The classic idea of carp fishing is a long drawn-out event with long periods of inactivity – basically the opposite of what is recommended for fishing with kids. While in some ways this is true, with some planing and a change in mindset, taking your child carping can be really fun. Here are some things I have discovered from taking my kids carping that will help you to have more fun on the bank.
This narrative will be as detailed as possible as I do not feel that hiding my tactics or locations will be of any great benefit to me and I hope that others will be able to fish in a wiser fashion as a result of these articles.
Going the Distance!
There’s a blustery cross wind and I’m standing on the edge of a field in Essex, England under the watchful gaze of top tournament caster & World record breaker Terry Edmonds. He’s asked me to show him a cast before embarking on the lesson that I’m hoping will allow me to reach more distant horizons and more importantly some bigger fish. Since I’ve not picked up a carp rod in almost 2 months thanks to the Arctic conditions back in Connecticut let alone had the need for casting much beyond 80-100 yds I’m feeling just a little nervous.
I try & relax while getting the feel for the Chris Orme custom built rod Terry has handed me. The rod is paired with a Shimano Ultegra 14000XSC reel loaded with 12lb mono (0.30 mm) connected to a 50lb braid shock leader (see the note on safety) and a 4oz distance lead. My first attempt is a reasonably respectable 132 yds (accurately determined with a measuring wheel) for an overhead cast and earns approval from Terry for looking relaxed but with plenty of scope for improvement.
And so the lesson begins… Over the next three hours Terry explains the theoretical and also demonstrates the practical approaches I need to take to add more distance to my casts. There are plenty of opportunities to practice under Terry’s critical gaze and after each chuck he reviews my latest effort as we walk up the field to recover the lead buried in the soft ground. As the measuring wheel does not lie any gain, however small, provides a realistic indication of my progress and what I need to work on. After a short while he’s helped develop my stance, maximize the arc the rod travels, fixed my gaze about 45 degrees above the horizon and achieve the correct application of power – hit it too hard or too early & you will risk line fraps. As a result I’m consistently hitting around 145 yards. That might not seem like a huge gain from my starting point but as Terry points out I had many of the basics already sorted and simply needed some fine tuning to go to the next level. In many cases Terry’s students see incredible gains with some going from under 100yds to consistently hitting 140-160 yds by the end of a lesson.
I ask Terry if I can try one of the new Harrison Trebuchet Lite 13ft rods and he soon has the reel swapped over and ready to throw. There has been a lot of talk about these new rods and my only experience to date had been with the original Trebuchet model while fishing in Romania last year. I personally found the older model to be a bit of a beast when playing fish let alone throwing a lead. The new 3.75 test curve ‘Lite’ model feels altogether different and potentially more angler friendly especially for my lighter build. As a result I’m immediately hitting just shy of 150yds while Terry once again demonstrates his incredible skills and promptly puts a lead way past 200yds – still with the strong cross wind!
My shoulders are beginning to complain about the effort being demanded of them and as we near the end of the lesson Terry urges me to focus on arching further back and using my hips and legs to help generate more power. The result is a couple of casts past 150yds with the longest hitting 153 yds which in calmer conditions Terry says would easily translate to 160 yds plus. He also notes that my casts are very accurate, consistently landing within a few feet of each other despite the blustery conditions. I’m more than happy with the result which equates to a 14% improvement and one I’m sure will increase with more practice.
Practice certainly and perhaps some more time in the gym to develop the appropriate muscles. That’s an important part of Terry’s regime to remain competitive and continually reach past 200 yds so he spends plenty of time working out and lifting weights. This latter point about casting fitness is one that any sensible angler needs to consider. A 12-13’ rod with a 4oz lead can put a lot of stress on your body especially if you are out practicing for an hour or two. It is very easy to over ‘do it’ especially if you are not particularly athletic or have an underlying injury. It is vital to do some regular exercises that will help mobilize and develop those leg, back, shoulder and arm muscles if you want to get the most from your casts. Finally its not just about how strong you are but about how quickly you can accelerate the tip of the rod and that only comes from developing your technique.
