wolfville

Funny, I was just thinking to ask about these smartcast toys... What about the actual range? and does it work well in shallow water (less than 5')? Does it show bottom structure (weed, rocks... etc)? I read the specifications but would rather hear from real users. I think they now have RF10, 15, 20, 30... which one do you have?

Not to defend carp, but these are not the common carp most so called "carpers" are after. And what I don't understand is, wouldn't fish like pike/muskie/bass be happier to have these readily available fish as food? Maybe release some pike/muskie to control this problem

Berkley Big Game 10lb - 15lb depending on the targeted water and fishing method. Bought some Maxima Ultragreen (75%off, can't pass that deal) and will give that a try this year on some of the reels too.

Carp fishing is bigger than most of us know. In Texas Carp Challenge 2006, the payout to the Texas record breaker was $250,000. That's a lot of money invovled. Also, in the southern states pay lakes are a big thing where you pay to fish some stocked pond with chance to win some money. Sort of like horse racing but you catch fish to win. For me, I just like the power of the fight and the tactics to fool these fish. And unlink a lot of other carpers I don't think keeping carp is that bad although I have not kept any. I really don't mind if you don't care to try it, just more fish for me. PS: the pod in my background is Photoz's, that picture was taken on the day he gave me the first carp tutor. I believe a lot of carpers on this site have been helped by him directly or indirectly. Hats off to Steve!

Thanks Brian and all, I won't try to breed them myself unless Terry agrees to be the guest of honour ;-) I want to try something new, the match fishing style. If it doesn't work out, at least my sons will have a blast panfishing.

Does anyone know any maggot or mealworm dealer in GTA area? I found mealworms in pet stores about 10 for a dollar, but I need to get like one or two thousand for fishing. The bulk price in the states is about 100 for a dollar...

I think Photoz has the Horizon and MJL has the stalker. The main difference (other than Horizon has a few more adjustable parts) is that Horizon can be used in upright position (I think you need to buy some extension). But you don't really need to do that around GTA. Again, in certain conditions long/stiff rods and big capacity reels are necessary. Other euro gears just make it easier and you can fish in style. I really like my neighbor's Prosche, do I really need it to get to places? NO, but that would've been cool.

Hmm....another one of us I started carp fishing last year and I told myself not to get any of those toys. Today, after less than 12 months, I have a pod, bank sticks, 3 alarms, 4 bite indicators, a few carp rods of different kinds.... Imagine what you will have a year later if you are buying the whole set at the beginning. None of the above is necessary for carp fishing, but they do make it more fun for me. I question myself very often that wether I enjoy the bite alarm screaming more or landing a 20lb fish.... The point is to have fun and learn to respect the nature, with any equipment you deem necessary.

But what are you gonna do? or what can you do? We are all s**kers.

Murphy's law, you always hook into the biggest fish when you have the smallest hole...too small to pull the fish out.

Carp 90% of the time, then bass, pickeral, pike, panfish the rest. The last carp caught lately was about a week ago, 11.5 lb.

They are better served alive. Bring some wasabi with you to make it taste even better. Ask Rich, he does it all the time and even had some pic posted. But then if you know Rich and his speical way of giggling... that may have something to do with eating minnows...

Rich: yup, it's a date. Come April don't try to hide from me ;-) Crappieperchhunter: Rodpody sure keeps those ducks fat. Also keep the swim baited really good. I think P'boro should give him an award for attracting people from overseas for the local economy. Urbanangler 1990: an OFC carp tournament is a fantastic idea. Let's get Photoz to organize that ;-) We can always hook up for a session or two. MJL: Thanks for that pic of my PB mirror. Too bad I didn't have my camera when I caught my first koi last month.... Long Sault is definitely in my plan this year. Photoz: I can't thank you enough to get me and other OFNers started on carp fishing. I don't know how many bass you have saved by doing that ;-) I do not outfish you, I just go fishing more than you do for carp that's all... To all the carpers: Carp fishing doesn't end in October. I have caught a lot in November. Even December (when I caught my first ever koi) and the last one I caught was on Jan 6 (two days ago). A 11.5 lb common. WHen I saw snow falling from the sky around noon today I think the reality finally strikes. I don't know how to get through the coming two carpless months.... When the ice on the lake is gone, I will be out again.

