Fatty Carp Report! Success! (Warning: Tons of pics)

[carpanglerdude]

Finally got into some good-sized fish, great way to beat the skunk.
Great weather today, a little colder but clear and sunny. Love it, packed my stuff and headed out to my favorite spot in the IE for some carp and bass fishing.
El Cheapo carp bait
http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/6171/dscn5402u.jpg (http://img706.imageshack.us/i/dscn5402u.jpg/)
I set up my carp rod with a hair rig and my http://www.bitebuzzer.com/ and casted it out. Then, I started rigging up the bass rods. Before I had even finished, my alarm goes off, line shoots off the spool, and I'm into my first California carp..YES!
The fight...
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/9838/dscn5403y.jpg (http://img10.imageshack.us/i/dscn5403y.jpg/)

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/9020/dscn5404q.jpg (http://img195.imageshack.us/i/dscn5404q.jpg/)
Camera shy..
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/4125/dscn5407n.jpg (http://img188.imageshack.us/i/dscn5407n.jpg/)
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/1640/dscn5411.jpg (http://img99.imageshack.us/i/dscn5411.jpg/)
Closeup
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/2209/dscn5409.jpg (http://img210.imageshack.us/i/dscn5409.jpg/)
http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/4764/dscn5412a.jpg (http://img197.imageshack.us/i/dscn5412a.jpg/)
(No, it wasn't caught on a spinner bait, was just comparing it's length to the rod's length)
18-20 inches! Sweet! Fat belly too, probably pregnant.

Ok, enough of that. After dancing around at having caught this fish, I rerigged, and finally got the bass setup rigged up too. One rod for bass, the other for carp. Through spinnerbaits, topwaters and other flasy/noisy toys to get the bass in the muddy water. Nothing, no even a tap. Kinda concerned that the bass might have been owned by the recent flooding...
Here's the setup I was using for carp. Ultra simply, just a sliding rig/running rig with a bread on a hair rig (http://socalangling.tripod.com/rigging/id5.html). http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/9537/dscn5418z.jpg (http://img193.imageshack.us/i/dscn5418z.jpg/)
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP..alarm goes off again, I was farther down the bank and had to drop my rod and spring back to it..grabbed it, and fish was on, big one, really heavy. I start fighting it, it's not making big runs, just refused to get close to the bank.
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/9308/dscn5432o.jpg (http://img19.imageshack.us/i/dscn5432o.jpg/)
Splash
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/6521/dscn5431a.jpg (http://img222.imageshack.us/i/dscn5431a.jpg/)
http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/5509/dscn5427r.jpg (http://img706.imageshack.us/i/dscn5427r.jpg/)
Monster

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/7660/dscn5428.mp4 (click for video I took as I was trying to get it in, no audio though)
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/4008/dscn5433s.jpg (http://img44.imageshack.us/i/dscn5433s.jpg/)
So, here's where a lot of fail came into play. I had no landing let, and my leader wasn't very heavy (8lb test). This fish was alot bigger than the first one and definitely heavier. I didn't want to just throw it up on the sandy bank, because the last fish lost a few scales from thrashing on the sand...I wanted to scoop it outta the water, take a pic, then put it back in, remove hook and let it go. Unfortunately, that didn't quite happen...I set the camera on timer mode, ran over to the water's edge, reached over, grabbed leader (Stupid!) and started scooping up fish. Fish makes one last run, gets out of my hand, snaps leader...no!!!!
So, all the camera managed to get was this horrible shot, haha

Oh well. Lesson learned...buy a landing net and a unhooking mat (http://www.carp-passion.com/Articles/HandlingCarp.htm) (for carp) for next time. I was able to measure that carp against a rod in the water, it went 27 inches, really bloated/fat too. Definitely a 'teens' fish as far as weight goes.
After that, nothing else hit, so I packed it up and called it a day. Really fun outing.
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/6987/dscn5436d.jpg (http://img24.imageshack.us/i/dscn5436d.jpg/)
Parting shot
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/9788/dscn5414.jpg (http://img27.imageshack.us/i/dscn5414.jpg/)

[BIGRED KILLA]

Nice job out on the pond must have been a blast fighting them all they are hard fighters. thanks for the report


Bigred

[vortec_cruiser]

Those are a couple of fat carp. Nice job. PM sent.

[Ray Lopez]

damn looks like a good time. 2 fatty carp

man i need to get on the carp action. What might i ask is a hair rig? Is that a hook with some buck hair or is it somnthing else. I looked it up before but it was some crazy set up that i could not understand for what they called a hair rig.

[Cangler]

damn looks like a good time. 2 fatty carp

man i need to get on the carp action. What might i ask is a hair rig? Is that a hook with some buck hair or is it somnthing else. I looked it up before but it was some crazy set up that i could not understand for what they called a hair rig.


Here you go ..

http://www.gofishing.co.uk/Angling-Times/Section/how-to/Coarse-fishing-advice/Fishing-Rigs/Search-Results/Carp-rigs/How-to-make-a-reverse-hair-rig/

[Ray Lopez]

Here you go ..

http://www.gofishing.co.uk/Angling-Times/Section/how-to/Coarse-fishing-advice/Fishing-Rigs/Search-Results/Carp-rigs/How-to-make-a-reverse-hair-rig/

wow that is a trippy looking setup. How on earth does the bait hold on to just straight line?

Plus do you need to use braided line or was that just for that web page?



Sorry i know im being a thread jacker by asking all these questions but i'm really really looking into exploring the carp fishing world. I figure with carp being in every body of water you can think of, and also being the worlds #1 game fish, and being one of the biggest fish you can catch at most lakes i'm really jonesing the carp bite. FYI i'm not some bass nazi just looking to kill off carp. I am all about the C&R of all fish that i catch.

if you don't want to give up info here please PM if you don't mind.

Thanks!!!

I really want to meet up with some of you carp guys and learn the skill first hand~!

[Cangler]

wow that is a trippy looking setup. How on earth does the bait hold on to just straight line?

Plus do you need to use braided line or was that just for that web page?



Sorry i know im being a thread jacker by asking all these questions but i'm really really looking into exploring the carp fishing world. I figure with carp being in every body of water you can think of, and also being the worlds #1 game fish, and being one of the biggest fish you can catch at most lakes i'm really jonesing the carp bite. FYI i'm not some bass nazi just looking to kill off carp. I am all about the C&R of all fish that i catch.

if you don't want to give up info here please PM if you don't mind.

Thanks!!!

I really want to meet up with some of you carp guys and learn the skill first hand~!


It's just an example of a hair rig , showing it with braid makes it easier for you to see the knot.
I'd say a hair rig is not necessary here and carp are not so heavly fishing for as they are in Europe.

Use bread,dough,corn or spam cut into small squares , loose feeding some gets their interest.

If they are surface feeding they will take a fly , or just freeline a hunk of bread crust.

As carpanglerdude says , an unhooking mat is a good idea as they can easierly lose scales ,
especially mirrors.

[carpanglerdude]

It's actually really, really easy to tie. It took me a couple of try's to get it right, but i can almost do it without looking now, lol.

The best instructions I've found are here: http://www.pleasurefishing.com/html/hairrigs.htm
enjoY! I use a piece of grass as a stopper, pretty easy to add (get's lots of weird looks though, heh)

Lopez, if you have any questions, pm me or post here, glad to help

[Inept Angler]

Nice fish! I've been obsessing on carp the last couple weeks. Never caught one before.

[Stormcrow]

You are ON it bro. Nice fish there!

[Newfishsmell]

Good job out there carpanglerdude !
nice pics & good info...
" I definitely wanna hook into one of those " :Smile: