Category: News

Seek adventure and reap the rewards!

June 21, 2016

Long and painful hours of planning, anticipation, overthinking melt away when your alarm cries out of the silence for the first time.

Around the end of February, we started to plan an epic adventure. Erick, Joseph, and myself were looking to get away for a week in a remote corner of the country and catch some beautiful, relatively untapped carp of Wild West. We set forth on planning the logistic nightmare to travel over 1300-mile one-way trip. We spent countless hours on Google Maps and Navionics looking for new unfished areas. While we found many great looking areas on the map we had already had a backup plan in mind if they washed out. Fast forward to June.
The day has finally come. Erick and Josef leave early Sunday morning to embark on the drive from Texas to the mecca of carp fishing in the United States. The one, the only BIG CARP TACKLE!!! After some “shopping” as Erick likes to call it as he pockets some Solar Popups and tries to walk out with a 10kg bag of boilies; we spend a bit of time chatting and loading up the truck. I will take full responsibility with the loading issue. The original plan was to rent a small enclosed trailer to take up all the gear in however in the anticipation I forgot to actually reserve it and there was no one available to rent one from on a Sunday. I caught a good bit of flak for forgetting even though we still managed to fit everything and on a side note, Josef is awesome at loading a vehicle! We finally take off around 1:30 pm and begin to embark towards our destination. Hopes are high, energy drinks are flowing, and vaping machines are vaping as we start the 20-hour drive to get to our first destination.

Erick and Josef

He tried

We had several areas we were looking to scout and hopefully fish. After the 20+ hours and countless Redbulls later (we should have asked them to sponsor the trip!) we came to our first stop. There is a parallel to The Story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears with us selecting a spot and it turns out that we chose correctly. As we traveled around to the North side of the lake on a dirt road we came to a point where we had to stop as it turned into a nature preserve. This was not even a quarter of the way we wanted to travel so we were pretty disappointed. The campground also looked pretty busy so we decided that it was not the spot for us. One of the downsides for the first spot falling through is that our 2nd choice is over 2 hours west of our first. So we decide to scout several river spots along the way. Surprise, none of those spots pan out either as the river has a ripping current and the access is not what it seemed like on Google Maps. After the river is a washout we make our way to the second spot. Just like the rest of the river we could not find adequate bank space and the areas we found did not allow overnight camping. At this time, we have been in the truck for almost 30 hours with very little sleep and plenty of anticipation which is fueled by energy drinks and images of large fish dancing in our heads. We make the tough albeit easy decision to head to the third and final spot which happens to be almost 5 hours back to the East. Needless to say we were not very happy about the drive but we know we will be somewhere with a good chance to bank some beautiful fish. Now after around 40 hours of driving we arrive at our final destination. Just as Goldilocks found out, the third spot was just right. The wait is over.

We arrive late afternoon/early evening to a strong, southerly windstorm right into our faces and the chosen swim. Talk about getting a confidence booster! Without a soul in sight we start unloading and choosing our respective swims. We are fishing a gentle point that faces into the south/southwest with a small, slightly deeper cove to our right and a shallow flat to our left. Erick chooses the center swim hoping to allow Josef (on his left) and I (on the right) to pickup any fish coming from our flanks. Our pods are setup about 20 yards from each other as we fan the rods across the point. We haphazardly cast our rods out for the night and finish setting up camp unknowingly needing the rest for it will be a long, eventful week on the bank.

We rise pretty early for having been driving almost 2 days without a break. Bypassing breakfast and getting our baiting sorted out it isn’t long until the first take. Shortly after we wake my rod is the first to go. Now there is a little backstory to this trip. I have been exclusively targeting carp since 1993/1994 and in all these years I have netted and been witness to countless mirror carp however I have not once, in probably tens of thousands of carp, ever caught my own mirror carp. Well that ended at 7:15 am on this particular morning. After a short but very nerve racking fight as it is the first hookup of the trip and I would never live it down if I were to loose the first fish. As she slips into the net we are all relieved and excited that we are into the fish within hours of having lines in the water. Now in good faith for the trip we I release the fish, my new mirror PB around 16lbs, back without an official weight in anticipation of bigger things to come.

My first Mirror Carp. It only took 20 years!