Reality check…
As Terry Edmonds notes 200 yds seems to be the new ‘150’ that anglers like to talk about. However there are in reality only a very few folk even capable of even hitting that distance in tournament casting competitions let alone while out fishing. All too often anglers are lured with expansive claims that suggest purchasing a particular rod will magically give them a meteoric increase in distance. Even worse are the videos of someone with clearly limited casting skills throwing a lead with whoops and exclamations that anyone should know barely went even half the distance claimed! The old saying ‘a bad workman always blames his tools’ has rarely been more true when it comes to distance casting. There is absolutely no substitute for improving your casting skills than getting some well qualified tuition from an expert like Terry Edmonds followed by lots & lots of practice.
Since I have always had an interest in rod design and have followed some of the developments in distant casting both for carp and surf fishing over the years it is an ideal opportunity to talk to someone with Terry’s depth of knowledge. One topic has to be butt ring diameter. Terry says a 50mm regular or a 40mm stand off (‘K’) butt ring is vital for mono but can be smaller for braid. He agrees that too many rods never intended for distance casting should be fine with a 40mm butt ring. We also talk about Fuji’s choke ring theory (dating back many years) and the recent ‘microwave’ guides that were designed for light braids for spinning rods. Terry says they’ve never proven successful (especially with mono) in the tournament casting arena where innovations live or die by accurate measurement instead of hyped up marketing claims.
What next?
While we don’t have too many places demanding long distance fishing in North America it certainly does not hurt having the ability to realize the opportunity when the occasion arises. Fishing up to 80 yds is certainly with in reach of most carp anglers. I know that might not sound very far but fishing at distance is not the same as simply being able to chuck a lead a long way. Then consider the importance of placing the bait in the desired spot. If you are off the desired mark by only 3 feet with a 40yd cast then it will off by 6 feet at 80yds, 12 feet at 120 and so on. So there is no point in being able to cast a long way if you cannot place the baited rig in the intended area.
The Gear…
There is little doubt that if you want to maximize your casting distance then you usually get what you pay for. Top of the range blanks from specialists such as Harrison or Century are not only built from the highest quality carbon fibres but have design specifications that simply cannot be replicated in lower cost, mass produced rods. They have test curves upwards of 3.25 and to hit any serious distance you’ll likely need 3.50 or even 3.75 in 12′ or 13′ rod lengths. However that’s not to say you can’t get close to these upper casting limits with top of the range models from the likes of Free Spirit, Fox, Nash and others. But just like a performance car you need to set them up correctly then practice to get the best from them. There has been a move away from some of the super stiff casting rods recently and these newer rods certainly make casting and more importantly playing fish a little easier and more pleasurable. That said it’s also worth remembering that unless you really need to cast over 100 yds a more through action rod of 2.50 – 3.00 test curve will likely be a better choice to avoid hook pulls – especially with the hard fighting fish here in North America.
A reel comes next and once again you’ll need to make some decisions on how much you are prepared to spend. A big pit reel with a large, long and relatively shallow spool will certainly out perform a standard fixed spool. A model such as the top of the range Shimano Technium will cost upward of $1100 but fortunately there are now several less costly cousins. A lighter reel reduces inertia when casting to help generate more tip speed but unless you are dedicated to tournament casting the extra cost might be better spent on the rod. Line lay on the spool is critical as any hindrance to the line coming off the spool will have a negative impact on the distances you can reach. There are some line and reel combinations that seem to work better than others and if you really want to get serious then learn more about ‘shimming’ out the spool with different thickness washers to maximize performance.
