Cayuga Carping 5/2 - 5/10

[hermit]

I have been carp fishing recently, a mix of spinning, centerpin, and fly.  Either I'm getting better at it or the fishing is improving. Probably both.  I saw a lot of bullhead caught especially recently, so if you want dinner go for it.  Also goldfish and sunnies.

 

5/2: Caught a bunch of stuff.  Smallmouth, goldfish, and one carp in the mid-teens for weight.  This was on the fly rod, mostly dead drifting nymphs.  Great fight on the carp, well into my backing. The bass were great, one was very acrobatic and a superb fighter.

 

5/6: Caught a bunch more stuff.  Centerpinning today.  Sunfish, goldfish, and one carp around 20 lbs.  First carp on the pin!  Very cool.

 

5/8: Mostly goldfish with one carp landed.  Mix of pinning and spinning. Landed one nice one (pic) around 25 lbs, maybe a little under, 35" x 25".  Had another big carp on, much bigger, that eventually popped off after a heck of a fight.  It's like trying to stop a meat torpedo!  Or maybe not a torpedo they're not as fast.  Maybe they're the donkeys of the fish world, smarter than they seem and hard to bully around. The goldfish is from this day too.

 

5/10: Best day yet.  3/5 on orange fatties.  No pics. First one wrapped up on a sunken log after a few minutes, had to break it off eventually.  Second (first landed) no problems, 20 lbs or so.  Next hookup it goes right into my other line, which doesn't affect the catching but does cause a big mess to fix after.  Probably 22-24 lbs or so.  Then an hour later zing, fish on!  I fight this one until it's close to the bank when my other rod fires, I'm doubled up on carp!  Land the first one asap and grab the other rod, it's been about two minutes of freespooling and the carp took at least 100 yards of line.  I'm glad it wasn't going top speed but it was definitely on the run.  Tighten it up and start fighting it, it's gone.  Pretty exciting though!  Stuck it out a while longer but that was it for action.

 

I've been fishing both flies, and some traditional English methods, mostly various ways of fishing the hair rig and bolt rig.  I've been experimenting with bait, no favorites yet. The best ones are left alone by the sunnies and bullhead. No worms unless you want bullhead. I had the good fortune to meet a real live Englishman about 8 years back that gave me some good tips and really gave me the bug. Google did the rest more recently.  Anyway... they're a ton of fun and the biggest fish around!  

Edited May 10, 2013 by hermit

[ERABBIT]

  WTG Alec !!!

[rolmops]

Was this in the shallows on the north end or in the canal next to the Montezuma drains?

Edited May 10, 2013 by rolmops

[hermit]

Neither but I'm sure there are fish in both of those. There are better numbers and you can fish for them earlier in the year compared to the area I fished this week.

[lavarock64]

Carp are so under rated!  We to discover the limitations of your tackle.  Landing a hog trout with the same gear will be no problem! Way to Alec-thanks for the report.

[hermit]

I don't really know why they aren't more popular but that's okay!