Mike Pike Posted November 4, 2018 Report Share Posted November 4, 2018 Finally, a break in the weather and, after seeing the fishing friendly forecast, I called up my cousin Dan to see if he wanted to head out for a little morning session. Rather that try one of our harbour spots( as we were still unsure of the blue-green algae situation ), we opted for a smaller venue to enjoy the sun, cigars and Cyprinidae! We didn't feel the need to show up super early because, we reasoned, the fish activity would pick up once the temperatures began to rise after sunrise. That, and I slept in. One of the first things I noticed was that the lush vegetation and overgrown banks of the summer were gone now. However, the downed foliage and 'openness" of the area in the fall still had its charm. Even with the cooler temps, we spotted some 'V' wakes and bubbling, and I felt like we had a shot with the little bit of fish activity that we saw on display. The east wind kept whipping up, though, and it was hard to tell whether we were getting line bumps or if it was just the wind. Oh well, at least we weren't bothered by false alarms on the bite indicator! It wasn't until I heard the rapid clicking of my bait-runner that I knew I was in! Gotta think the little PVA bag o' goodies added to the presentation helped the fish zero in on my bait. The first thing I noticed during the fight was how frayed the old line was on my stalking rod( Wow, need to change that! ), so I loosened the drag and the fight lasted longer than it should have with this little fellow. Certainly not bragging size, but I was happy to have caught it. Thanks for the taking the pic, Dan( and for the cigar ). Nice to finally be able to get some bank time in after all the recent autumn wind and rain. And with luck, a lot more sessions to enjoy before winter's icy grip takes hold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted November 4, 2018 Report Share Posted November 4, 2018 Very nice Mike ....I was wondering if anyone was still fishing .... That spot is a dead ringer to one of my local spots ....very shallow from shore to shore but can be very productive with a variety of carp , cats & rudd . I have never fished that shallow spot in the late months , so I'll have to give it a whirl ! I would like to try using a very light weight rig , like a small shot with a hair rig since there's no current . Thanks for the encouragement Mike . Have a cigar ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Pike Posted November 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 Ya, I think I'll keep at it for as long as the winter permits. In the UK, the carp guys fish year-round. Now, their winters are a little milder than ours, but they still need to break through skim ice from time to time to cast for carp. And shallow spots are still ok to fish as I think they warm up quicker. Plus, I always remember the old saying; 3 feet is deep if everything else around you is 1 foot. lol I know guys who carp fish the Hammy harbour right up until ice-up, and then pick it up again as soon as the ice is out. Some real dedication there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 We have caught carp through the ice while fishing for perch . Some large carp were caught at the Beacon marina by ice anglers , using minnows . I tried using corn there but had no luck . I saw a CHCH News report that showed a big development planned for Pier 8 . Will that infringe on the fishing there ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Pike Posted November 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 Ya, I've seen the artist drawings of the proposed redevelopment and it looks pretty nice. It looks like there will still be plenty of access to the water, although I'm not sure about parking. I sure hope we'll be able to continue to fish there while the construction is underway( whenever that will begin ). Oh, and another thing( I think I've mentioned this in a post before ), when they show those artist conceptual drawings of what the new waterfront will look like, they always show hikers, joggers, dog walkers, etc. ...but never show anyone fishing!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jwl1 Posted December 3, 2018 Report Share Posted December 3, 2018 Not bad considering the not so nice November weather...always nice to be able to target a certain species and have it pay off... carping might not be everyone's bag... but no matter how you look at it... those days when you can hook 20lbers all day are a blast.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted December 4, 2018 Report Share Posted December 4, 2018 Ya gotta try carping JW ! It's the "poor mans salmon fishing" thing , from shore ...real cheap to get into and cheap bait . No boat , riggers , lures , barphin overboard etc etc......just a can of corn , a hook , swivel & sinker ! And strong arms like me ! By a cheap alarm , bring your guitar & break out the tunes ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jwl1 Posted December 4, 2018 Report Share Posted December 4, 2018 Used to go carping alot on the upper river in the spring.....they will bite minnows and jigs in the spring too....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted December 4, 2018 Report Share Posted December 4, 2018 1 hour ago, Jwl1 said: Used to go carping alot on the upper river in the spring.....they will bite minnows and jigs in the spring too....... For true Jack.....we have caught carp on minnows while ice fishing . ( DID I SAY ICE FISHING ) ?? A few years back a guy caught 2 LARGE carp on minnows while ice fishing at the Beacon Marina ...same day , same hole . The spot for carp at the river was the NPCA marina , Dufferin Island and spots on the lower as well . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Pike Posted December 4, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2018 Smerch speaks the truth, Jack. Carping is a blast! Bought gear dedicated to targeting the fish about 20 years ago and it's grown to become my favourite pursuit. Oh, and welcome back Jack( I recall meeting you only once many years ago perching at the rowing canal ). And Smerch, I went out to do a little carping this past Sunday on Hammy Harbour. I fit in a session between the rain( what else is new! )and was able to bank one. It wasn't big, but it was a real character. It had a deformation and lacked a full nose. The incredible thing was that a Gentleman fishing near me informed me that he had also caught the fish not two weeks before!!! If anyone else is able to bank this rather 'friendly' carp, he now goes by the name 'Snubby.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jwl1 Posted December 4, 2018 Report Share Posted December 4, 2018 Thanks for the welcome back Mike....little hint.. this is a great time of year for pike on that canal 😉. Would be kind of neat to keep track of your friend snubby.... catch it... take a pic see if you catch it again or any of your fellow carpers catch it again....just to try and keep track of the fish.. Haha....obvioushhly itsh not having musht problemssh eating itshhh luncsssh with a hair lip 😲 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jwl1 Posted December 4, 2018 Report Share Posted December 4, 2018 A bit off track but I once saw a fishing show where they where fishing hammy harbor and targeting sheephead on crankbaits ... thought that was pretty wierd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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