the water!
Second, any chance of fishing the camera out of the drink? I drowned one in Alaska 4-5 years back in my jacket pocket during a wading trip in a deep spot in the river with a big salmon on the line. I got my fish and dried the camera out at the lodge and 4 days later it was good as new.
Go snorkeling with a mask to find it if the goop on the bottom is allowable.
Otherwise, it's new camera time and a lanyard on you for the next yak trip.
BTW, nowI have a Pentax Optio Waterproof camera.
Good luck gettong out of the doghouse.
WTG, on the fish and maybe the big boy will be waiting for you next time.
Steve
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Almost went to a brand new lake with supposed "monster carp" but had to go with the SURE THING instead.
Felt pretty good about that choice too when the first fish within 30 minutes of set up was a 14 pound common.
Wwwwwooooo-Hoooooo! a NEW Best from this river. First one to get above the 10-12 pound range.
next 20 minutes the other rod goes off and a 12 pounder comes to the net after a decent pull.
I fished two bait casters and enjoy slinging them. My bait was home boilies of Wheaties, flour and corn juice with pack bait dough around the weight. Till Monday.
Steve
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OK, I went by again today for a 60 minute session right after work and before the thick traffic. Well, 20 minutes into it a couple of families with toddlers show up and the twin boys about 18 months to 2yrs old have matching Disney Pixar rods and matching red sunglasses. Moms and dads feed bread to the ducks and thankfully keep them away from my lines. They visit and cast the boys lines in when BZZZZZZZZZTTTTT! my Okuma bait runner gets with it!
Alright! couldn't have been timed better. I grab the net and walk towards them and water level to play the fish in close for netting. When it rips and snorts and they see the pole bending and drag sizzling. After another couple minutes the beauty rolls and they see it. GOSH! it's BIG! they exclaim. Right into the net and then it swims right back out for another short burst til I turn it back and into the net for good. On shore the moms and dads ask the kids to look at the fish. I unhook it and move the rod aside and calm the carp down. Those two boys were just goggle eyed. WOOOOOWwwwww! was repeated over and over in low deep voices for 2 year olds. I got a couple pics by a dad and posed the tyke with his rod and the fish in front of him. I'm saying "cheese" right when the shutter tripped but it looks like something else. Then passed a business card over to the dad for emailing the pic. Thanks and a handshake and I shortly packed up for the drive home.
The real bummer was I was told the light rail commuter train was being put in right where I fish.
Ripping out the bike and hike trail and fishing area for the TRAX rail. Sigh...oh well.Steve
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3 words...FAB-U-LOUS!
Keep on rockin at the Hooch!Steve
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BOO-YAH!
WTG on the Buffalo!
Steve
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These were taken during an after work session about 2 minutes from my office. While it's nice to readily pull carp from a V-E-R-Y convenient venue, I'm getting the idea that all I'm catching are Mr Ten Pounder and all his relatives. Of the 4 times fishing here, I've averaged around 5 fish per session, 2-3 losses or LDRs, at least one cat, Carp average weight around 9 pounds and more often than not a few more folks visiting than I prefer.
Granted it is a park and the kids that show are great, it's also a pick up place for gay men and two came calling yesterday. NOT my cuppa joe indeed. So one more time decides if I move on or continue to make the best of it. This river runs south to north for 25 miles with plenty of carp. Most places will need machete work to fish though. No Problemo! Just got several tips of a BIG CARP venue up north an hour away and will scout and fish it soon. Till then I can count on a ten.
Steve
One 24 inch 8 pounder and one 30 inch 9 #. Plus a final fish (No Pic)- a bullhead cat. borrowed camera was tricky.
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Wow! I thought there was going to be another neck ache here. I grabbed my second monitor and did this......
nice write up!
no neck ache!Steve
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Caught a ten pound specimen this AM and after getting it unhooked and prepping my camera, I noticed some zig-zag and oversized scale patterns high on its back. Closer inspection brought to light some larger scales running on the ventral belly portion. I wonder if this is just an aberration of a common or closer to a scaled mirror. I realized also that early scarring or damage sometimes will account for funky scale patterning but this looked natural. Any thoughts?
thanks, Steve
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4 carp and a cat.
Hit the water at 6AM while the kids were home sleeping with the intown college gal watching them.
First good take down was a nice LDR carp. Followed by a small cat- maybe a pound plus. Next fish with in a minute of the channel cat is a 4 pounder.
Followed by a 9, both commons.
In a few minutes another common- 7.5# takes the line out for a spin around the swim.