The choice of main line is one area where your choice can have a very significant impact on casting performance. While pound test is perhaps relevant to your fishing conditions you really need to pay attention to line diameter. A smaller diameter line usually equates to increased casting distance due to reduced friction through the guides, less air resistance and less weight while being pulled being pulled along by the lead weight. Once you compare line diameters and pound test you might be surprised to find a suitable compromise of a high enough test for your fishing & casting needs. Its also important to make sure the line is not too stiff or subject to coiling (line memory) as both of these will limit casting distance. It is also vital to keep line clean and free from any build up from dirt etc. Reeling in the line through a light colored cloth with some diluted dish detergent occasionally will not only remove dirt and grease but you might be surprised at how much dirt gets left on the cloth after just a couple of sessions. When you wind in your line onto the spool make sure there is sufficient tension on the line for it pack down neatly. If there is too little tension it will have a tendency to come off too easily, sometimes with multiple coils that can get fouled and cause a break off. If there is too much tension (especially after playing a hard fighting fish) then the coils can get jammed creating more drag off the reel. Mono can stretch by upwards of 12-20% so if you’ve caught a lot of fish then simply winding the line back on the reel at the end of the day can result in the line coming off in tight coils when you next go fishing.
Safety…
Terry recommends a shock leader made with 50lb braid with at least 4-6 turns on the reel spool when pushing the limits (together with a finger stall or casting glove to protect your finger). This is vital with lines of 15lb or less as a break off mid cast can send an untethered and potentially lethal lead and rig way further than when dragging a hundred yards or more of mainline. So no matter if you are fishing on a lake or practicing in a field make sure there is no one down range that could get hit should you break off. It is also important to remember that if you break off while fishing then the bait can still be picked up by a carp. So it is critical with any shock leader system to make sure it does not end up being dragged around by a fish in the event of the main line breaking. The braid to mono connection should be tied carefully so that it creates a neat, small knot that will allow a rig to pass over it. It is also important to check these main line to leader connections on a regular basis and re-tie them if you have any doubts about them.
Some Suggested Mono to Braid Connections:
So don’t just sit there dreaming about making long distance casts get out there and give it a go. Oh and don’t just guess how far you are casting – measure it!
In Part II we’ll look at how you put the theory into practice.
About Terry Edmonds
Terry’s the man when it comes to all things casting. Being a tournament caster for five years saw him take three UK records; casting 267 yards with a 3oz lead, 246 yards with a 2½oz and 212 yards with a 2oz. On top of this he also holds the two furthest casts with a fixed-spool ever recorded in the UK, launching a 4oz lead a whopping 285 yards and a 3oz 287 yards. That’s some resume!
No longer a competitive tournament caster Terry is now a casting tutor and assists big-name companies in developing their rods.
Follow Terry on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerryEdmondsLongRangeAngler?fref=photo
It seems like social media in the 21st century has led to an influx of carp anglers who like to spend their days ramming product placement down people’s throats, irrespective of whether the product and/or bait has been utilized by them personally. It also seems apparent that many anglers are also quick to stand by a company and back their products until they realize it’s a) garbage, b) they are being taken advantage of, c) find greener grass with a rival brand, or d) all of the above. Now I am sure at a fair trial I would be found guilty of my fair share of product placement over the years. But one thing I refuse to do is attempt to pull the wool over people’s eyes for the sake of a pat on the back and a minimal discount. If I am not prepared to pay to use a product I will not try and persuade you to do it. This stems from two prior experiences. Firstly, the fact I have a conscience, and dislike doing anything morally wrong, especially when peoples hard earned money is involved. The second stems from my first ever meeting with the angling legend that is Des Taylor, who stated “if you lie about the bait you’re off the team, as the bait is so good that you don’t need to lie”.
Many people may be aware that I am part of the Nash tackle and bait team. But many will not know that I turned down several lucrative sponsorship deals over the course of 12 months because I was hoping Nash would come knocking. Now this statement is not an attempt to over inflate an already over inflated ego, but to highlight the fact that I will only sign on with a company if I truly believe their products will enhance my fishing. When some of these deals were on the table I was completely obsessed with the Nash Twister range of hooks (which I believe are currently one of, if not the best-selling hook pattern in the USA) due to the fact I had gone 2 years without a hook pull. I remember my first season on Weston Park losing around 25% of my runs due to hook pulls and hooks opening up. That is losing one out of every four fish, and some of those were over 30lb. However, in some seriously rocky and snaggy waters I had landed almost 200 fish in this period, only losing one to a cut off. The only difference in my entire rig was the twister pattern. In my eyes I would be better off paying for twisters and catching fish, than getting something else for free but losing fish.
