Another carping report

[wolfville]

I have skunked I don't know how many times last week carping my local swim. While the catching has been bad in general but others did land a fish once in a while and I was the one skunked whole week. So, really needed some confidence boost. Was thinking to go fishing with CCMTCANADA because he and Bly seem to be on fire with carp no matter what the condition is. Turned out they will be away this morning so we won't be fishing together....he simply gave me permission to fish his swim while he is away. What a nice guy !

 

Got to the swim at around 6:30. It was much smaller than what I expected from satellite map. And is a very interesting swim. The spot I fished you get a opening about 20 yard wide. To the left is a big log in the middle of the channel, to the right is a big floating dock. If you hook into a big one and it goes either right or left over 10 yard or so you are in huge trouble. I don't know how CCMTCANADA and BLY landed their fish there, at night, with shorter rods (shorter than regular carp rods), and sometimes by him or herself

 

Sorry, I didn't take many pictures and sure wouldn't post any that would reveal too much info about the swim. It's not mine and I don't want to reveal its identity. And please don't PM me or them if you ONLY want to ask for the spot. I would feel really bad if this caused them trouble.

 

Anyhow, go there at 6:30, get things set up, chumed a bit. And got into the first fish at 7:10am, weighting 19lb.

 

 

I was disappointed that it took like 20 minutes before I got into this fish. The condition looked perfect and signs of fish feeding all over the places. But in a new swim that wasn't too bad.

 

Okay, I then started to think, hmm...I can fish until 11am (had other commitments), so in this four hours I can probably land over 10 fish easy.......WRONG ! That was it for the first 2.5 hours. It wasn't until 9:30 I got into this one,

 

 

Then a lot of nothing. I should mentioned that the wind started to picked up after 7:30 and didn't slow down until 10ish. In between I landed this only fish at 16lb. And when it was windy, my bite alarm gave a lot of false alarms so I didn't get to have a nap either

 

 

At around 10, I decided to do something I've wanted to do for a long time --- using boilies. I bought some last year and used it for bait for maybe 1 hour in total. Never have the confidence in them especially in my local swims where they are not often seen by the fish. But since I wasn't doing too weel at that point (2 fish in 3 hours). I decided to give it a try, can't be too much worse, right?

 

In 10 minutes, my bite alarm started to sing the most beautiful song in the world. FISH ON. This fish proved to be very smart or very naughty. It first went right into the floating dock. With a 12' rod, it wasn't easy to force it out there but definitely doable (I have no idea how Cliff and Bly did it with shorter rods). After that, the fish ran across the opening and into that log. This is no ordinary log It's about 15 yards (the visible part) parallel with the channel and right in the middle of it. The fish ran right behind the log (the other side where I was standing). I knew I was gonna lose that fish. It stayed about 3 feet behind that log and I was waiting the wrape and snap.... no, didn't happen, it stayed there for 5 second without moving. Now, it's am important time where both of us have to think quick to have a chance to win this battle (of course, at least one of us will lose). I decided to make the move. I try to get to my right all the way to the fence separating the docking area from the area I fished. Stick my arms out as much as I can to the right and started to slowly but firmly to get the fish to move to the right hoping it will come back out in the open so I can reel it in again.....and that worked. Got it in between me and the log and from there it should be smooth sail but no. It pulled off the hook and left me half tired standing there with my mouth open. I had to lose it when I thought I have dealt with all the difficult parts. Looked like a nice fish (all lost fish look that way ;-). and I have just lost my first fish on a boilie.

 

Anyway, at least my confidence was back, both with the swim and with the boilies. From 10 to 11, the action was non-stop. I was fishing by myself and didn't really have a lot of time to take pictures. Especially when I can use the time to rig up and cast. Between 10:30 and 11 I got 4 fish landed. They all looked a like ranging from 15 to 25+ lb.. And around 10:40........I got my PB in weight. The trouble is, my scale bottoms out at 25 lb, and this guy is heavier than that. So I will have a unknown PB for a while. I would've said it's 27lb (it may very likely be more than that), but that's more than Victor's PB so I will claim the same as Victor, somewhere around 26.8?

 

Here is the picture of my PB, it wasn't long (around 33') but had a very thick shoulder and nice belly)

 

 

 

All in all a great few hours this morning. I was so tempted to call off my previous committment but decided to keep my promise. There is always another day. Due to the crazy action in the last 30 minutes. A pike fishermen on the other side of the swim walked over for a chat asking what I was doing and how. And what I did that was so right that I was "cleaning the house". I tie a hair rig, put a boilie (the same kind that was catching). His two grandsons (?) came other too and were very interested at my equipment. I expained how everything works and tied them each a hair rig with a boilie. (I was in the middle of packing already because my time was up).