Then came the last one a Ten that gave a decent rod ride.
My beetle buddy came back for another snack.
Steve
PS - several pics were too blurry to post. Tough holding up a fish, touching the camera button and getting a perfect shot with the autofocus on. oh well.
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Welcome aboad, mate!
Next time smallie fishing, go visit the "guy/gal catching the big carp" and introduce yourself. You may get handed a rod with a hooked fish to reel in or at least meet a carper with local experience.
My first carp rig was a 7'6" Bass flippin stick set up like yours Carolina rigged with corn. Caught loads of carp on it. And this is only my personal opinion but I would guess the big fish catcher uses extra strong hooks....my last three-in-a-row, back to back decent carp straightened out my E.C. LazerSharps. Maybe it was a bad batch however I retired ALL of them for 2X strong FORGED, Japanese hooks. Just a thought to consider on big Potomac fish. Good luck. I think it would be absolutley awesome to get drug around in the kayak by a 30 pounder.
Steve
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Incredible! and Congrats on the baby as well. Definitely a keeper.
Steve
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Welcome, G.O.! I'm sure you'll find plenty of experts here. Loads of good tips to be had by just searching. Hope to hear about your Euro-Carping experiences.
Steve
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WTG! Louis, always nice to pull fish out of a new swim. Cool mirror, too. Wish I had photo'ed and weighed my PB mirror, only got a 27 inch measurement... oh well, next time.
Catching skinks or any lizard for that matter is just like fishing. Use a "lizard catcher". A 3-4 foot straight very skinny stick with a couple foot length of dental floss or braided line tied to the end and make a slip knot. Stealthily approach, lower the loop over the head and "set the hooK"...er... lift smoothly. The lizard tightens the knot but its weight doesn't choke them. See pics.
Becky looks nice too- great catch!
Steve
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WTG! Nice fish and the dam makes a great back drop.
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Hit the new venue. Caught a real pretty 22 inch Channel Cat; golden with spots. Next a two pound Common. Then THREE IN A ROW decent fighting - never saw 'em hook straighteners! I changed hooks each time to bigger and different brand hooks. Stinks losing three hard pullers back to back. Then this full bellied Common with some major scale damage and healed skin with extra slime coating. The bite died soon there after.
Oh...I had a Bombadier Beetle come have breakfast with me. He munched on half a boilie while I had a banana and Pop Tarts with my Diet Dew. The little bugger really chowed down for a while then scampered off. When threatened, they raise their rear and fire acid (either ascetic or formic, can't recall) in defense. Nasty!
I retired ALL of my Lazer Sharp Eagle Claw Easy Bend Bargain hooks and purchased 2X strong, forged, Japanese hooks. Let's hope the hook issues are done.
Interesting -to me- side note: I fished one rod with dough bait wrapped on a hair rigged spring and the other rod on boilies. The doughballs out fished two to one in frequency of bites over the boilies. The other rod had ALL THREE big fish- hook straighteners taken on boilies. Slower bite much bigger fish.
Steve
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Hang in there, lurch.
Like they said, there's next time.
no consolation for you but this morning ....
I LOST THREE ....DECENT FISH (though not monsters) ...IN A ROW ....to straightened hooks during strong runs.
I just pitched all my bargain hooks...many hooks and replaced them with some 2X strong, forged, Japanese hooks.
Lesson learned for me.
Steve
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Ok, a run down on the pics.
The map shows my office between the Taboo Pond full of someone’s pets and the Jordan River behind our offices in the same business park. Turns out my co-workers say the City Park where I fished is a gay hangout where men meet. And not safe at night. Wonderful! The guy named Kim said there was great fishing just south of there at the feeder canal a few hundred yards below the image edge. So I may head south on the next session.
So I hit the water and in less than an hour had a screamer run on my Abu Garcia 6500 KC 3 bait caster with the clicker switch mated to a homemade rod comprised of a bait caster flipping stick handle cut off above the cork foregrip and a 9 foot, 9 weight, Scientific Angler Flyrod epoxied into the handle blank giving me something like a heavy action noodle rod with a super tough reel. It casts and plays fish well.
First fish breaks off. Crap!
I re-rig and get one on the other rod. Wham! nice take down and run and SNAP! it breaks off at the hook. DRAT!
Next fish - a nice Ten Pounder heads downriver and goes into a stick pile to break me off. Nothing doing! this time and I chase it down to free it. I had to crawl under the bridge on a steep bank with the net and rod in one hand. I get to the fish only to see it tangled around a stick and a freaking grocery store shopping cart for cryin out loud. I try for a net job and SPLASH! I’m in shin deep. I step onto the cart and try another net attempt and lucky day the carp swims out and untangles from the tree limbs. Back up bank and a much safer net job. Whew!