Fast forward a few months and thanks to some amazing captures and a recommendation from Dave Moore I received an email from the one and only Alan Blair offering me a tackle deal. Needless to say I immediately accepted his kind offer and over the past two years I have been fortunate to use some incredible gear. Now in my opinion the pinnacle of the new and innovative products they have developed is the Scope concept. For those of you who do not know what the scope concept is…..where have you been? The scope concept is all about making the tackle we use smaller, lighter, more compact and easier to transport. The standard 12ft carp rods are a thing of the past, as Kevin and the team have turned everything from powerful rods, to bivvies and luggage into sizes that will blow you mind.
Initially I asked for a set of 9ft 3lb test curve rods for stalking on my local creek waters, as I had the intentions of keeping my 12ft rods for my main big fish campaigns. However, I soon realized that the scope concept is a smaller package concept, and not a stalking concept. These rods were throwing leads 100 yards, landing big fish with ease and were well balanced with both a small spinning and a large big pit reel. I immediately sold my 12ft rods and have never looked back. I will now breakdown the reasons why the scope concept is such a revolutionary and convenient option for carp anglers.
Location, location, location.
If you are not on fish you will not catch them. I learned this in the ATC a few years back, and it is one of the reasons I rarely fish in competitions. How many anglers will pack up and leave their favorite swim if it’s quiet and they see a couple of fish top a few hundred yards away? Even fewer are likely to do it if they have a lot of gear to pack away and move. For most day sessions I take the scope backpack and the scope rod holdall. I can pack down and move in minutes, and do it without a barrow or the risk of a heart attack.
Stalking and/or overgrown swims.
I love stalking, and witnessing fish inhale the bait. And am fortunate to be able to fish a local swim where I can see that happen. However, the swims (so to speak) are very overgrown, with overhanging trees. The 9ft rods worked great where a 12ft rod would have been impossible to land fish. Even the 9ft rod was touch and go, thankfully the 6ft sawn-off version will make even tighter swims even more accessible.
Travel
I can remember back in England trying to squeeze me and a mates gear into a hatchback for a 48 hour session. It was brutal, uncomfortable, and often resulted in damage to us, the tackle or the car. I recently purchased a small Kia Forte hatchback and my entire day session equipment fits in the trunk. Not only that, but if I was fishing a longer session a scope bivvy or brolly would also fit in there. I often do not take all my gear out of the car until I have walked around and located fish, and do not like to leave tackle on show for opportunists to steal. The smaller packaging leaves me with peace of mind that my gear is safe while I take my time to select the right location in which to set up.
Rod power.
I owned a 9ft staling rod, and I own a 9ft scope rod. They are on different ends of the power spectrum. I can chuck out solid bags and 3oz leads with ease, and am looking forward to seeing what the 10ft 3.5lb tc cork handles can do in 2015. Recently I woke up to a strange bite where a fish had become tethered somewhat around the other rig and was stuck on the surface around 30 yards out. The rod was bent fully, as was my back leaning into it. I did wonder if I was giving a telescopic rod the beans a bit too much. However, the rod performed excellent, the fish was safely landed, and my appreciation of these rods increased even more. The scopes have also gone onto land carp over 80lb in France and 100lb + catfish in Spain in 2014.
Storage.
I have a lot of tackle and bait, and fortunately a very forgiving and patient wife. However, space soon starts to disappear with beds, bivvies, and bait buckets crammed into sheds, garages and basements. With bivvies and brollies and rods that packaway to just waist height, you might be able to score a few more brownie points at home.
They do everything you could ever need in one rod.