Beautiful native species

Shortly after my new Pb I receive a second run. This time is is a sucker and another new PB for me. I end up with a second sucker as well before things take a turn.For what seems like the rest of this day and most of the next Erick had the lucky swim. Cranking out fish after fish. Feeling bad for Josef as he has yet to have a run. Josef catches a break while Erick is off “taking care of business” and takes a fish away from Erick on his crazy left handed reels. If you have never tried to play a fish on your off hand with a 12 ft rod you should try it because it’s borderline comedy. Now that we have all had a fish the rest of the trip turns into insanity. We averaged 2-3 fish an hour for almost every daylight hour we had. The night bite was not very effective and while we caught it was actually nice to have a break! After 3 days of almost non stop catches the real magic happens. After catching fish from 3 rod lengths out to around 60 yards out I decided to try a single fluoro hook bait approach. Tying up a 15 inch stiff hinge rig with a 3 in hook length section and a Nash baits 15mm Citruz popup I blast the middle rod to as far as I can. I have not baited out past 60 yards or so and this cast is about double that. It didn’t take long before I have a fish on, another average fish for the trip around 24/25lbs. I bring the rig back to the brolly and touch up the hook point with my Jag file and stones, add a PVA nugget for protection and proceed to blast it out into the same area. Less than an hour goes by before the same rod rips off again. This time the fish feels much heavier. With multiple slow, powerful runs I know I have hooked into a much better fish than the rest. Now I had told Erick early on into the trip that if he sees the fish and it’s big to not say anything as I don’t want to get anxious and do something wrong. Well he messed that up! While waist deep in water turns around and gives me a big smile and a thumbs up! Great now I know that I cannot lose this one. After a brutal battle back and forth along with Erick’s superhero net skills and the largest fish of the trip so far is into the net. This fish made the trip for me, hands down. My new PB of 36 lbs 4 oz and it’s a magnificent mirror! Not only have I caught my first mirror and many in the 24/25lb range this fish left me in amazement! Time stood still as I knelt in the water next to the cradle and gazed upon a beast of carp. Now as an American I’m not quite sure what the carpy English phrase “chuffed to bits” means however it seems to be good and you could say that was how I felt haha. After quite a few photos and a celebratory Coors I took a small break and let everything set in. What more could you ask for a trip that started with 40+ hours in a truck, close to 2000 miles of driving one way?

In Awe

This is what carp angling to me is all about. 36 lb 4 oz new PB

Wild carp at their best.

Safely released until we meet again.

Well I’m glad you asked! Something even more spectacular happened the next day. We have all seen photos and heard stories of catching braces and triples. Folks I believe we may have one you might have not heard of because we can’t recall it either. Within 30 minutes we had caught a heptad of carp. Don’t worry we looked up the proper term and a heptad is a group or set of seven…. We managed to have 4 fish in the cradle and 3 of the 4 nets we had also had fish in them (safely in the water still). In the interest of fish safety we release 4 of them to get a group photo of 3. Among the 3 that we took in the group photo is also the largest fish which eclipsed my PB and was caught by Erick at 38 lbs. A gorgeous and long fish we took some great photos that he will share with you all.

A heptad of carp! These 4 in the cradle and another 3 in separate nets at one time. All fish were released unharmed.

3 of the 7 fish we landed in quick succession.

One of many braces that graced our nets.

One day she’ll grow up and be a 30+

Lets call her Marilyn for the “beauty mark” on her scale.

Josef scored 2 fish while we were visited by Officer Scott of the Idaho Department of Fish & Game. He had no idea that this lake is such a special place for carp anglers that make the journey and stayed around for an hour asking questions and taking photos to show his co-workers. Make sure you get your proper licenses!

Thank you to a random Coors bottle cap for giving us the motto of the trip.

Overall the tripwas a huge success! We captured 90+ carp, only 10 were under 20 lbs with an average of 24/25 lbs. 3 thirties including my new PB. My fish were caught on the multi rig, chod rig, and stiff hinge rig. From distances of 30 feet to over 100 yards. Bait wise almost all of mine were on Nash Citruz 15mm popups, a few on Nash Key 20mm cultured hookbaits and a few on CC Moore 15mm White Pacific Tuna Popups. The fish seem to have a very visual feeding response and the bright baits produce throughout the trip.

End Tackle: Nash, Kryston, Ambush
Rods: Saxon Hexalite 3.0tc and one prototype rod
Reels: Daiwa Basia
Pod: Original Solar Sod Pod
Alarms/Indicators: ATTs crystal body/Solar Titanium short arm indicators

This trip is now my greatest trip to date not only because of the fishing but also because of the camaraderie between good friends and the overall experience which we will not forget any time soon. Since returning back home there hasn’t been a day go by that I don’t flip through the photos and smile and wonder why we even came back at all!

In the immortal words of Sir Izaak Walton, “I have laid aside business, and gone a-fishing.”

See you on the banks! Tight lines!

Review: Solar Mega Big Shots for big baiting.

by Erick Maybury

June 3, 2016

Currently there is no shortage of flavors, additives, dips, glugs, sprays, and enhancers available to the American Carp angler. The selection is overwhelming, you have the option of sticking with old familiar favorites such as strawberry and upping the complexity to Scopex to Ambergris and Vetiver for all I know.

