Solar Eclipse Carp

Unfortunately, we weren't in the path of totality of the eclipse last week.  Cross-country season is in full swing, and I'm trying to keep up with my weekly mileage.  Monday after the eclipse, we went out for a long run on the canal towpath.  Long story short, in a canal I've never seen ONE fish in before, there were 7 total carp up to 10 pounds out and about feeding.  It could have been the storm beforehand or the eclipse, but man it was a cool occurrence.  Definitely coming back to catch some canal carp soon!

Skunked by the water treatments??

Bobby and I went back to the grass carp pond for what should be the last time this summer.  We were there for about 2 hours, and I had numerous shots at a couple really nice fish.  The problem is, when your fly line lands on the weed mat, the grassies spook.

I had a few really good looks, but no grass carp committed.

After 1 hour of fishing, a boat was put in the pond and began treating the pond.  We packed up and moved to my neighborhood, pretty bummed about having to go.  Next we went to my carp pond, but after an hour, inevitable the boat came again.  At this point we had to go back, because we didn't have any more ponds to fish.

Bobby and I did some video editing, and I'll be fishing on and off on the weekends until the winter.

Another Round Lost to the Grass Carp; A Surprise Fish

Bobby, Ben and I decided to go back to the grass carp pond yesterday.  We spent a solid portion of the morning fishing for bass.  Bobby stuck lots of bass up to about 2 pounds on a buzz frog.  I fished the edges for the few grass carp we saw, and somehow caught a bass.  I pulled it in and realized that I had actually just caught a smallmouth.

Charles said there were smallies in the pond, but we'd never seen one.

We walked around for awhile, and I got the perfect shot at a grass carp.  I landed my hopper 5 inches from the fish's nose, and it turned away.  I thought it was spooked, but it turned and sipped my hopper!  I wasn't expecting it at all, and tried to set with the rod, but the fish was over 40 feet away, and I had too much slack in my line.

We left for lunch, then came back to the pond.  While Bobby and I presented hoppers to the grassies, Ben caught about 6 bass on plastic worms.

We kept continually laying flies in front of the grass carp, only to have bluegill take them and spook the grass carp away.  We caught dozens of bluegill as bycatch, and they were all infuriating.

Eventually, we had to leave.  We had some really good looks, but no fish.

Record Breaking

Bobby and I went out for a short hour and a half session at "the original" pond.  I landed a feisty 1 pounder on a popper as soon as he got there.

Bobby spent over half an hour trying to catch a bluegill for bait, but to no avail.  I was having subtle takes, so I started slowly pulling my zudbubbler along the surface as a wakebait.  A fish slurped the fly then took off fast.  The first fish ever to take me to the reel on an 8 weight.  It rocketed its way out of the water twice.  This fish was big, but somehow it still got its entire body a foot out of the water.  After a few minutes of tug, the big bass was mine.  I could have fit my entire fist down its mouth.

I brought it over to Bobby for the scale.  It weighed 5 pounds and 14 ounces.  Almost a 6 pound bass!   Thats the biggest I've ever caught, and it was on a fly rod!  Not only that, but its the biggest bass we've caught out of this pond in years!!

I released the beast then grabbed my 6 weight to get some bluegill for catfish bait.

Bobby got a couple nice fish on a frog.

I caught a bluegill on the fly rod, and Bobby went to work cutting it up and distributing the pieces among the catfish rods.  At about 10:00,  something started slowly taking the bluegill head.  At about 10:10, Bobby set the hook, but it ended up being a 2 pound bass.  We were both pretty upset about that one.  The bass wasn't actually hooked, it just swallowed the bluegill head.

We're going back to the grass carp pond tomorrow.  Bobby made a dope edit from the last grassie.  Check it out here. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lWJ-gggBzI

Carpe Diem

Today might have been the best day of fishing I've had in a long time.  Charles came over to fish at 9.  We headed to the main pond to fish a little.  Charles has really nailed down his jig fishing.  We would walk along the banks, and Charles would flip his jig into the path of any fish that scared off the bank. He ended up with lots of bass, and a few over 4 pounds. 

Bobby slept in too long, so he brought our friend Ben at around 11.  We went to the carp pond.  Bobby set up rods and chummed corn, but to no avail.  We saw very few fish there.

Charles had the idea of leaving to check out a pond he found that was full of grass carp.  I wanted some redemption.  We got there and immediately saw grassies everywhere.  The problem is they don't appear to be doing a good job at eating the vegetation.  There is a thick grass mat covering the bank out to about 10 feet from the bank.  

We saw fish everywhere cruising.  Bobby tried throwing bread.  Charles and I threw moss flies, hoppers, nymphs, and whatever else we could scrounge up.  Nothing bit.  Charles had practice, so he had to leave at 2.  At 1:55, I saw a grassie cruising slowly about 20 feet away.  At this point I was already using my 6 weight for the finer touch I needed to cast small flies delicately so as to not spook the fish.  I fired a short cast at the fish, and out of sheer luck, it landed 8 inches in front of the fish.  I watch him slowly tilt upwards and sip my hopper.  I struck as soon as he closed his mouth.  

