Buzzy
Active Member
Phone rang last night, @Engee wanting to fish the big pond for carp. I said "SURE"! Social distancing: separate trucks to the pond. Got our rods rigged up and figured it was going to be really good fishing, the pond was smooth with barely a ripple.
This was Engee's first trip of 2020 (just bought his fishing license this morning) so I stayed back and let him work the water first. I heard him say "oooooh" when he first stepped in.
Pretty soon "ooooh" was "ah", well over 80F air temperature and the water felt great. Big pond is pretty clear and clean.
We worked our way about a mile north from the starting point. Saw three carp and a couple bass. Couldn't get it done. Where the heck were the fish? We guessed they'd moved out to deeper water, maybe it was too calm and sunny and clear and the carp wanted deeper water? I really don't know. Some days when the weather is like it was on this trip, they're on the flats in good numbers. So many variables.
We hit the end of the road. The old abandoned highway enters the lake and unless the tide's way out, this is the end for wet wading. We were skunked. Zip, nada, zilch. Not ever a decent mudder to cast to. No hookups. Nothing.
Hiking back up the old road I suggested we go back to the starting point and work our way south - new water. PERSEVERE!
Persevere! Indeed. Step down off the trail and wade out and what does Engee do? Hooks a really nice smallmouth. It jumped five times and bent his 8 weight, pulled line.
Think Engee looks happy? Oh yeah!
Red eye special. That's a size 12 jig: Dark olive UV dubbing, red squirrel zonker for the tail and an orange hot spot (60 degree jig hook).
Wading south to Blind Point Engee scores.
Engee's carp crushed the little jig and took off for the other side of the lake. Carp are tough fish, they fight really hard. In my limited experience, when the water gets to about 71 or 72F, carp get downright mean, they're bad.
Several years ago we'd launched my boat on the Columbia, ran upstream and anchored along an island that has flat sloping sides, no trees. A great carp flat. I had to run back to the launch, left Engee fishing the flat. As I was easing back along the shore of the island (gas motor off, poling upstream) I see Engee strip strike a fish. The rod jerks out of his hand and is heading for the middle of the river. A second later Engee dove into the river kicking like mad and got hold of the rod (landed the carp). The fish pictured above hit really hard. In my experience, that's not common. Both carp I hooked were visual eats. I saw them eat the fly and didn't know if they had it until I set the hook....
My turn. Jeez, what a hick. I could be a redneck.
It sure wasn't red hot fishing today, three carp and one smallmouth. But all four fish were quality (I know some of you will go "quality"? carp?). They're a lot of fun and very strong, and not easy to fool into biting. Very easily spooked.
This was Engee's first trip of 2020 (just bought his fishing license this morning) so I stayed back and let him work the water first. I heard him say "oooooh" when he first stepped in.
Pretty soon "ooooh" was "ah", well over 80F air temperature and the water felt great. Big pond is pretty clear and clean.
We worked our way about a mile north from the starting point. Saw three carp and a couple bass. Couldn't get it done. Where the heck were the fish? We guessed they'd moved out to deeper water, maybe it was too calm and sunny and clear and the carp wanted deeper water? I really don't know. Some days when the weather is like it was on this trip, they're on the flats in good numbers. So many variables.
We hit the end of the road. The old abandoned highway enters the lake and unless the tide's way out, this is the end for wet wading. We were skunked. Zip, nada, zilch. Not ever a decent mudder to cast to. No hookups. Nothing.
Hiking back up the old road I suggested we go back to the starting point and work our way south - new water. PERSEVERE!
Persevere! Indeed. Step down off the trail and wade out and what does Engee do? Hooks a really nice smallmouth. It jumped five times and bent his 8 weight, pulled line.
Think Engee looks happy? Oh yeah!
Red eye special. That's a size 12 jig: Dark olive UV dubbing, red squirrel zonker for the tail and an orange hot spot (60 degree jig hook).
Wading south to Blind Point Engee scores.
Engee's carp crushed the little jig and took off for the other side of the lake. Carp are tough fish, they fight really hard. In my limited experience, when the water gets to about 71 or 72F, carp get downright mean, they're bad.
Several years ago we'd launched my boat on the Columbia, ran upstream and anchored along an island that has flat sloping sides, no trees. A great carp flat. I had to run back to the launch, left Engee fishing the flat. As I was easing back along the shore of the island (gas motor off, poling upstream) I see Engee strip strike a fish. The rod jerks out of his hand and is heading for the middle of the river. A second later Engee dove into the river kicking like mad and got hold of the rod (landed the carp). The fish pictured above hit really hard. In my experience, that's not common. Both carp I hooked were visual eats. I saw them eat the fly and didn't know if they had it until I set the hook....
My turn. Jeez, what a hick. I could be a redneck.
It sure wasn't red hot fishing today, three carp and one smallmouth. But all four fish were quality (I know some of you will go "quality"? carp?). They're a lot of fun and very strong, and not easy to fool into biting. Very easily spooked.