With full shopping baskets and smiling faces pleased with this never ending cornucopia of flavoring there is one thing all Carp anglers contend with in the US at some point and that is QUANTITY. It’s highly unlikely I am the only person who has used their favorite flavors in such moderation that it felt as though it was a bottle of champagne being cracked open only for special occasions. Fortunately the Solar Mega Big Shots have put an end to this conservative usage of flavoring.

A 30lb Common Caught on a Candy Floss Pop-Up

With 1 litre of flavoring you no longer have to be savvy with your baiting applications. Most carp fishermen I speak with fish a variety of waters requiring different amounts of bait going from a few balls of groundbait to half a dozen or more 5 gallon buckets filled to the brim with particle. Speaking of flavoring 5 gallon buckets of particle it seems as though one full cup of the Big Shot flavors will flavor this amount just fine, and if more is needed there is still plenty to spare. If you’re feeling adventurous I highly recommend taking a look into the new Candy Floss, and Chili Club flavors. The Chili Club is a mild spicy/fishy smell where the Candy Floss is incredible and hard to put a finger on what it is composed of, but it’s certainly a potent creamy, and nutty flavor very unique and original, and sure to be a favorite in the US.

Affordable Carping: NGT Carp Care products

by John Finney

April 6, 2016

When I returned to the sport of carp fishing I knew nothing of the modern accepted standards of carp care. Back when I first started fishing, in the late 70s, early 80s, weigh and retainer slings, cradles and mats, dedicated nets for carp, medicated kits to treat wounds and sores, simply did not exist. The fish were often placed upon a grassy bank and weighed in a simple plastic bag. Kevin Nash had only just pioneered the first commercially available carp sack in the late 70s. We have learned so much in the decades since Richard Walker landed the UKs first 40 lb’er back in 1952 from the Redmire Pool, ironically the very same County I was born in, Hertfordshire.

As I began to catch carp again, my first in nearly three decades, I proudly displayed my capture photos to the members of the Carp Anglers Group here in North America. I had joined CAG but a few months earlier to learn more about carping here in the USA. The feedback I received was not something I expected, or was prepared for; members politely sending me private messages to let me know that the standards of carp care I was demonstrating was sorely lacking!

Learning about carp care, from others.

Surprisingly, especially in a world full of keyboard warriors, this was not done in a hostile manner. There were no personal attacks, no vitriolic replies.

Instead, CAG’s members offered encouragement and provided a more gentle message of how carp care has evolved over the past few decades. They helped me learn the appropriate techniques and tools available to catch, unhook and return the carp to the water in as good, or better condition, than it was caught.

Honestly, if instead I had received a hate storm of feedback it is unlikely I would have continued on with the same passion in my angling endeavors today. Any enthusiasm I had for sharing my captures would have stopped, as would my contributions to the many forums and local fishing communities.

Over the past few years I have learned so much more and now endeavor to share this with others, encouraging and educating on what is appropriate or recommended, especially with new anglers to the sport.

The most common feedback I now receive when recommending the use of mats, cradles, slings and carp friendly nets to new anglers is,“it’s too expensive!”

I can appreciate where this is coming from. My first round of carp care equipment, retainer sling, carp cradle, a good net, cost me well over $300. This may not sound like a terrific sum of money to some, but to me, it certainly was. However, years later, there are now good companies out there providing affordable ranges of quality carp care products that even the most frugal of anglers can afford.

Over the past couple of seasons I have been putting Next Generation Tackle’s (NGT) range of carp care products to the test, both in my own angling and when out with others on the bankside. I was especially interested in both their functionality, durability and price point with a focus on those new to the sport, or the budget conscious angler.

I am passionate about demonstrating that carp angling can be affordable for all and NGT’s products fill this niche for me. I use their products in my everyday angling and when taking new anglers out onto the bank for their first time carp fishing. This allows me advocate to the new angler that they don’t need to sell their car, or children, just to get into the sport to see if they enjoy it !

Nets:

I have been using the NGT 6 ft Carp net handle, the 42” Carp net with metal spreader block and a basic net float.

Personally I prefer a net with the metal spreader block and threading. These are the two components most prone to failure, especially when a new angler tries to lift the fish out of the water still in the net, by the handle. The single piece handle is sturdy with little flex and the net arms fit easily into the spreader block. Sometimes I do regret not getting NGT’s net, with the longer telescopic handle. There always seems to be times when a 6 ft reach is just is not enough. The mesh is not as fine, or soft, as that of a more expensive product but it still lands the fish without their fins getting caught.

After 2 years use, with well over 150 carp landed, the mesh is now worn and ready to be replaced. Consequently, with NGT constantly working on their products and innovations, this year I will be upgrading to the new 42″ Specimen Net, with a Dual Net Float System, eliminating the need for a separate float.

