Early season carping.

[Mike Pike]

Dang! I was having a ton of issues posting pics due to 'file size' and I've finally found a work around( Yup, not the sharpest tool in the shed here ). Anyhoo, I have a few outings I am now able to share, so sorry about the delay and I hope you enjoy anyway.

This was a carp session I enjoyed a couple of months ago on the north shore of Hammy Harbour at one of my favourite early season carp spots.

I set up at my usual swim and enjoyed the S/W winds blowing on my face, kicking up water in front of me and hopefully stirring up the carp. However, things were pretty quite and I thought I should do a little hiking to see if I could see any fish moving about.

Fish or no fish, I love strolling around the harbour early in the morning. It's pretty peaceful before all the boaters awake, start fussing about their vessels and start plying the waters.

Besides the fishermen, the only other active creatures in the early morning are the birders and their subjects.

Along my walk, I peered into the water and although the wind had built up the waves along the rock jetty, I could still see a carp swimming along in the margins. That'll do! I quickly went to get my gear, and relocated in this new spot with the hope of some action.

I threw a handful of corn not more than a few feet in front of me where I had seen the carp 'give away the game.' Then, I cast my bolt-rigged maize on a hair in the middle of the offerings and went to set the rod down on the pod. Before the rod even touched the holder, it jerked violently in my hands, responding to the carp on the other end and I was holding on to one angry fish!

It began kiting to the right and made it's way back in towards the jetty 30 or so yards down from me, then headed right back out into open water. After a spirited tussle, I netted this spunky little fella of 14lbs.

Well, I was well please the pressure was off and I set about adding another handful of corn into the area and, once again, pitched my baited rig into the marginal water. This time, I actually had time to set my rod down onto the pod, but before I could click on the free spool, the next fish had taken my bait, bolted out into the open lake, and I was away again!

This fish also gave a good account of itself and by the time I had played it closer to the net, the wind had died and the lake had calmed enough for me to be able to see the action under the surface. My fish was being followed by several other smaller fish and I suddenly realized what I was seeing. I had hooked a female and it was still being pursued by several smaller males looking to make a love connection. Yup, the spawn was on!

The fish was a fatty of about 17lbs and I was happy to have caught her.

Once I had taken the photo and release her, the spawning activity had increased around me and it was pretty amazing to watch. The rolling and thrashing was occurring above the water almost as much as below it! Furious spawning fish would suddenly erupt out of nowhere, splashing and dashing all over the harbour.

One thing that was evident was that during the spawn, there were still catchable fish. My little feeding zone was being cleaned out so I chummed some more and cast my presentation back out and waited. And waited. And waited. Well, at least I had time to sit back with a cool bottled water, relax, and just enjoy my surroundings.

The beauty of the harbour here is that you can set your seat in one direction and take in the activities at the steel mill.

Or turn your seat to the other direction, and look at miles of undeveloped shoreline.

Just while I was stretching my legs, the bite alarm screamed a one-toner and I was in again! This time, the fish kited to the right and my line dangerously rubbed along a rocky point of shoreline jutting out from the jetty. Fortunately, the fish decide to run back out into open water then kited to the left. As it got closer to shore, I once again observed the smaller carp close alongside my fish and matching it, move for move.

By the time I was able to get it safely into the net, a fisherman just down from me who had observed the action had come over and kindly took a picture of the 21lb fighter.

As the noon day sun rose and the heat of the day started to take it's toll, I decided it was time to pack up and reward myself with a cold one. A fun day and I can't wait to get back and see if I can catch a few more of the harbour's battlers!

 

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Some good chunkers there always nice to get those in the harbour, nice and close to home for me, can't wait for more pike/walleye to show up in the area also as the populations are rebounding in the area