Banks Lake Carp

[SARG950]

My buddy and I recently tromped through the shores, confident we'd get into 'em along with an occasional smallie. Little did we know the water level had been dumped 3-4 feet just prior to our arrival (according to the locals)... however, there were telltale signs that is exactly what had happened. Like when we watched a powerboat take off from the marina and within ten seconds, hit a submerged rock formation, test the prop's sheer pin, and rev the motor to a zillion rpm. We spent both Friday and Saturday morning stalking the shores and saw a single carp (see photo). Fortunately, it took my carp fly, fought valiantly for about a second, and never tested my drag. I released it unharmed. It didn't take long Saturday morning to conclude our luck wasn't going to change anytime soon, so we headed to Burkett Lake where my buddy did manage to land one despite hurricane force winds. For me it was once again an "A" for futility... Will keep at it though. Can't catch 'em if one's line isn't in the water.

 

[Buzzy]

Join the club on where the heck did the carp go. It seems that who ever controls the elevation of Banks Lake always lowers it several feet right before Labor Day. Usually I like this to new water for wading and exploring and "usually" it is a lot of fun to explore "new" flats. Something has changed this year - you describe it well. No fish. I don't think that's true because there's telltale evidence you can see on the bottom - fish have been in rooting around. Timing? Three trips - three skunks? That's highly unusual, in my limited experience.

There's one other factor that you have to account for when the "tide is out", if there's heavy wind it really stirs up the sediment, even the next day the water can be cloudy and hard to spot fish. When there are so few fish to spot, it really does become, uh, a test.

 

[SARG950]

The wind wasn't much of a factor on your "pond..." the locals we ran into all pretty much agreed that the fish took off for deeper water when they sensed their regular flats going away. Whatever the case, it was a really frustrating two days of looking but not seeing...

 

[Buzzy]

I forget how many years ago it was the lake was lowered enough for the folks to work on the intake structure at Dry Falls dam. The tide was out significantly further than what your and I are seeing now. Eventually the carp did seem to move to deeper water. Didn't matter because the lakes bottom was so muddy and weed (milfoil?) in the depth I normally wade that it was impossible to fish. This was in the area I frequent, can't say for the rest of the lake. So often with this seasonal lake depth change the carping turns on. What the heck. Different year, a friend suggested it might be like local trout lakes that have good years and bad years.

Oh well, going to head up there shortly and check it out. Might be time to hang up the carp rod for the season.