Mats & Cradles:

I have used many of NGT range of mats, and their 2015 award winning Cradle, for over a season now. The most simple, and affordable of which, would be the Quickfish Mat. An inexpensive, no frills lightly padded mat, that folds down for easy storage and transportation.

If the beginning carp angler can afford nothing else, then the Quickfish Mat works and is a huge upgrade from simply lying the fish in the dirt or upon the rocks.

However, when I am using a mat, I do prefer one with sides. This helps to stop the fish from sliding off the mat and keeps some water on the fish. Thus, I have also used the Beanie Unhooking Mat.

This mat has plenty of support beads for padding and side walls. Measuring in at 24″ x 48″ x 5″ it is plenty big enough to accommodate a pretty decent sized carp though with the beads it does not roll up all that well (end up folding mine in half for transport atop the wagon).

For me personally, I prefer to use a cradle over a mat. I like to keep the fish elevated off the ground, padded, secure and at a height better suited to me for handling the fish. I also enjoy having the cradle stable and level, especially on uneven ground. Thus adjustable leg height is a must. When taking that important capture shot, I only need to lift the fish a foot or so up above the cradle and can easily lower it back down if it becomes too lively. Perhaps i’m getting old but leaning over at mat on the ground wears my back out quickly!

In 2015 NGT released a new product that immediately caught my eye, the framed Carp Cradle. This proved to be well worth the investment. Made with a strong, yet light weight aluminum frame, soft PVC durable material, the cradle folds down easily for transport and is very quick to setup.

The height adjustable legs come with mud feet. The attached cover folds down and be used as a knee pad. The cradle incorporates soft, but strong, rubber mesh in the bottom corners allowing for drainage.

Having used a few other styles of cradle in the past the NGT Cradle hits just about every mark for me.

If I had to find a criticism, I would be that NGT needs to release a larger version!

The current 304 model is 101 centimeters wide, including side walls and frame. The cradle easily holds carp of up to 36″ in length comfortably. Perhaps an XL model will eventually be made for those real big slender torpedoes?

Having used this cradle now for over a season I can see why it was voted for, and won, the Angler’s Mail Award as “Best Cradle of 2015”.

Weigh Slings:

Never, ever, weigh a carp using a scale with the hook through the carp’s lip or use lip grips. This is so totally unnecessary and causes damage to the mouth of the fish. For a big heavy carp, they could easily rip through mouth causing permanent and disfiguring damage to the fish. It’s simple, please, just don’t do it, instead get yourself a weigh sling or combination weigh / retainer sling.

Having previously used a retainer style sling it was a change to use the NGT Carp Sling System. The sling comes with zips on either side allowing you to put it on the mat (or in my case, the cradle), place the fish on the sling, zip up, weigh via the handles and release it again safely afterwards. There are fiber glass rods running through the two upper seams for added strength. The system even comes with a stink bag, which I highly recommend the use of after a long hot day of catching.

I did find during the prior seasons fishing that I missed the retainer element of a sling system, when I had a double run for myself or when with a guest we both had fish on. Yes I could sack a capture if necessary but i’d rather use a retainer sling.

For the 2016 season I am looking forwards to getting myself the newly released, NGT Captur Floating Sling and Holding System. This sling incorporates 8 independent floats to ensure it stays afloat even in the harshest of conditions. With a double zip and locking clip there is zero chance for the fish to escape the sling in the water.

Included are a 6 ft rope and peg to secure the system to the bank. There are removable bars that hold the system open at all times. Constructed of fish friendly materials, with a fine mesh running along both the sides and bottom of the system, there should be fast drainage for weighing and after the release. There are 6 Carry handles which cover all contingencies and yes, this sling is large in size, ideal for specimen fish. Heck it even comes with a carry case!

In closing, carp have a protective slime coat over their scales. This is the carp’s first line of defense against infection and disease, shielding the fish against such organisms in the water. The coat also prevents the loss of internal electrolytes and fluids. Any removal of the slime coat can make the carp more susceptible to disease, bacteria or fungal infections. This could potentially lead to the death or disfigurement of the fish.

Carp should never be placed upon a dry surface such as the ground, dirt, rocks, a boat deck or anything that could pull the slime coat from the fish. Everything that touches the carp needs to be wet first, from your net, to your mat, sling or cradle, including your hands. Carp care does not have to be expensive. There are plenty of products available at very affordable prices.

I would also recommend for the new carp angler reading this article, checkout this great essay by BCN Contributor, Iain Sorrell. Carp Safety – Going Beyond the Mat

So when you next see a post, or image, or angler on the bank that does not portray the standards of carp care you expect to see, please take just minute to pause. To think of how you first learned or were helped to understand by others. Encourage others, offer advice in a positive and non-confrontational manner.

The majority of anglers are usually open to feedback depending on how it is presented to them. Catch & release anglers do really care about the welfare of the fish. Perhaps they just need a gentle nudge in the right direction.