 

And yet my bite alarm went off again. I always pack the rod/pod the last hoping I can get another one before I leave. And it worked today The two boys were there amzed to everything they were seeing, the bite alarm, the rod, the baitrunner, the fight..... so I passed the rod to their hands and they took turn to "feel" the fish throught a 12' rod. I told them this is a little guy and they looked at me like I was lying

 

The smallest fish of the day, but at least one of the boys knew how to use a camera. So this became the only picutre with both me and a fish in it. Look in the background in the water and you can see the log in the water.

 

 

A very good morning. I am sure if the bite lasted and I had stayed longer, I could easily get over 10 or 15 fish today. But I'll take what I got. Thanks again for the friendly OFNers who would share swims with responsible anglers. I packed a bag of garbage (most of them not mine) and brought them out there. Did it as a token of appreciation to the swim and the good friends on OFC. I will be back.

[Mike the Pike]

Good for you man great that you killed the skunk and you got to babysit Cliff and Bly's honey hole. MTP

[Victor]

told you to buy a new scale lol! congrats on the PB! too bad you couldn't get a weight on it though ... i'll give it a 25lb 1oz haha!

i lost a real good one today that might have been my new PB ... straightened my hook during the fight ...

 

so "2 fish in 3 hours" is bad eh? guess what... i fished a total of ... 11 hours today and i got 3 fish in total ... all in the teens "

 

well glad that you shook off that skunk and good for cliff/bly for sharing your swim!

[Victor]

here's my PB in your net ... for reference ...

to be honest now yours defintely looks bigger

 

[wolfville]

here's my PB in your net ... for reference ...

to be honest now yours defintely looks bigger

 

 

Victor, I should've listened and got a new scale...I'll just get one that bottoms out at 40lb.....maybe that way I get my first 40s sooner ;-)

[Bly]

What a great read!! Congratulations on your new PB Awesome that you had such a good time.....nice to know that swim produces in the AM, hadn't yet had the opportunity to try it out. Loved your description of "the log" as we refer to it......cost me 3 fish this past week. Thank you for picking up some of the garbage while you were there also....always worse there on the weekends . Really nice of you to take the time to help out the grandfather and his grandkids....I am sure they will remember the feel of that fish for a long time!! Congrats again and thank you for this report......really made me smile!!!

[ccmtcanada]

I'm very happy that the swim produced for you!!! It wont win any beauty awards that's for sure!!! LOL. It's a good thing I couldn't accompany you...everyone else we've taken fishing to our spots has pretty much been skunked!!! LOL

 

It is an interesting swim to say the least....the log didn't really bother us until recently...then again they are getting more and more active now. I see you fished it from the same side we do...too hard to cast to the good spots from the other side.

 

I do have to make a mental note....do NOT fish there after bly goes 4 for 5 the night before and then you fish it in the morning....both of you getting PBs!!!! I went out tonite...and didn't fare as well as you two that's for sure (report to come).

 

Anyhow, congrats on a very successful day out there...your report had me laughing...esp the lost fish story!! We've been there and done that in that spot too...as you can probably imagine!!

 

We will have to get together at some point this summer....bly and I would love to fish with you!

[ccmtcanada]

Oh yeah...a couple more things....

 

That is not MY spot....it's a public spot....but I do appreciate you keeping it to yourself

 

The picture of that log you have there...what you forgot to mention, is that it shows only a small portion of it!!! LOL.

 

And finally...thanks for picking up some trash from the area. We do the same thing when we are there...it's not the most scenic spot to fish, but we can at least do our share to keep it garbage free. Oh yeah...that photoshopped pic of the area makes the spot look nicer than it actually is....LOL.

 

Congrats again...I"m gonna have to try this day time fishing thing...it looks fun....LOL.

[MJL]

I guess that's your warm-up for the CAGI. Congrats on the PB. Did you subtract the weight of the net?LOL

 

Too bad I'm stuck here studying for finals...Dying to get out. Wish I could've gone with you. At least I've got the summer semester free so I can fish the local ponds 24/7.

 

In the meantime I'll be fishing for birds, squirrels and the elusive silver Mercedes that passes by at 4pm.

 

[wolfville]

I guess that's your warm-up for the CAGI. Congrats on the PB. Did you subtract the weight of the net?LOL

 

Too bad I'm stuck here studying for finals...Dying to get out. Wish I could've gone with you. At least I've got the summer semester free so I can fish the local ponds 24/7.

 

In the meantime I'll be fishing for birds, squirrels and the elusive silver Mercedes that passes by at 4pm.

 

 

Mike, that swim of yours looks great. Good vegetation growth and structure. How did you do that? LOL

 

If you fish THE local swim 24/7. You will see me more than my wife will ;=)

[nautifish]

Great report wolfville.....Gotta love fishing for carp they really are alot fun.....Nice too see alot of reports of people getting out there and giving it a shot...........