Tag Archives: pond fishing

The Paulinskill River

Have You Ever Seen The Rain?

Spring arrived quickly this year; there was no melting snow to supplement the water level of the streams here in New Jersey. That being said, Trout season has been charging hard out of the gate. As I write this, glancing at the weather forecast, we should be receiving a substantial downpour this evening into tomorrow. With luck the low water issue will be rectified quickly.

Accidental Carp

A month ago, Larry Chandler posted a blog titled, “Carp on the Fly.” Whilst pondering that piece, I was stoked on the idea of hooking into a Carp. In an average year, Carp are sought during the warm summer months when other fish are not biting. Friday after work the Moose Knuckle Fishing Crew dropped in at the Black River to rip a few lips. Water at the Kay Pond was a mere trickle. Returning to the point I was throwing the Moose Knuckle Fishing Wooly Buggerwhile slow strip retrieving easily along the mucky bottom. There were stocked Trout nibbling on the Bugger, I simply could not land one. Then along came this juvenile Carp, my first Carp on the Fly.

Carp On The Fly

Smallmouth Bass are Biting

Anticipating the downpour to commence on Saturday I met up with my fishing buddy Chris on the Paulinskill. Again the water was warm and sluggish, we have already addressed the lack of rain issue. Chris and I each pulled up two trout; my two were on a size 12 March Brown Nymph and the Wooly Bugger (fly is so hot right now). The feeding activity was sluggish much more so than last weekend; likely the result weather and low water.

Cute Little Smallmouth Bass

While Trout may not thrive in the current conditions, Smallmouth Bass sure do! During warmer months, the Paulinskill is an exciting Smallmouth fishery. When the Trout hide in the refreshing water of natural springs, Smallmouth veraciously feed. Looking forward to many good days this summer.

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Bass

Bass and Panfish Poppin’

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Here Fishy Fishy!

Taking advantage of the near 70-degree highs that we experienced on Saturday, the Moose Knuckle crew headed out to a legendary lake in Sussex County. We were expecting to catch a few Sunfish, maybe a Crappie and at best a juvenile Bass. What came to pass was a Panfish Slay Ride not witnessed since early in the fall of last year.

Panfish Slay Ride

The neighbors graciously allowed us to borrow one of the 12-foot Aluminum hull rowboats dry-docked along the shore. We brought our own electric trolling motor, a necessity if you want to fish and not row yourself to exhaustion.

Mark was spin fishing primarily with a two inch Rapala Floater; I of course, commenced throwing my Mohair Leech. We put in around 1:00 PM with blue skies and the bright sun overhead. As one would expect, our shadows spread far and wide, disclosing our approach early to the sluggish fish.

Crappie ferociously swam up from deep below

Besides a few Crappies nailed right at the put in, we messed around for a while attempting to comprehend the underwater ecosystem. Whilst conducting our exploration of the lake, Mark and I landed around ten Sunfish each. Then it dawned on us, fish are cold blooded, the water is chilly and the sun is hot. We motored straight back to the shallow, swampy, and most importantly warm flat-water section of the lake.

Head to the Flats

Here as we navigated the partially submerged stumps and the militant Swan, Mark landed his largest Bass of the year; that is until he caught the next three after that. Myself refusing to admit defeat to the Rapala Floater, switched to a Muddler Minnow. This quick fly change was rewarded with a few more Sunfish. At this point, I was intent on catching one of these Bass I pulled out of my arsenal an old standby, the Black Hale-Bopp Leech.

Chunky Bass landed on a Rapala Floater

Just as I switched flies again, Mark landed another Bass! Consumed, with a feeling of pressure, an intense biological demand to get my fly in the water; I cast out to the shallows as far as my Sage VXP 4 weight rod could go and hooked right into a log.

I attempted to free my hook from the “log” but it started moving back and forth like a tractor through the algae. There was a Bass at the other end of the line! At this point, it should be noted that when a Bass swallows a leech dangled on a 4-weight rod quite a contest arises. After a few minutes, out popped the most haggard Bass I have ever seen. He had a cataract in one eye; the scars of herring attacks on his back and sandpaper like skin. Needless to say a fish is a fish.

Haggard Bass and the Sage VXP

Lessons Learned

Fishing is turning on much earlier than last year. The mild winter, in the majority of the lower 48 states, was lenient on fish. This being said, waters are still not at their optimal range for active feeding activity. Bass and Panfish will be caught in the warmer, shallow and flat areas of a lake or pond. Attempt a retrieve at varied speed, on the fly I found that two six inch strips followed by a short waiting period was triggering a strike. Bass seemed to strike during the active retrieve while the Sunfish attacked when the fly stopped. Do not be afraid to experiment and vary the speed of retrieve.

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Guest Blogs

Carp on the Fly

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Every sport and hobby has its purists.  Certain bird hunters believe that only an over/under gun should be used in pursuit of upland game.  Certain fans of baseball feel the designated hitter is a disgrace to the game.  When it comes to fly fishing, a large number of anglers think that the various species of trout are the only worthy species that should be pursued.  However, more and more people are looking at carp as a way of not only wetting a hook but also as a fish worthy of fly fishing techniques.

Sage Rod and Carp

Easy for First Timers

Fly fishing for carp is similar to bone fishing done in the waters of the Caribbean.  Anglers have noted that it is common to see a carp mudding, finning and tailing in the grass near the water’s edge. This makes it relatively easy to cast an appropriate fly and try your luck at landing one. One of the hardest things for new anglers to learn is the patience that comes from waiting for “unseen” fish to hopefully take their bait.  Sight fishing offers a bit more action in a way that is easier to understand.

Carp also have a wide variety in their diet.  They eat baitfish, crayfish and even insects throughout each life stage.  This allows anglers to present a number of different lures with hopes of landing one of the beasts.

More Plentiful

Carp are strong adapters. They are found in nearly every type of fresh water, whether it is cold temps, hot temps, stained water or pool-water clear.  Most any type of water, from a small pond at the local golf course, up to the largest lake in the U.S. will have a strong population of carp.  In fact, they are part of the biggest family of freshwater fish all over the world.

Help Expand the Sport

The New York Times recently posted an article about fly fishing for carp.  Regardless of your opinion about the paper, this is a mainstream publication.  Articles that bring attention to fly fishing can help expand the sport.  A higher number of participants will bring more money to supplier of rods, reels, lines and lures.  This makes for more competition which will help the overall industry.

It also means that the various shops around the country relying on trout enthusiasts can expand their offerings to a wider audience.  Offering gear and advice for the local carp bite can help these shops earn a better living when the trout bite has slowed down.

If you have the itch to catch something with a fly, and you long for a big fish experience, consider giving the carp a try.  It might change your opinion on fly fishing and give you another reason to get outside and enjoy Mother Nature.

Larry Chandler is a freelance writer that loves to connect with anglers and New York Fishing guides. When he’s not working on the latest freelance project he is usually out with his family, making memories.

Another Beautiful Carp