We all started our carp care careers somewhere.

Tight-Lines,
John

California Carping!

by Brian Wingard

April 3, 2016

Living in California is not only about fun and games it’s about chasing huge carp. After several years of progressing my carp tactics, catching hundreds of fish , fishing countless body’s of water I now hold my PB common. Fishing a SoCal desert lake doing some work to the swim my buddy and I plan to fish for the next two days. After a sore forearm and burning shoulder we head to camp. The next morning up and early heading down to the water we can hear fish crashing. Immediately we get our rods in not to long after my alarm starts to beep which seemed to go in slow motion I pick up the rod set the hook feels like I hooked anchor steady weight and a battle of tug of war is in place. After 10-15 min I get the fish close in reach for my buddy to net him being closer gets the first glimpse of the beast and yells “ohh dude”!! That moment my stomach dropped and hands start to shake. The fish rolls one last time and bam! In the net weighing in at 38.2 lbs biggest fish I’ve cought and seen. Seconds later snap a few photos and back she went to get even bigger to only hope of catching , and perusing my dream of an enormous record setting carp.

Alex Martinez

Evan Cartabiano Year in Review 2015

by Evan Cartabiano

March 26, 2016

Some years are easy and others are more difficult. 2015 started off easy, and then got harder as things like moving twice, getting a new job, and 2x small kids took up time that would have been more pleasantly spent on the bank. Nonetheless it was a productive year and I was able to catch a few fish as well as writing a number of posts here on BCN (and a few elsewhere) and a getting a video up on YouTube. I also got a couple of really sweet sponsorships that are going to be really helpful going forward – a big thanks to my sponsors Gardner Tackle and Century Rods!

First fish of 2015 during CAGs FFF. Getting out on New Years is always the right way to start the year!

When fishing in South Carolina you will catch grass carp. This one stood out because it actually put up a bit of a fight!

Much of my fishing in 2015 was in the company of my 2yo son. This shortened the length of the sessions considerably but was also lots of fun! He really enjoyed fighting them (with help) and was very excited every time the alarms went off. Some of the fish he landed were nearly as big as he was but he did his best to hold them for pics. His PB is now 25lbs – it took me many years to catch one that size!

The next generation of carp anglers perhaps? Fish this size are always a big hit and I try to make sure there is a a chance for everyone to be able to examine the fish.

In May I participated in the Wild Carp Classic (read about it here). It was a blast and I am looking forward to doing it again this year. Maybe this year our luck will be better in the peg draw. If you have not fished tournaments, which peg you get makes all the difference. If you have a good peg you are set…if not–well, you are in for a lot of work!

Our biggest fish caught during the WCC. Sadly I do not have some of the better pics that were taken.

I had never had to use 8oz before…and even that was not enough

When the fish came through we would often get runs in quick secession.

Back in SC, I spent most of the time catching fish much like the one below. This was mostly river fishing and was again short sessions. Life had really started cutting into my fishing time and the weather had gotten really hot and the fishing was slower.

Looking forward to another great year with more time on the bank and bigger fish in the net!

Erick Maybury Year in Review 2015

by Erick Maybury

March 20, 2016

It’s difficult for me to pinpoint when a year begins and ends with my angling, and to be honest I wasn’t entirely sure if it was a good year for me; however within a few moments it became apparent it was a remarkable year that would take a lot for me to surpass, many quixotic goals were set, and a few of them became reality. It’s really a luxury being able to sit back and write collectively over past sessions partly because you are able to overlook the blanks, discomfort, doubt, and large sums of money it took for the year to transpire into a positive.

Let me begin with my local pursuits. Mirror Madness had gotten to me and my ultimate goal was to get a 30+ mirror, but after seeing a good friend land a 40+ I knew the bar was set very high and my target fish of a 30 was still on the list although seemingly smaller. During these sessions I was able to bank a very colorful 30lb common that appeared to have a bit of koi in it, but maybe it’s just safer to say it was a large colorful common. On this same session I was also fortunate enough to net Josef Raguro’s PB Common. I consider myself lucky to be able to fish with a great but small group of innovative anglers who throw around rig, bait, and tactical approaches , and with this being said 2015 was the year of the Wafter, Critically Balanced Popup, and Snowman fished as a single seldom relying on method or sticks.

The colder than normal Texas winter had me wishing for warmer months full of fire ants, alligators, melanoma bright sunshine, and sleepless nights due to all that I mentioned. As soon as spring came about I was in allergy hell producing enough snot and drainage that if it could be used as a bait or glug I would have been set. On one particularly miserable spring morning I banked this robust amazing mid 30 common. Typically I’d stick around a bit afterwards but due to the allergies I booked it home and slept a record breaking 16 hours.

