Killing a bunch of carp has been on my to do list for a while now. And when I found some spare time over the weekend I decided to go for it.
The campsite I had in mind required a little off-roading to get to, but I couldn't tell from home whether my car would be able to make it or not. And I was fairly certain I couldn't get any of my close friends tag along with me on a moments notice. So I decided to make it a solo scouting trip just for the heck of it.
Luckily my worries were flattened as I breezed through the dirt trail like it was nothing. The worst it had to offer was a long stretch of very thick sand which my 4x4 slid right through without stopping.
Made it to the campsite just after sunset
You know you're really camping when technology stops working
My kind of dinner (crackers out of frame)
Morning at the campsite and the weather feels great. Not too hot and plenty of sun. The river was almost too warm for my SoCal wetsuit, but I drank a ton of water and made it happen.
Set my sights on hunting carp within swimming distance from camp.
A dive flag is mandatory out here, but with all the boaters on the water I was glad to have it. I grabbed my yellow Sturgill Spearfishing floatline this time instead of my old back polypro floatline. I bet that yellow would be more visible to the boaters.
First haul from shore. Dragged the yellow Sturgill floatline along rocks, cliffs, tree branches, with the carp in tow and it worked out great. Kept floating and no boaters came in close enough to bother me.
Sad puppy
Biggest one from the dive at 12-13lbs
Pulled out my kayak to hit some spots further out.
I let most of the carp sink, but I brought back the two biggest to weigh in. You know I'm always gunning for that personal best fish.
Also found a brand new anchor underwater. I've found 6 anchors this year, but this one is my favorite by far. Came with a coated metal chain and floatline attached.
It's gunna stick to my kayak like glue from now on.
Also found this container with free beer and soda. Only a month old according to the label. Drank it that night.
Got around to weighing those two carp and one was a clear personal best for the trip. I had a feeling this guy was big as he crested over a rockpile. With one glance I knew I couldn't let him swim by. Weighed 18 lbs
Later I cut open his head looking for the oteliths. And even though I ripped his head to shreds I couldn't find a single stone or even a fragment. Chucked it all back in the water which I'm sure made at least one catfish very happy.
Built a nice campfire to end the day with and roasted some marshmallows
After nightfall I started wishing I had brought a book or something to pass the time with, because it was absolutely boring once the sun set. Luckily I brought my dive light along with me. Sitting there in the dark I thought why not and slipped back into my suit for some night time carp hunting.
I was hoping to see a monster carp as I circled the inlet, but nada. But there were plenty of decent sized carp to cull and after messing with a few of them I called it a night.
Day 3
No pictures from today, but I still got some nice diving in.
I opted for a 5 1/2 round trip paddle to a new spot I'd seen on the map. It ended up having a dozen man made underwater structures placed 100-150ft from shore with countless carp swimming around them.
Holding my breath on the bottom I'd watch those fat faced suckers swarm around me like curious dogs. I kept waiting for a big one to show up, but I didn't spot anything that looked substantially bigger than yesterday's take.
Then one beefy looking carp came in that I thought could have been the biggest from the trip. Almost too late I decided... Fire! The fish zipped away pulling my shooting line immediately. I could feel the tug yank harder than any fish I'd shot on the trip. As I pulled it in close I saw my aim was way too high. The shooting line was only holding on by an inch of flesh under the dorsal fin. I tried playing the line as delicately as possible, but that fish was full of fight and tore off right away. Watching him swim away madly wasn't the best sight in the world, but it was only a carp so I didn't feel too bad.
Finished up the dive and yacked back to the car.
I could have stayed an extra day, but I felt like I had enough carp blood on my hands for one weekend and I was out of ice. So I hit the gas and headed home.
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Only thing I regret from this trip is not having an underwater camera to bring along with me.
But with the 4 month fishing license I bought I know I'll be back soon. Hopefully with someone else. I've already got a different spot in mind for the next visit, one which I have a better feeling for when it comes to finding stripers :up:
I imagine those carp would make great dog food. Isn't that anchor too big for a yak? That looks about the size I use for my 18ft rib. I too have a collection of those smaller anchors, I keep them hanging over my fence for decoration more than anything. I just can't pass them up when I find them in good condition. Still waiting to find a stainless steel one.
