Love that dirty water--Open water at last!

[Slappy]

Warning: this post contains graphic depictions of bait fishing for unpopular and unglamourous species.

I've been stuck inside painting the last few weekends and havent been able to get out and enjoy the warmer weather. Sunday am, thinking it was going to be warm, I headed out in the 20 degree morning expecting to catch fish.

I did. Pretty wide open bite. Ok, it was about a dozen carp, plenty of crappies and a few small bass. The carp bite was pretty steady despite the cold big fish was a little over 11 with most of the fish 7-9.5. The carp are in their winter-over schools, so even though they aren't very active, there were so many fish there that the action was very steady. They also didn't have their springtime vigor. Mostly headshaking, wallowing and short runs (sounds like a striper!) The crappies were pretty aggressive too, and decent sized as MA crappies go.

It was nice not to have to chop a hole in the ground and drop a line in!

[silverado mike]

Originally Posted by Slappy

Warning: this post contains graphic depictions of bait fishing for unpopular and unglamourous species.

I've been stuck inside painting the last few weekends and havent been able to get out and enjoy the warmer weather. Sunday am, thinking it was going to be warm, I headed out in the 20 degree morning expecting to catch fish.

I did. Pretty wide open bite. Ok, it was about a dozen carp, plenty of crappies and a few small bass. The carp bite was pretty steady despite the cold big fish was a little over 11 with most of the fish 7-9.5. The carp are in their winter-over schools, so even though they aren't very active, there were so many fish there that the action was very steady. They also didn't have their springtime vigor. Mostly headshaking, wallowing and short runs (sounds like a striper!) The crappies were pretty aggressive too, and decent sized as MA crappies go.

It was nice not to have to chop a hole in the ground and drop a line in!

were you getting these carp on a fly? if so what was it? I'd like to battle a carp on my 6 weight and I know just the pond!!

[Slappy]

No. It was bait. Hair rigged corn and hooking them all in the lips! One fish on the crappie jig. Until things warm up, I catch them consistently on crappie jigs bounced on the bottom. But I don't catch many of them on the jig, especially compared to bait. I am not the fly fisherman that you guys are, I joined this site because it has good fishermen posting, not because I spend much time fly fishing. That said my only carp on the fly was on a bunny pattern. It was a surprise fish--blind cast-- close to 20lbs on a 4lb tippet. I have tried to catch them on a fly sight casting several times and have only managed a few follows with no takers.

Try chumming an area with corn and watch for fish. Bounce a small pattern (minnow or crustacean) on the bottom in front of the fish. I like fishing them in rivers the best because the current disperses the chum and it is pretty easy to pick spots where carp will school.

The other fish that do hit flies early season are suckers. Green hackle on a hook drifted in front of the fish can produce some interesting action. They fight a lot harder than people think. There are lots of 1.5 to 4 lb suckers in the Charles, but you have to know where to look.

[Mark Cahill]

I'm hoping to have the boat ready to go in the next week or two to start doing freshwater with my girls (5&6) - they probably don't have the ability to sit and wait for an hour drive to the salt, and fast action is a must...

Plenty of perch and crappie locally, as well as smallies, buckets, and pickerel. At least that way I'll get the boat out and running more...

[silverado mike]

Originally Posted by Slappy

No. It was bait. Hair rigged corn and hooking them all in the lips! One fish on the crappie jig. Until things warm up, I catch them consistently on crappie jigs bounced on the bottom. But I don't catch many of them on the jig, especially compared to bait. I am not the fly fisherman that you guys are, I joined this site because it has good fishermen posting, not because I spend much time fly fishing. That said my only carp on the fly was on a bunny pattern. It was a surprise fish--blind cast-- close to 20lbs on a 4lb tippet. I have tried to catch them on a fly sight casting several times and have only managed a few follows with no takers.

Try chumming an area with corn and watch for fish. Bounce a small pattern (minnow or crustacean) on the bottom in front of the fish. I like fishing them in rivers the best because the current disperses the chum and it is pretty easy to pick spots where carp will school.

The other fish that do hit flies early season are suckers. Green hackle on a hook drifted in front of the fish can produce some interesting action. They fight a lot harder than people think. There are lots of 1.5 to 4 lb suckers in the Charles, but you have to know where to look.

thanks for the info...I'll have to try the chum thing...
I'd like to get one on the fly.. there are some big carp in the spot I'm thinkin of!!

[DLWKFW]

Originally Posted by silverado mike

were you getting these carp on a fly? if so what was it? I'd like to battle a carp on my 6 weight and I know just the pond!!

Think of what carp eat.... pretty much anything on the bottom. In the Charles, that could mean someone's hunk of crueller , insect larvae or a leach. I've successfully used leach patterns and wooly buggers. I've even used red felt tied to look like a worm. I imagine that chum flies used in the Pacific for trout would work, as they look like a big hunk of food. Do try and get the fly a bit dirty, as they have a great sense of smell in that murky water.