Instead of submitting to the elements of weather that make Texas such a great state (Sarcasm) I decided to travel north to Idaho during the summer, I did manage to scrape out a Texas mid 30lb mirror, but the pictures of large 100% mirror catches saw me leave the 100+ degree heat for 11 days in what has been my best session to date. We fished 3 different waters in this amazing state and had over 100 fish ranging from teens into the high 40’s!, I cannot recall the exact number of fish below 30 pounds; yet I know 5 thirties were caught as well as two forties. Somehow results like this take a while to become skin deep for me and really bask in what a great session this was. The night the large mirror was caught was no different than other nights and neither was the fight, a typical weed clogged line with a lot of weight attached. The fish did not give off any suggestions it was particularly large due to amassing itself in dense weed and if I would have known the weight I’m sure I would have eased it a bit more carefully. The girth of the fish was the first immediate giveaway that it was a great deal larger than the previous catches as well as when the weeds were removed from its tail to see its overall consistently fat length. Instead of yelling in elation or giving a high five I just weighed the fish and sacked it an hour or so until we had good light. Due to the lack of reception my catch reports were spotty to friends and family, and above all things I wanted to share the moment but that would have to wait until I got home from the 21 hour drive (In which I did without stopping for the night or sleeping.) Once again I slept for an amazing 16 hours or more.

I do not claim to be a clairvoyant so I do not have any predictions for 2016, I will say I do have some target fish in mind and I will not mention what they are therefore if I fail at getting them nobody needs to know and I can save face. In 2016 I intend on accumulating a list of blanks, failed prospects, and mishaps so far I am at two blanks and one real haul.

Brian Wingard Year In Review 2015

by Brian Wingard

March 20, 2016

We are just about to start the 2016 season and last year was all over the place for me. The year started off rough with an abscess in my back that extended from my spine around my side. Taking over a month to heal the wound had finally closed a few days before my flight to the ATC in Texas. I had a really fun time flying into Colorado for the first time and then to Oklahoma to meet up with David Moore and see Big Carp Tackle for the first time. I was really amazed at the size of it and how much they have grown over the years. After a day at Big Carp Tackle we drove to Texas and the weather was really strange. It felt more like back home in Pennsylvania than Texas with highs in the 30’s which was insane for Texas. I did catch my first Texas catfish and Carp during the tournament and met a lot of great anglers for the first time and also anglers whom I have spoken to for years online.

After flying home from the ATC I still had plenty of time before the ice would come off. Once the ice came off I met up with my buddy Zach Hoffa and we did a session which involved fly fishing for carp. I have not fly fished since I was very little and it was only for trout. After spending an hour or so learning to cast again we scouted some fish on some city lakes that have a variety of sizes of carp. Zach had some deer hair fly’s and they mimicked the cherry blossoms that were falling off into the lake. The carp were eating the cherry blossoms for some reason so we soon found that to be a winner. I landed quite a few carp and my arms were burning from the fight. The fight on a fly rod is so much different than a carp rod. It was a ton of fun and I recommend anyone who fly fishes to try out carp.

The weather was really tough last year with very thick ice on the lake and then it thawed and went into the 90’s for a solid week straight. This sent the fish right into spawn mode so what usually takes 2 months turned into 2 weeks of prime fishing. I still managed to get a few good fish before the spawn but not like usual.

Shortly after the spawn I visited a lake I have known about for years and years. I knew it held some nice mirrors and after talking to the locals they showed me a few pictures with fish up to 38lbs in there. I managed to get a nice mirror out on my first trip there and was really pleased with the result. The people were very friendly as well. During the battle I had around 10-15 standing behind me watching. They were all very excited to see something big come out of the lake.

Summer went by fast and my fall turned out to be much better as the big ones started to move back into some of the spots. After a day of baiting I showed up at a new spot and landed a few upper 20 near 30lb fish and was excited to see the frame on the was very massive.

Next stop was to a lake we have been messing around with for a few years and finally tapped into some very nice fish. The average fish out of the lake has been around 24lbs and very big bodied frames.

Here is the video of that session as well.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYQlWIDi5w8[/youtube]

Finally the highlight of my year was a new PB mirror on a beautiful fall day. You can read more about this on the Trakker site once the article is uploaded.

If you would like to follow along with my fishing here are my social media links below. Brian Wingard

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/bwingy

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BrianWingardCarpAngler

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/carpfishinglifestyle

Twitter https://twitter.com/accordbw

Carp fishing in the Capital: Washington DC Tidal Basin Carpin’

by Evan Cartabiano

March 19, 2016

There are lots of places to fish in the USA, but perhaps none so iconic as the tidal basin in Washington DC. For those of you that might not know what the tidal basin is, it is a ~107 acre reservoir that connects the Potomac River with the original purpose of providing water to flush the Washington Channel. It has a number of fish species in it, and is known to have a good population of carp most of the year. Some very large fish (50+) have been caught there, but not in some time.