Have not posted as much in the new forum, but I have visited almost almost as often as before. Let me first say the belated Happy New Year to you all. This is probably my first 'real' post in the new forum. It's long and it's mostly about carp fishing. Although you will see a few pics of bass to keep you interested. Let me take my first year of carping in review. Some of you may remember that I made a few posts about sucker fishing early last spring. Even made a post with a sucker cooked on a plate I was interested in sucker for no other reason other than I was waiting for season openners for other species. Somehow my interests in suckers got upsized into carp. I heard that carp are good fighters and could be fun to target...I was at least as skeptical as most of you, if not more, in that carp fishing could be fun. I mean, what fun can one has in reeling in those dead weight and ugly bottom feeders, right? .... I had no idea that I was gonna contribute over 90% of my fishing on this one species in 2006 .... I think I fished more than 150 times in 2006 and about 90% of those outings were for carp. I am in no way trying to convince any of you that Ontario (or Canada in that matter) is one of the best carp fishing places on the planet, and I am in no way trying to 'lie' to you that carp fishing can be fun and addictive. There are not hundred of UK carp anglers coming to Canada every year, and they don't stay here in Ontario for weeks to just fishing for carp.... Okay, I know, you want to see pics, and here they come. This is the first carp I had seen caught by angling. I was in Port Credit to see Photoz (Steve, do you still remember?) and to ask him a few carp fishing questions and to watch him doing it all. This was a high 20lb fish, and the little boy in the back is my little son.... he was probably thinking that he had a pathetic dad that only catches the small fish. After that talk with Photoz about European carp techniqs, I started to mimic with what I already had.... most carp anglers in North America start this way .... This was the first 'swim' I tried ... a nice little place 3 minutes drive from home ... And some earlier success ... a 10 lb common carp. I often fished alone.... well, except these kept me company.... they probably loved me, or they just loved the corn and groundbait I used ? This was my set up at that time. another close up. At that point. I bought a bigger reel (the one in the picture. I had no idea that how small that reel seems to me now, after I bought a few baitrunner reels that are capable of holding over 300 yard of 15lb line). I told Photoz and a few others I talked about carp fishing that I wasn't gonna go all the way to European carp fishing equipment. I told them I won't need them and won't buy them because they make carp fishing no fun. Another thing I had no idea about .... Carp fishing can mean some "waiting", and I do this while "waiting". A nice read but I still believe in God. The creater of the world and fish. I did still go out fishing for other species once in a while and still remembered how to fish for them. Just can't compare the size of these fish. Yeah, I know, that was just a little guy. But I caught about 60 in that size in 2 hour of fishing that day.... (didn't realize until later that same area I went for bass is also one of the best carping spots in Ontario attracting anglers from Europe every year) And once in a while, I still did take my small boat out for some fun. And I did still catch some bigger bass, still, no comparison in size of fight with carp.... Early season Cook Bay LM ... Other than that, I probably went carp fishing 3 to 4 times a week, on average. Sooner or later I knew I was gonna catch my first mirror carp..... this was just a little 3 lb fish. BTW, all the weight referenced in this post (except the first fish which wasn't caught by me) were all from the readings on my rapala fish scale...not just guestimate. I know this fish look small, that was a big net ! Another fish caught by my older son. He was too excited to hold it for a picture... and it was a bit too big for him. A 5 lb fish. On the same day I caught the one above, I introduced carp fishing to this friend of mine. And his entire carping experience was about 10 minutes when this happened.... Then, ignoring all I told my friends about not buying anything fancy, I bought my first baitrunner reel. Days of the bonge cord were then history. BTW, contrast to a lot of people's belief, carp aren't born 10 lbers..... Not long after, again, I went and bought a rod pod .... Not long after that, I bought some bit alarms, bite indicators ... etc. I was then ready for some bigger carp water .... those ducks still followed me after they have tasted my groundbait..... Big water produces big fish. This is a 20 lb carp ... When you fish alone and try to set the camera timer to take a 20 lb fish still in the water .... this can happen sometimes...but I still love this picture. A 16 lb carp, too small to get the camera timer set up to do a proper hold and click.... I remember this was the smallest fish I landed that day. I landed a total of only 5 fish but about 100 lb That same day I had some speical guests. Most of the OFNers know them...can you tell who they are? Different kind of guys come in a differnt kind of ride...... They ddin't drive to the spot Now, Rich (AKA: BBR) didn't allow me to tell you how many carp he caught in that two hours they fished with me that day. But he broke one of his rods and he said he broke it fighting a monster carp.....that's his story he said he will stick to it..... Did they catch anything in those two hours? You BET! A 23.5 lb carp, Eric's first with a hair rig and wire feeder .... After SOME fight ... and here is the happy camper (they were camping nearby that weekend) Another pic from the same spot..... I have a feeling those ducks are following me everywhere I fish ... Here is a picture I took when I was in UK for a business trip. A business trip I actually LOVED to go because I could go to some of those European carp fishing stores. You can only imagine what they have in store, if you like carp fishing that is, otherwise, go to BPS to impress yourself ;-) .... I blew a few hundred British Pounds on carping gears in that trip ... I think the spending is never gonna end Just don't let my wife know...... I am using this picture to end my 2006 carping in review, because it gives me the feeling of looking out of a window, looking beyond all that together made 2006. The future is not that clear with all the England country fog......BUT, I have a puddle of water in front of me, I can be fishing and comtemplating how to cross the field in front of me and reach those golas in my life. At least, my goals in fishing...... PS: I didn't keep count of how may carp I caught in 2006, over 100 for sure. And none of them died and became my food in making my first year of carping a sweet memory. Hope you enjoy the read ...