I used to own 12ft rods for targeting big fish, and 9ft stalking rods for close range and pasty bashing. I now just own just the one set of scopes. They have landed 2lb fish a foot out in a creek, and landed 30’s at 100 yards. They feel great when paired with my Daiwa ss2600 spinning reels, and surprisingly feel better with my Shimano black magnesium’s attached. As a result of this I sold a lot of my other tackle, which increased even more storage space and put a few $ in the bank also.
They look awesome.
We all want our gear to look good, especially those of you who are a little tartier than myself. They are well made, have slick logos on them, and the addition of cork handles make them sexier than a Victoria’s Secret show.
Great for kids.
One of the greatest things a carp angler can do is introduce newcomers to this amazing sport, especially youngsters. However, 12ft rods are not child friendly. The 6ft and 9ft rods are perfect for introducing young children to the sport. In fact, as a new father myself I recently ordered a set of 6ft sawn offs for my boy to use once he is big enough.
Finally, they are a good price.
When you price up the scope range it is well priced. The rods especially are comparable to other market leading rods. And when you consider that instead of two or three separate sets of rods you can sell all your other rods and get one set they do work out to be great value for money.
However, if the scope range is slightly over your budget you could always check out the Dwarf range which is the same concept but cheaper.
Tight lines, and adios snow!
Brian Wingard Carp Angler Shares his year in review with us. All of our team has had a great year and Brian is no exception. He had a lot of stunning fish this year including his PB of 38lb 6oz. He is currently working with CC Moore & Co Ltd and also Korda Developments Ltd Brian quotes “sometimes the best part is just watching them swim away in hopes to be recaptured again someday.”
Dean Brookes shares his 2014 Year in Review with us. Some stunning captures throughout the year!
Starting a new job prior to the spring meant a change of focus this year and less fishing. At times it was challenging to find time to be on the banks but I managed to get a few sessions in during the spring and ended up concentrating on short night sessions, arriving after dark and leaving at first light. My approach was to target big carp and I was rewarded with a number of scaley beauties, several 30lb+ carp and two 40lb+ fish.
Craig Parkes Shares his 2014 Year in Review with us.
With work, studying for a PhD and preparing for the arrival of my first child fishing time this year has been limited. However, I wanted to get out and try some of the new instant action range Ronny DeGroote had sent me.
The 33lb 4oz mirror was the first fish using the new baits in early November. A snowman rig with a 20mm tangerine dream bottom bait and 15mm coconut crème pop up did the business.
28lb scaley mirror came on the same bait and rig in mid-November. I had to crack the marginal ice to land this fish.
Both rigs were fished with a scattering of boilies over the top. Both fish came in November 2014 from the Connecticut River in the Unites States of America.
Austin Pass shares his 2014 year in review with us. Austin said his favorite fish out of all of these would be the Orange mirror koi as it was my first fish out of a totally new water after a bit of scouting and led to us eventually capturing 7 of the 8 stunning koi in that water. I’m Looking forward to seeing how they all grow in the coming years, as there is only these 8 carp in a 17 acre pond with loads of food. They have the right conditions to get fairly big! The rest of the fish are some other favorites throughout the year! #bct #bigcarptackle #carp #commoncarp #koi#carpfishing #bigcarpnews #bcn
Introduction
Name CHRISTIAN OLDE WOLBERS
Age 42
Location LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA
Carping Experience, How many years have you been carp fishing?
First time I hooked a carp was in 1980 on a match pole fishing for bream in a creek in Holland where I was spending my summer holiday. It was a small 5lb common but I remember the fight was so ferocious that I was hoping my next bite would be a carp again. Then I started learning about techniques how to catch carp like using sweet corn. The following summer i was prepared with 2 rods, cans of sweet corn and I caught a bigger common, so kept going back for about 4 summers in a row and I spend everyday from dawn till dark at that beautiful park lake with multiple creeks catching carp.