The view across the basin, showing the Jefferson Memorial.

While no big fish have come out of this area (that I know of) recently, there are still plenty of fish to be caught, and the unique opportunity of fishing in the nation’s capital was well worth the trip. I started out at around 2am and arrived in DC just before sunup. My fishing buddy Joe had gotten there a few minutes before, and since neither of us had fished here before we decided to do some scouting and see if there were any fish showing. Our first stop was at the upper end of the basin and we spent some time watching the water. Nothing. We got booted out of the spot by some construction workers so decided to look at some other areas.

Our final choice of swims basically on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial

After a short-lived attempt to fish in an another area, we ended up right in front of the Jefferson Memorial. That makes it seem easy which it wasn’t. We were not sure how long we were going to fish so we wanted to find a place to park that was okay over night. This was not easy with most parking being for only 3hrs and/or not past 1am. So, we found a spot that did not have any signs that indicated that our vehicles would be sent to prison, but this required a major amount of walking. Even with a drastically reduced amount of gear we were still way overloaded and the walk seemed to be miles…I am sure it was not but when your head feels like it is going to pop off due to a countless number of straps being slung around it and blood flow to the brain is being cut off, walks seem longer.

No sooner than we collapsed from our walk then our licenses were checked – always buy a license!

We finally made it and first thing we got our licenses checked. We always buy licenses and it is actually nice to have them checked as it makes buying them seem more worthwhile. The officer was very nice and took Joe not having a printed version in stride. After that formality she wished us luck and we were free to continue our quest for a DC carp. We had seen a few fish roll out towards the middle of the basin and one closer in, so we baited two spots: one at around 85yds and one right next to the wall.

We stuck with smaller baits as the water was very cold.

Our free offerings were mostly sweet corn with added sugar, and a few other particles and small boilies. We tried a variety of baits ranging from small boilies, to pop-ups, to plastic and real corn. One thing that became evident right away was that the catfish really enjoyed the corn soaked in Betalin and as soon as the first rod with this on the hair hit the water a catfish was on the hook. Catfish are okay for some things, but they were not the target here so their activity was only good in is as much as there was some feeding going on.

A small PVA bog of boilies did not end up producing anything.

Small PVA sticks of liquidized bread did the trick and all baits that got runs had them.

The location where we first set up seemed high and dry when we got there but it became evident that this was not the case. The tide (it is called the tidal basin after all) kept pushing us up until we were a good 20+ feet farther back than when we started. I had counted wraps so I could feel confident that I was hitting more or less the same spot in the dark, and I had to remember to keep adding line as we moved farther and farther away from the bait.

The tide kept coming in, and had I left my pod in this location it would have been fully underwater in short order!

It started to get dark and other than a few catfish things were rather dead. One thing about the tidal basin is there are a lot of people and they like to take picture of you fishing and often like to ask you questions, but after it starts getting dark even this diversion came to an end, and it seemed like this might yet again be a short story summed up with “we fished the tidal basin and blanked”. I said getting dark but this is only accurate to a point: Washington DC has some very bad light pollution and it never got very dark. True, you did still need a head lamp to put baits on a hair, but short of that most things could be done with the background lighting alone.

The place is really bright even in the middle of the night.

Eventually the tide stopped coming in and as soon as this happened I got some activity that looked for all the world like a catfish. I picked up the rod and sure enough it felt not unlike a catfish, but a better sort of catfish, something in the 10lb range perhaps. At this point the water was really high and I had to walk around to the far side to get close to the drop off of the wall. The fish had still not moved all that much and was still letting me reel it in with out much fuss. When it got near the wall it came to the surface and to my surprise it was not a catfish but the target of the quest in the form of a carp much larger than I had thought. With a bit of very talented netting on Joe’s part the fish was on the mat, and tipped the scales at 23lbs. Some catfish!

First fish of the night, 23lbs of very sluggish carp.

Well that one fish improved the mood no end and I got the rod back out as quickly as I could. The first fish had fallen to a cut down pineapple pop-up which was nice as that had produced a never-ending stream of catfish on other venues for me but seemed to be relatively catfish-free here. I had been fishing one of my rods closer to the wall, but since nothing seemed to be going on there I moved this rod out to the other spot as well. After not long at all another take disturbed the evening and again felt like a catfish and turned out to not be. This fish fought about the same, and proved to be a long, lean, 22lbs.

Round 2, 22lbs of slightly less sluggish carp.

After this things went back to real catfish and around 1am we decided that it was getting cold and we both had a significant drive home. With that in mind instead of repeating the death march of earlier, Joe moved his truck to a closer parking spot and we only had to carry our gear about half the distance. We now know that this is the way to do it (if you have to carry your gear anyway), and future trips will employ the gear drop off method.

