Carp Fishing Trip Report

Well, I have a bit of advice I have learned since I gathered up my carp fishing tackle from the last trip. The local lake where we fish is small, but has numerous carp in the 3 - 5 pound range. Nothing huge, but a great fight on the right tackle and gear. It was a warm summer day, and my carp fishing tackle consisted of a 7 foot Daiwa spinning reel on a Shakespeare Ugly stick fishing rod. I have used this combo many times before and combine it with 12 pound test Stren fishing line. I do not use any bite alarms and just sit on the bank and prop the rod in a stick. I know this is not the best way, but I am still learning here.

We get all set up with our equipment and wait for some action. For bait, we are using night crawlers, corn sweetened with vanilla, and dough balls also sweetened with vanilla extract. Some guys swear by the boilies and hair rigs, but I am still an old fashioned fisherman with my carp fishing tackle and gear. We also threw out some corn into the area for chum.

With the rods and reels in the water for about 30 minutes we wanted some action. Not a huge trophy, but at least a few bites on our lines baits. Finally, I get a strong bite and get a 3 pound fish to shore. Put up a battle, but nothing to get excited about on our stiff tackle. My next bit of advice is for people to be very patient, and not move around. Give the carp some time to work into the area.

After about 20 more minutes I was getting into my tackle box and the rod almost doubled over into the lake. A few minutes later I actually had a 10 pound channel catfish on the line. Not a trophy, but still a great battle and catfish. Took a little break after that and let the rod and reel just sit out for a bit. Got some lunch and proceeded to get back to catching some things. I got some more corn on the hook and rigged the other rod with a good sized night crawler. Again, about 10 minutes later a small carp was landed by my friend. This beasts really fight well for there size. It would be more fun if our tackle was lighter, but we want to be prepared for a trophy. I have lost many big ones in the past and it does not feel good. My next advice is the opposite of the last statement. I always get more bites when using lighter line than 12 pound test. Especially in clear waters, but it is a compromise of some strength. It is a tough choice, but go with whatever your gut tells you and head to your local pond or river.

The day was almost over and I was packing up all the carp fishing tackle from the trip and almost broke my ankle in a ground hog hole. Gotta watch for them! We landed some decent fish and were happy with our day. Be prepared and you too can have a successful trip.