Went to BPS this afternoon....boxing day and did not see anything I was interested in on sale. Thought it was gonna be the time I finally picked up a rod for float fishing...but none on sale. I wasn't surprised though.... it has been like that for my last couple visits....

I only fished about 10 times for bass this year, but I probably fished over 150 times this year so far... Some of you already know what I went after in those 140+ times, if you don't already know you probably don't want to know anyway....

Poachers, poachers, when do they learn.... I was at my local swim about two weeks ago and this other guy was fishing with not one, not two, but THREE rods from shore. I told him it's illegal and he looked around and said to me like a good old friend "It's okay, no CO will come this time of the year...." I was like? I called tips-mnr and as usual nothing happened. I am willing to PAY for the co to be at the scene to catch these guys if it has to be that sad. When I was leaving I saw his net with about 5 fish in it... felt raped. This was not the only guy doing that, almost every one fishing there was using multiple rods except me, and they acted like I was stupid not doing the same. Sorry if this post is a bit off the original topic ... If there is a 1-900 number to the CO please let me know.

Curling...... it started when people tested ice for ice-fishing.

Some carp gears, in the following order (hope I remember everything right). April: -8'6" Shakespeare Agility Medium Spinning rod -Shakespeare Agility Reel -Cheap CT rod holder < then with two months of happy carping thinking I won't buy any euro style stuffs> July: -Okuma Avenger ABF50 Baitrunner reel <What did I say about euro style stuffs in April?> July: -85lb of maize -too many things from Bulk Barns August: - SS rod pod - 12'6", 2.75lb TC, Shimano Exage 7 pieces travel carp rod - Fox hanger - bunch of baiting aids like drills, needles, stops, ... etc <I was laughed by Victor about the comment made in April too many times at this point, and made up my mind no more purchase this year.> August: - Two bite alarms to go with the other stuffs. - Second bag of 85lb maize. October: (got a business trip to UK.....) - Shimano Baitrunner reel XTE-B 8000. - Another Okuma baitrunner reel - 14' Shimano feeder rod, 3/4 sections. - 12' carp rod, TC 2.75lb, 3 sections. - A bunch of other stuffs total worth about 300 GBP for the trip. <OKay, enough for this year, or not?) December: - Two books by Chris Yates about fishing. - Another order from US for carp tackes about USD 100 made today. <Good thing is, my local swim is iced over now and I think I won't buy anymore for the year....> Plus a few lures for other speices, an inflatable boat (inteneded for bass fishing but will use it more for baiting, I guess)

"Consider the fish" by Chris Gudgeon. Read several times and still re-reading it often. "How to fish" and "Secret Carp" by Chris Yates. Just ordered today from Amazon. Too bad they won't arrive before Xmas.

Huh? No picture? You better add them here asap ;-)