Good luck!

DW

[silverado mike]

Originally Posted by DLWKFW

Think of what carp eat.... pretty much anything on the bottom. In the Charles, that could mean someone's hunk of crueller , insect larvae or a leach. I've successfully used leach patterns and wooly buggers. I've even used red felt tied to look like a worm. I imagine that chum flies used in the Pacific for trout would work, as they look like a big hunk of food. Do try and get the fly a bit dirty, as they have a great sense of smell in that murky water.

Good luck!

DW

I'll have to figure something out as the pond I know of has one shallow cove and the rest is really deep. the shallows are mostly dead leaves and silt for bottom every thing else is rocky..but you can see some BIG fish swimming by..

[striperboyz]

Carp on the fly rod are tough, they have such a good sense of smell, I've only caught a couple, haresear and yarn egg pattern. My favorite way to target carp is with a bow and arrow tho, they got into one of the best trout reserviors where I live in Montana, and really put a hurting on the food chain. It kills me to see those 15lb monsters cruising beautiful clean trout water, to start rutting round the banks, and mudding it up:mad: They do make good garden fertilizer

Josh

[DLWKFW]

Originally Posted by silverado mike

I'll have to figure something out as the pond I know of has one shallow cove and the rest is really deep. the shallows are mostly dead leaves and silt for bottom every thing else is rocky..but you can see some BIG fish swimming by..

Dave Whitlock thinks that this is the new wave in flats fishing. (Don't know if you saw him on Walker's Cay.) If you've read his book on trout and other fly fishing, you'll know he's no joker. Here's an article that he wrote in FlyFisherman. I'd go with leaches or a big fat nymph in that pond.

DW

[Slappy]

A pretty glowing homage to the lowly carp. I probably wouldn't go that far. You can't compare their fight to most saltwater fish. They put up a good fight and are big--the only other new england fish that compares is pike, but how often do you have a 20 fish day on pike over 8 pounds?

They are certainly one of the most fussy fish out there. I am a dedicated multi-species angler and carp can be one of the most difficult to catch. But as a carp fisherman I am a lowly bait fisherman.

One thing to note in his pictures is that he is fishing very clear water. That makes it a lot easier to present your fly to the fish. In many of our waters you cant see the fish--carp have sensitive mouths and if you don't see them take the fly, they will probably spit it before you feel it.

[silverado mike]

Originally Posted by DLWKFW

Dave Whitlock thinks that this is the new wave in flats fishing. (Don't know if you saw him on Walker's Cay.) If you've read his book on trout and other fly fishing, you'll know he's no joker. Here's an article that he wrote in FlyFisherman. I'd go with leaches or a big fat nymph in that pond.

DW

thanx DW that was a great read it gave some good pointers. and this lake is cool and calm and I know I have seen some 15-20 pound fish in it.
Maybe if the opertunty presents itself I'll trow a lonley nymph to a carp if I can see it well.
you never know right!

[Slappy]

Be careful estimating the weight of those fish until they are on the scale!
Carp look a lot bigger than they really are.

Good luck on the fly. If you get frustrated drop a #6 hook with a few kernels of corn next to them. Tell us how you do!

[headtunes]

When I was living in Ireland we used to have course fishing competitions.
Basically we would meet @ about 7am pool and entry fee to a designated "treasurer" and we had pegs marked out on the river bank.
Pegs would be drawn and you fished that spot until 3pm (The designated weigh in time)
All fish had to be kept alive in Keep Nets and once weighed they were released back to the river.

I'm wondering if there would be any interest in something like this on the Charles throught the Spring/Summer ?
With talks of Carp present It might be a fun activity.

What other species are catchable on the Charles (I am thinking between Watertown and around the BU Bridge)

I only know of Carp and Small Mouth bass.

[gerryg]

Largemouths, catfish, panfish, and of course stripers.

Originally Posted by headtunes

When I was living in Ireland we used to have course fishing competitions.
Basically we would meet @ about 7am pool and entry fee to a designated "treasurer" and we had pegs marked out on the river bank.
Pegs would be drawn and you fished that spot until 3pm (The designated weigh in time)
All fish had to be kept alive in Keep Nets and once weighed they were released back to the river.

I'm wondering if there would be any interest in something like this on the Charles throught the Spring/Summer ?
With talks of Carp present It might be a fun activity.

What other species are catchable on the Charles (I am thinking between Watertown and around the BU Bridge)

I only know of Carp and Small Mouth bass.

[bdowning]

Add pike and hornpout, plus a few shad, although the run is really not a very big one.

-bd

Originally Posted by gerryg

Largemouths, catfish, panfish, and of course stripers.