Next comes a few more takes and LDRs when a kid watching wants to join in. "Get permission from your parents and you can", I say to him. He promptly hooks, plays and I net his first carp/fish ever. A nice 7.5 pounder. He’s happy but didn’t want to hold it for a pic.
Couple more small carp in the 5 pound range. Then a fat bellied bullhead cat.
Next comes another screamer run and after a decent fight I get ready to net a possible 30 plus inch fish. It sure is looking like a new PB. When BLOOP! right at the net she rolls over and unhooks and it's gone. AAARRRGgghhhh!
I check my terminal tackle and the hook is straightened quite a bit. That hasn’t happened lately. I’m OK about it as it tells me there are big fish in there.
Last fish of the session is a nice 12 pounder just at 27 inches. I’m all smiles (and so are all my little friends!) to have this new venue at work after trying the nearby lake for weeks with little success and the other new venue miles north of here with higher fishing pressure. The Lavaka family reunion was going on behind me and I drew a crowd like the Pied Piper.
Oh Yea, I gotta get a way bigger net. This Cabela’s special - for flyguys- may be handy- it collapses, telescopes, has a belt clip and decent mesh, but is only 22 inches deep and 18 wide at the mouth. WAY too small if I’m going to catch bigger carp. Any recommendations?
The Taboo pond could be fishable at night or even daytime. And is it ever tempting to see these big hungry fish in a walled one acre pond. Getting busted over it ain’t worth it to me. These are someone’s pets for there to be Grassies, Koi, goldfish and other than ordinary commons in it. I feed the guys- they eat anything! We’re sharing a snack of Sugar Pops at my feet. Check out my shoe tan!
Tight lines to all. Steve
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Alllllll Rightey!!!! Guys and gals, pics tomorrow. I went, I fished, I caught!
Some neat stuff happened, too.
I discussed Ezekiel and Job with a man named Kim.
I taught and fished with Isaiah.
And met another boy also Isaiah.
Learned some Tongan language.
Caught a Bullhead.
Several Carp were weighed.
My new PB Common taught me to be humble when the hook straightened AT THE NET. ohhh noooooo........
My wife sure loves, supports and encourages me.
We came to the analogy that fishing is "my golf course".
Pics on Friday.
I kissed a carp and made some kids smile.
The Fish Gods smiled upon me.
Life is good!
Steve
I GOTTA GET A BIGGER NET!
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WTG! Nothin like seeing your backing when there's carp on the fly.
Steve
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Right in the office park where I wrangle my income lie two carp venues. One is a crescent shaped, one acre pond chock full of Carp. There are big Commons, Ghosts, Grassies, Koi, Goldfish and maybe but yet to be seen Mirrors. Nearly all could be new personal bests in every category if I could only catch them. The problem is the two NO FISHING signs on the fence near the pond.
So what’s a Carp Angler to do? Well, FEED them of course. And feed them I do. The commons will come running when the bread or sugar pops hit the water. The Grassies just cruise about clooping on floating algae clumps. The ghosts stay deeper under the feeding commons and only show themselves occasionally. Same goes for the Koi and goldies. These seem to be the shyest and wariest. I figure if I keep up the food regimen I should have them eating from my fingertips in no time. Believe me I've been tempted to wet a line many times when I see these guys.
The other venue was right under my nose also but unknown to me how close it was. A hiking and biking City Park Trailhead complete with the Jordan River full of carp. So on a whim I drove to the end of our office park road at 7AM today and low and behold there she be. I just happened to have some 13-grain bread and boilies in the truck cab so I fed the ducks and scouted the area before work. Watching for carp sign, I’m rewarded with tailers, and surfacing fish. One swirl is heavy and causes instant large rings heading to both banks. That was a BIG one! Several smaller surfacings also look promising. Good thing I travel with my gear and tackle in the truck!
PS- I just drove over and photo’d the area. Saw more fish tailing, muddling where I tossed bread in this AM and a surprise bank feeder about 24-28 inches long. OH BOY!
Obviously, I was on the bridge scanning and taking pics.
Steve
The view facing South.
The view North.
The bank feeder is in the lightened area.
The bank feeder closeup.
new swim keeps me waiting!
in Pictures, Stories & Video
Posted
Great looking venue, swim and a nice healthy looking Common. Good job!
Steve