vortec_cruiser
07-07-2012, 05:13 PM
I took another trip to my favorite spot on the L.A. River. Light traffic on the freeway allowed me to get there by 7:30 AM. With no other fishermen in sight, I was alone on the sandy beach along the tranquil river. There was barely any breeze stirring, and the mother ducks with their ducklings swam about, finding food for their flocks. Yes, it looks like it will be a fine day to catch some carp.
I was using an 8' Phenix Mirage rod with a Shimano Stradic Mgfb 1000 spinning reel, spooled with 4-lb. test mono. I've lost a fair number of these big carp with 4-lb. line, but not as many as I used to lose with 2-lb. Threading three kernals of corn on the hook of my Carolina Rig, I was ready for battle. The water here is about three feet deep, except for some slightly deeper areas. For the most part I only fish the three foot water. Casting out about forty feet to where there is an easy current, I wait for my opponent. It's not long before I see a slight twitch in the rod tip, but I'm not sure if it's actually a carp or just some algae floating into the line. Not wanting to be too quick with a hookset, I relax and wait to see more action on the rod tip. It doesn't take long to find out that it is indeed a fish playing with the bait. A quick flick of my wrist, and I'm hooked into what seems like a relative of Moby Dick. He takes off in a drag-burning run downstream of about 100 feet. He then stops, and it seems like my line is hooked to a rock, but this rock now takes off for the other side of the river. After two more runs and a lot of surface breaks, I'm able to coax him up to the shore, so I can photograph and release this brute.
This carp, and four similar-sized ones, were released unharmed to continue their lazy lives in the L.A. River.
I did hook three other carp, but they were able to break off after only a couple minutes into the fight. I only got pictures of two of the fish, since I don't like stressing these fish unnecessarily. The carp in the first photo has a large scar on his back from some unknown injury earlier in its life. It almost looked as if someone had swung an axe at it, and struck it across the back. It certainly didn't affect its ability to put up a strong fight.
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r229/luvtnt/carp2.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r229/luvtnt/carp1.jpg
I was using an 8' Phenix Mirage rod with a Shimano Stradic Mgfb 1000 spinning reel, spooled with 4-lb. test mono. I've lost a fair number of these big carp with 4-lb. line, but not as many as I used to lose with 2-lb. Threading three kernals of corn on the hook of my Carolina Rig, I was ready for battle. The water here is about three feet deep, except for some slightly deeper areas. For the most part I only fish the three foot water. Casting out about forty feet to where there is an easy current, I wait for my opponent. It's not long before I see a slight twitch in the rod tip, but I'm not sure if it's actually a carp or just some algae floating into the line. Not wanting to be too quick with a hookset, I relax and wait to see more action on the rod tip. It doesn't take long to find out that it is indeed a fish playing with the bait. A quick flick of my wrist, and I'm hooked into what seems like a relative of Moby Dick. He takes off in a drag-burning run downstream of about 100 feet. He then stops, and it seems like my line is hooked to a rock, but this rock now takes off for the other side of the river. After two more runs and a lot of surface breaks, I'm able to coax him up to the shore, so I can photograph and release this brute.
This carp, and four similar-sized ones, were released unharmed to continue their lazy lives in the L.A. River.
I did hook three other carp, but they were able to break off after only a couple minutes into the fight. I only got pictures of two of the fish, since I don't like stressing these fish unnecessarily. The carp in the first photo has a large scar on his back from some unknown injury earlier in its life. It almost looked as if someone had swung an axe at it, and struck it across the back. It certainly didn't affect its ability to put up a strong fight.
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r229/luvtnt/carp2.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r229/luvtnt/carp1.jpg