2006 In Review : My First Year Of Carping

[wolfville]

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 ...

[Carp]

WOW !!!

 

Some of your carp are almost as ugly as me.

[Rich]

Awesome pics wolfville, you are one of the resident carp experts here for sure. Learned a lot from you in the couple hours that we fished together, even though I never caught anything besides that rod breaking monster

 

You gotta come down here in April for giant cats and Lake Erie carp! With your setup they wouldn't stand a chance.

 

Keep up the great fishin!

[ccmtcanada]

Wow...awesome report and fish! Thanks for takin the time to post it....that last picture is awesome...I can see why you wanted to end your post with it.

[crappieperchhunter]

This was my second full carp season. I am hooked as well. Probably 90% of my fishing time between June 1st and the end of September is spent at my swim... "Carp Point"...as named by Beans. Just learning my digital camera so maybe someday I'll post a few shots myself.

 

BTW I would say that the ducks in your Peterboro pics are Rodpodys. At least he is the one who keeps them well fed all season.

[Terry]

real nice report

looks like a great year of fishing

[Beans]

Great report and pics...Photoz will be proud of you...He also got Crappieperchhunter and myself turned on to carp fishing a couple of years ago...my first time was shortly after he bought his first pod and rod and baitrunner...I just had to go down to P'boro to see what anyone would spend $3250.00 to catch carp with...Yikes!...(I've bought cars for less...LOL)

 

As a kid, I used to use a hand line that you wound around a few times then tossed into the drink off the causeway at Port Perry then fastened to a stake in the ground

 

CPH and me at Carp Point...(his shoes match my outfit...LOL)

 

 

Edited January 8, 2007 by Beans

[MJL]

Great pics

 

Had a fun time fishing the pond with you last year. Who knows what this year will bring...ROAD TRIP to Long Sault?

 

You forgot to mention your PB mirror

 

[Mike Pike]

What a terrific read, Wolfville. Very well penned and the photos were excellent.

 

Makes me sorry for not getting in much carping this past season myself. Oh well, there's always next year..

 

Cheers!

[urbanangler1990]

nice! am an avid fisherman myself, cant wait till summer! we should have a tournament just for ofners who fish carp, biggest wins, that would be cool!

[Photoz]

AMAZING . . . . just simply amazing!! Great read . . . . great shots . . . . about 4 more months I dust off the ol' carp rods. Still not sure what to do with the 12' Nexave & Technium I got a Fishing World at BELOW rock bottom price . . .. I guess a Stradic 6000 & a 4500 Baitrunner will fit 'em? One question . . .. howcum EVERYBODY I introduce to carp fishing, OUTFISHES ME?

[wolfville]

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.

[Uncle Buck]

Good Stuff Bud...

 

I picked up a whack of Carp stuff in the summer and will be giving it a more solid effort this upcoming year!!

[1leggedangler]

A beauty report and excellent pictures. Congrats on a great season fishing for ol ugly puss, a face only a mother could love.lol! Thanks for sharing.

 

Cheers,

1leg

[mepps]

great report!

Good luck in 07!

[fishindevil]

great report wolfville,you sure caught alot of carp in 06,keep up the hard work and your 07,will even be better cheers

[Mike the Pike]

Nice pics great report yes carp can peel alot of line off the spool.

[crappieperchhunter]

Beansie if I had known you where scoping out my "green crocs" I would have grabbed you a matching pair. The 2 of us could really turn a few heads down at Carp Point.

 

Seriously though...best damn footwear I ever got for when you are wading in and out of the water in the summer. It's just to bad that the day I decided to spend some cash on them, green, neon orange and neon pink where the only colours Bigley's had....and I wasn't making a 2nd trip to a SHOE STORE...in the same summer. Hell shoe shopping at best is a once a decade thing for me. Debbe's been after me for 2 years now to throw out my fav beat up old running shoes.