Santiago
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Posts posted by Santiago
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i like the pellets. Straight from the bag and into the lake
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How much did the maggots cost ya?
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Hey Dean, can you post up the other entrants that were posted before the crash?
Also folks, submit your january catches! Some great prizes available!!!
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Well it's 5:30 AM and I am awake...thinking about carp fishing. I am reminiscing about the last year, the people I met and the places I traveled...the things I learned and the fish I caught. And what a year it was!
In short, I had met a ton of great new people and fished with old friends again. I caught fish in 7 different states and 2 countries. I broke the 30lb barrier 4 times and shattered 40 with my first buffalo. I helped spark growing interest in carp fishing in North Carolina and introduced over 10 new anglers to the wonders of carp.
To me, carp fishing is all this and so much more. It is about the adventure, the camaraderie, the heartbreak, and the triumphs. It is about the laughter, the friendships, and getting away from it all. It is about the hard work and effort, and finally seeing that fish slip into the net. I have fished for a lot of different species, including some that fight wayyy harder or are much more elusive to catch. However, I always find myself back to these wondrous fish we so all dearly love.
2013 is a chance for all of us to improve ourselves, both as anglers and as people. Go explore new waters. Make amends with those you have drifted apart with. Introduce a kid to the joys of carp fishing. Enjoy yourself. We are all stewards of the sport, and thus we should act the part.
Have a great 2013 and who knows, maybe I'll see you on the bank.
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ive been kicking around the idea of getting an inflatable with a trolling motor. How big are these boats when they are all packed up? How quick do they inflate/deflate?
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Ask Steve Clow about maggots
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I can't help here, as I don't catch big fish
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great fish!!!
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Some good fish and smiling faces right there! Congrats!
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Octo-man to the rescue!
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I need to fish this lake again.....
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Sweet video Shawn!
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Who's going to be Marshalling?
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I always, always, always use a pod...
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I would like to see these all across North America...problem is finding venues large enough to house 60+ anglers
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bump for some more fat grasser pics !
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Sounds like a wonderful winter, Horace
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release pic
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48.8 lbs, Lake Wylie
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here's a pic that better shows the girth
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Thanks everyone!!!
Fantastic write up. May I ask how do the buffs fight compared to carp?
The one I caught brawled for sure...didn't make any screaming runs, but man it held to the bottom and didn't want to come up. Where we were fishing, it was 11 ft deep 1 rod length off the bank
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Looking forward to working with ya Davy!
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I have always been fascinated by buffalo since joining CAG. Seeing all these pictures of these giant, awesome-looking fish that are supposedly harder to catch than commons made me insanely jealous. So with the fall season winding down, I decided to finally stop sitting around on my arse and put together a buff trip. After all, one of the best buffalo lakes in the nation, Lake Wylie, is only 1.5 hours away from me!
I spent countless of hours searching for locations and researching online. All 4 lakes on the Catawba River chain (Wylie, Mountain Island, Wateree, and Fishing Creek) have buffalo as well as the river in between these lakes, however the biggest and baddest buffalo reside in the deep, clear waters of Wylie. The problem is that Wylie (as well as the other lakes) are like 99% developed and surrounded by private property. After some hours scouring google earth, I finally had some swims lined up. I put out a notice to the NC carp anglers, and our state chair Kendall (swab21) and Paul (Paul Garner) stepped forward to join me for the weekend.
Now I decided to do some more research on CAG, and came across the posts of Todd "HAWGMASTER" Davis from back in the day. He seemed to be THE buffalo man to talk to...however he hadn't been active since 2006. Using my administrative powers
I was able to dig up an email address, and shot him an email praying he still used that address. Lo and behold, Todd responded and was still alive and kickin. (Todd if you are reading this, welcome back bud ) I proceeded to pick his brain over the phone, and came to find out Todd was more than willing to help me out on my buff quest. I cant express how grateful I am for Todd's help. He literally did everything to help a complete stranger to come to Wylie and catch a buff. Again, thanks Todd! It was a pleasure to fish with you, and I can't wait to do it again 
Well after speaking with Todd, I completely changed our plan of attack and location to an island on Wylie. Todd also was able to get some time off from his hectic work schedule and would join us! The week leading up to the trip, anticipation and excitement built up as my dreams were filled with 60lb buffalo gracing my mat! Todd warned me that Wylie is a hard lake, and you may very well fish all weekend for that bite that will never come...but I couldn't help but dream!
Friday morning came around and I left to meet Kendall, hitch up the boat, and make the drive to Wylie! We got to the lake around 2 due to some unforeseen circumstances that delayed us, loaded up the boat, and started to ferry our gear to the island that was about 2 miles from the launch.
My island getaway
The island was beautiful. We found deep water (25+ ft) within easy casting distance, which I was told is crucial for buffs. We baited up with 300 lbs of a mix of sweet feed and 2-grain chicken scratch. We had rods in the water by 4:15, and we got Paul to the island by 5 PM. Todd would join us in the morning. We enjoyed the beautiful weather (for December!) throughout the evening and night. The only action that night were cats (including a 14lb blue for me) and frustrating pulls that resulted in nothing...the buffs were already messing with us.
I woke up at sunrise, and about 30 minutes later I see Todd motoring around the point towards the island. I help him beach the boat, and as we exchange pleasantries, i get a classic buff lift on my center rod. I strike and the rod just doubles over. After a good hard battle (who said buffs don't fight???), we see the fish come to the surface and my jaw drops. Kendall struggles to get all of the fish over the net cord, but we finally get it in. Holy crap my first buff and it's a stinkin monster!
48.8 lbs of white meat. AWESOME!!!
We return the fish safely to the water, and continue to fish. Unfortunately fishing was slow the rest of the weekend....the buffs didn't even porpoise all that much. Todd landed a 25-30lb blue cat and Kendall also got a 15-20lb blue...we also missed a few buff takes along the way. Frustrating. However, it was an absolutely great weekend on the water with awesome people. It was my pleasure to share the bank with such fine people...thanks Todd, Kendall, and Paul for a great weekend. Its trips like this that remind me why I love CAG so much. The fish was just a bonus...
Oh, and i'll be back for monster buffs sooner than you think
Some more pics:Todd's big blue
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Please Post January Carp Of The Month Entries Here
in 2013
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Wish I had some fish to submit
Great prizes up for grabs!