One of a whole flock of helicopters that were around all day keeping things nice and noisy.

So, will I fish the tidal basin again? Yep. It was a really cool place to fish and other than the issues with parking, it was great access and I think had the water not been really cold the fishing would have been much faster and more productive. As it was my first DC carp were not bad and it was nice to catch on the first try. If you are looking for an urban fishing experiences at its finest then this has got to be a top choice in the USA. There was never a shortage of people, helicopters, and planes to watch when things got slow, and lots of people asking questions – all of which adds to the experience of fishing in America’s Capital.

Dean Brookes – Year in Review (Video)

by Dean Brookes

March 19, 2016

After a challenging year in 2014 where my fishing time was severely shortened due to a new job, I found myself in the same position entering 2015 as once again work meant fishing had to take a backseat. I did manage to get out for an early session in January for a short session on one of my favorite winter locations, the Blackstone River. These are always fun sessions with plenty of small carp to go after which are usually willing to bite, even on the coldest of days.

As the winter bought a record amount of snowfall (nearly 100 inches in my county) I really felt the need to get away to warmer climes and a trip to Austin, Texas certainly fit the bill. I flew in on a Saturday expecting t-shirt weather, only to find a cool system moving through although I certainly wasn’t complaining as there was definitely no snow. I checked out a few places the first day before heading to Emma Long, a dammed section of the Colorado River. My first 36 hours were spent socializing and fishing a swim at the end of a productive area, due to half a dozen anglers also having the same idea. However, I managed several commons and my first Buffalo, a 35lb specimen.

As the other anglers were leaving to fish a Tournament I wasted no time in moving into what I felt was the best swim and spent the afternoon spombing plenty of bait out and getting ready for some hectic fishing! I was not disappointed as over the course of the next 36 hours I caught lots of commons, buffalo’s to 45lb and several grass carp to 43lb.

As the weather turned to high winds and a drop in temperatures I spent a night in a hotel before hitting Town Lake for a day session where I managed a few cracking commons in one of it’s iconic bridge swims.

Returning home to the snow and a busy job, meant I had little opportunity to get back out until June. I picked a day where the air pressure was dropping and went out for my first overnight session. The stars aligned and a had a great night catching several big fish, topped by my fifth capture of ‘The Pet’ and a common only a few ounces under the 40lb mark.

A change of jobs in early July, meant greater flexibility and a few summer day sessions kept me ticking over, with some nice tidal river fish and a low thirty to keep me happy.

I also got up to the Seneca River for two 24 hour sessions. Despite a 450 mile round trip my efforts were rewarded with over 60 carp, topped by a 30lb common.

What I was really waiting for was the start of the Fall. I managed to get to my venue a few times to pre-bait prior to fishing, which is a rarity for me and it certainly paid off. Over the course of six, one night sessions I managed several nice thirties and two more 40lb commons.

Moving into December I typically try and fit a session in on the Seneca River and this year it so happened that the weather stayed mild and my wife was working on Christmas Day. We decided to cook Christmas dinner a day early and open the presents. I left early morning for a traffic free drive of 5 hours and hoped that the carp would be where I thought they would be!! It only took a few hours before I was catching and I packed away by 10am the next morning having caught several nice twenties and another 30lb common.

Overall, despite not actually fishing that many sessions in 2015 I had some excellent results. This I put down to knowing my waters, being in the correct areas during good weather patterns and using tried and trusted tackle and bait. Looking back I caught over twenty 30lb fish and 5 forties with a few PB’s thrown into the mix.

I also managed to win the CAG Big 4 Fall Contest and also claim the Gold Pin for catch and release carp in Massachusetts as well as writing many articles, featuring on the Cover of North American Carp Angler and finally being interviewed as a guest on ‘The Carp Cast’.

I’m hoping 2016 can be just as productive.

Check out my Year in Review Video:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03ELsdXZnJg[/youtube]

2015 Contributor Best of Photos John Finney

by Brian Wingard

March 17, 2016

It is time to show off more of the stunning captures from each Big Carp News Contributor over the past year. This weeks focus is on John Finney of CarpQuest. Throughout the year, in his quest for a rare Colorado twenty plus mirror carp and in taking out many new anglers to introduce them to the sport of carp fishing, John continues to exude a passion for the sport that is both fun and refreshing.

Rarely seen on the bankside without a coffee cup in one hand, a camcorder in the other, John recorded and released over twenty episodes of his YouTube series CarpQuest last year. He still found time to land over thirty Colorado Master Angler quality carp.

Eventually John did see that big Colorado mirror, albeit in the hands of his brother Peter, who John had taken out for his first ever fishing trip. Peter had never fished before, let alone for carp !

We all look forwards to John’s endeavors this coming season !