I was absolutely addicted and hooked so on returning back to Belgium from my Dutch summer holiday I started going to the local lakes where I lived and from then on I knew I just wanted to catch carp.
So I would say when I was 12 in 1984 I started to take carp fishing really seriously and discovered boilies and started reading about them in books and learning how to make them. That opened a whole new world.
What got you into carp fishing and why are you currently still carp fishing?
The fight and excitement you felt when hooking a carp, and all the tactics that come with trying to catch a bigger carp. Everything was so secretive back then and all the anglers had their own little tricks and gadgets. The only way you would learn is either from other anglers, a few VHS video’s that were out at the time and books.
Scouting my local lake I noticed a few carp anglers and quickly learned from locals the lake was very pressured and new carp anglers weren’t just welcomed with open arms, I was only 12 or so and I had to get to know these guys and get an okay to fish in area’s not disturbing other anglers swims that they had been pre baiting and most of these swims where claimed all year long. I had never seen anglers bait with boilies and catapults until 1984 when I was 12 and they would hide their stuff upon approaching so you wouldn’t’ know what color their boillies where or where they were baiting, I had to learn all this and I became more intrigued with the mysterious secretive carp ways.
I saw one of the local carp anglers at the lake catch a 30lb+ mirror and I got nervous to hook one of those big fish at that age knowing there was carp care involved and technique not to hurt the fish and lf you didn’t have proper carp etiquette you would get booted and banned from the lake. It was a small town and everyone knew where I lived haha, so it was intimidating and that drew me even more into the sport.
When I moved to Los Angeles from Belgium in 93 I started recording albums and toured the world for 15 years straight and unfortunately never got to fish during that time, but I would pass lakes on the road and always wondered “is there big carp in there?”
About 4 years ago around 2010/2011 I started looking through old pictures from some catches of those days when I was a young angler and randomly started to google some info about carp fishing in Los Angeles and the USA.
I found info on anglers who are part of a So Cal carp Club ,and on doing some more research on the internet I started watching a ton of amazing carp video’s and documentaries which let me to getting the itch more and more to get back out to the bank again. Once it’s in your blood it will always be there.
Who are some of your favorite anglers and what makes those anglers stand out to you?
One of my favorite anglers and someone I really looked up to as a kid learning about the sport was a fellow named Frank, he was in his mid 20’s at the time, and when he’s showed up at the lake he would just catch when no one else would. He just had the knowledge and made excellent home made base mixes and perfect boillies. His rigs and set up, you could just tell that he really knew what he was doing and was very tardy for it’s time in the early 80’s. One day I saw him fighting a fish and even though I was super intimidated by him I ran from across the lake over to see if I could be of assistance, he stared at me intensely for 3 seconds with a bended rod and said’ grab that net and put it right here!”
I handed it to him and just watched how he landed and netted that fish, learning. That’s how I started becoming more friendly with him and getting to know him. He would always let me hang out and I would never really ask questions, I would just watch and learn. There was a point a few years later on when he would give me a few kilos of his signature base mix and said “now go kick everyone’s ass” and I started catching half the lake that season. He definitely shaped me as an Angler.
I just reconnected with Frank after almost 25 years a few weeks ago which has been really fantastic.
(Picture I took of frank on a session with a beautiful old carved mirror circa 1986)
(circa 1985 Luc And Frank) 2 local carp Anglers
Other anglers I admire in the sport today are definitely Darrell Peck and Martin Pick.
What are your favorite tackle items you do not leave home without?
I have been really liking the Skinless hooklink from a Dutch company called PB Products, it’s a coated hooklink, super easy to strip, strong and just a pleasure to fish work and fish with. Basically I haven’t been leaving home without it. The other piece of kit I have been super buzzing about is the new Jag Black Prolite Pod and bankstick system. It was friggin expensive, but it’s such a versatile lightweight portable tarty piece of kit that suits my fishing style and it’s the last pod system I will ever buy again.
My next purchase is going to be the Sonik Tournos 10000’s reels and hopefully get my hands on those new Sonik Gravity X rods this spring.