I yelled as soon as I felt him, then instantly regretted using a 6 weight.  He burned out 50 feet of line in mere seconds, but then let me tug him back in.  This continued for a few minutes until Charles decided to hop back into the pond to grab him.  After 10 minutes or so of back and forth with the fish, Charles was able to bear hug the fish and run to the bank with him.  After the fish hit the bank, a photo session ensued.  The fish was absolutely massive, and I'm still amazed that I got him on a 6 weight rod.  

We took lots of photos.  I really don't remember it too well because everything was such a blur.  I just knew I was holding one of the biggest fish out of freshwater I may ever hold.

Charles got out of the water and posed with my fish and I.  It took a lot of effort just to hold up such a beast for all the pictures.

Since I always regretted not being the one to get in the pond to release my koi and because it was incredibly hot, I decided to hop in and release my fish.  I ended up "falling" in more than hopping in.  I thought I'd lost the fish for a second, but it was stuck in the weeds at my feet.  Before the fish could think to swim away, Charles was back in with the scale.  Our scale put this fish at 35 pounds and 15 ounces.  Easily the biggest fish of my life by over 20 pounds.

We snapped one last picture and then everyone but me rushed to go drop Charles off at home.  I stayed with my fish for 10 more minutes to revive it and send him back into his muddy, weedy home.  What a day! 

Grass Carp 1: Humans 0

Saturday night I had Bobby over.  He spent the night and we watched fishing videos and tied some flies, while researching grass carp techniques.  The next morning we got up and drove to a local orchard.  There are ponds in the back with lots of fish in them.

We couldn't believe out eyes when we got there.  Driving along the bank we could see dozens of grass carp in pods feeding on the bottom.  We saw fish from 5 to 30 pounds.  The biggest fish looked as though they were bigger than 30 pounds, and possible 48 inches or more.  Unfortunately, we fished all morning and part of the afternoon with nothing.

Bobby had one fish nibble a nymph but didn't hook it.






I've been fishing with my new 8 weight outfit.  I have a 9 foot Redington Vice rod with a Behemoth reel attached to it.

This outfit is pretty sweet.






We went back into Brownsburg to another pond.  This pond apparently has some big grassies in it too.  I caught a 10" bass on a nymph.  Bobby set up a rig with bread, and got a take.  We both were puzzled watching the line swim in circles.  When he finally pulled it up, we discovered a softshell turtle the size of a dinner plate.  He cut the hook and let the turtle go.

Finally, we went to a pond that is stocked with monster catfish.  Bobby has caught two blue catfish over 20 pounds from this pond.  We set up rods and ended up with two wimpy channel catfish, both under 5 pounds.

We'll be back soon for the grass carp!

Carp Dreams

Saturday, I went out to the new secret pond.  Initially, I walked around to test a new bass fly.  The water was still really dark.  I walked around and ended up catching a tiny 8 incher and missing a few quick strikes.  I got to the other corner of the pond, and saw not one, not two, not three, but four big carp over 10 pounds all tailing.  I silently cursed myself for not having carp flies on me, then sprinted back to my bag to grab them.

I walked around the pond twice before I saw any signs of a carp.  Then, there it was.  A tail as big as my foot flashing up from the bottom.  I shot a quick 20 foot cast and pulled the fly back until it was about two feet from the tail.  I saw the fish turn for a split second, then it shot away.  I held the line tight and set the hook, and almost immediately the fish got on the reel.  The first run was powerful and went about 80 feet into my fly line.  I almost got to meet my backing for the first time.

Every time I worked the fish to within 20 feet of the bank, it would make a 20 foot run again and i'd work it back.  My forearms were burning and I was tired.  Not wanting to horse the fish in, I let it run when it wanted to.  15 long minutes into the fight, I got the fish in.  Maybe a net would have helped.  Maybe I needed an 8-weight.  Maybe I needed tippet stronger than 12-lb test.  Who cares?  I got my second carp and my biggest fish ever on a fly!

The fish weighed 12 pounds and 4 ounces and was 29 inches long.  I took as many pictures as possible, then called Bobby and had him come.  We took a couple hero shots.  The neighbor that lets us fish at the pond wants the carp out of the pond because they eat the bass eggs.  I've never heard this as a problem, so we found ourselves unable to kill a fish that big without a solid reason, so we took it to the main pond to revive and go live with the koi.  It took a couple minutes, but it finally swam off.

After that I was pretty happy and wasted a little time catching some bluegill.  Best day ever!  Finals are next week so I probably won't go fishing this weekend.  Tight lines!!