What is your most memorable carping memory or best session?
There has been many, but I would say catching a nice 38lbs common on Christmas day 2 years ago at a very difficult lake here was very memorable. Would love to beat that here in the USA this year.
What are your top 3 favorite baits to use?
I am a boilie angler at heart, It’s my favorite way of fishing , simple hair with a 18mm, even though I don’t get to fish that way where I live in Southern California that much, it’s not much of a boilie environment here, we might add boilies or boilie crumb in our spod or bag mix but Carp are not so familiar with it on a hook, it also attracts the plague of other species like catfish and turtles but Carp here are easier to attract with a piece of white or yellow plastic corn, or a trimmed down pop up can work as well. I have been using CCMoore’s Northern Specials and the matching fruity booster Liquids
I get my full satisfaction of fishing boilies when I travel back to Belgium to visit my family. The lake I will be fishing there this year holds over 100 known documented fish up to 70+lbs. I will be using CCMoore Live System And Equinox 18mm boilies over there to hopefully attract a big one.
So 3 favorite hook baits I would say.
1) 18mm CCMoore Equinox/Live System hook baits
2) 12/14 mm CCMoore Northern Special Yellow or White pop up
3) Korda Yellow plastic pop up corn
Favorite go to rig?
A stiff coated hinch style rig with either a pop up or plastic corn presentation. No hardware, no shrink tube. Simple.
Can you tell us something about yourself that doesn’t involve fishing? It can be anything you choose.
Well I am actually a Musician, I was the bass player for a few groups one of them being the metal band Fear Factory for 14 years, and I also worked and wrote music for Cypress Hill and a few others. I played some shows filling in as a guitarist for Korn, I play now with an old punk outfit called Beowulf that I grew up listening to as a youngster. I also produced a bunch of hip hop songs, played bass for Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, appeared on Jay leno playing a few times etc. And had the chance to work with a few other amazing artists and bands. All this music stuff unfortunately kept me away from Carp fishing for a while.
What are some of the regulations that affect you currently while carp fishing that you would like to see changed in the future?
As for California, it has many unfavorable rules and regulations towards carp angling and the sport unfortunately. I am positive in some other states as well. The non baiting law is one of them, I would like to see more night fishing opportunities, and we definitely need new rules and laws against the bow fishing massacres and try to preserve the European native Carp species and educate people. Yes we understand some of the Asian carp are invasive and becoming a plague in some rivers but we have other lakes with 30+, 40+ and even 50’s that we need to preserve to enjoy a sport that’s getting more and more popular here in the US. Be able to buy a license using 3 rods for carp fishing would be a great improvement as well in a few States. In Texas the fishing laws are much friendlier so I am definitely making the trip out there in spring time.
Can you share a tip with our viewers that may help them out?
I can give you many but here’s a good simple tip. Of course this depends a bit of your fishing situation but should work in most scenario’s. After you land a fish in the net, unhook and leave the fish in the landing net or sling safely in the water, get back to the rod and get a new rig on to cast out right away. After the rod is back out fishing then tend to the fish for weighing and pictures, this way it keeps you fishing for the next bite rather then having that rod out of the water for the next 45 minutes possibly missing an opportunity to the next bite. Waiting that long and then smashing a 4 oz lead on possible fish coming back into your swim was never a great tactic I reckoned.
What was your worst experience or session ever?
I can’t particularly think of any really bad experiences or sessions. Even losing a potential monster doesn’t qualify as a worst session because you will learn from it. I would say getting harassed by regulations departments for possibly baiting or the plague of the disturbance you get with being at most lakes. When I go fishing I like to be away from everything and everybody. It’s very crowded where I live so getting away from the crowd is tough.
In Closing all of us at The Big Carp News Team Welcome you aboard Christian and look forward to hearing more of your stories and sharing in your adventures.
For PC Click the Image and for IPhone click the second image to download and open with Ibooks.
For Iphone Click below and open in Ibooks
