Thanksgiving Fishing Trip

In my opinion, it's not a proper holiday if you haven't tossed a line in the water.  Today in Texas we flirted with the 80 degree mark.  That almost demands that you get outside.

Today's catch consisted of carp and bullhead catfish.  My son landed the largest fish of the day, a 2.16 lbs carp.  It's pictured below.

Below my daughter is pictured with the same fish.  It cracks me up, because the fish looks so much larger in her little arms.

There were lots of small carp out and about.  The kids each hooked a small one at the same time.  See below.

The remainder of the pictures are bullheads.

Remember I 've said that when it cools off, so do the bites.  You need a time filler.  Today we did a little monkey in the middle using my net.

We also took in a lot of nature.  The Canadian geese never disappoint.  It's so beautiful to see them take flight and land.

Our baits today were worms, bread, and corn.  There was no response to the bread.  Our catches were made on corn and worms.  The catfish bit on both, but the carp only bit on corn.

As usual, it was all catch and release.  Remember to take advantage of warm days when you can.  Happy fishing!

How to Land Big Fish

In the fishing world, landing refers to getting the fish you've just hooked into the boat.  I'm a bank fisherman, so in my case it refers to getting my fish up onto dry land.  With bigger fish, landing requires technique and finesse.  There are few things more heartbreaking than hooking a huge fish, seeing it come to the surface, and then losing it.

First let's talk about WHY fish are lost.  There are generally two reasons.  In some instances, the hook dislodges from the fish.  In other cases, the line breaks.  Either way, it stinks.

With regard to hooks, I prefer to give myself every advantage.  So I use baitholder hooks.  Granted, these hooks are designed to keep your bait from flying off during a cast.

Here's the thing.  Those same little barbs that hold bait in place will also pierce the fish right along with the tip of the hook.  Just as they prevent bait from sliding off the hook, they'll prevent your fish's mouth from sliding off the hook.

There's one other thing that will also help to prevent the fish from sliding off.  Set the hook! Don't get carried away, but when the fish bites and you see the line go taught, give the pole a quick, firm jerk.

It will feel like your hook got stuck in something, and that's what you want.  That something is the fish!  Just make sure you jerk up towards the sky and not towards your body.  This will ensure that you're jerking the hook up into the roof of the fish's mouth versus jerking it out of the fish's mouth, which is the last thing you want to do!  For big fish, and particularly carp which have VERY tough flesh, I'll set the hook a second time.

As I've said before, I recommend Eagle Claw baitholder hooks, size 4.  See my post on hooks for a picture.  For tying the hook onto the line, I recommend either the fisherman's knot or the improved fisherman's knot.  See my post on rigging a pole for a video demo.

Now that our fish is securely on the hook, we have to land it without breaking line. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need 20 lbs test line that looks more like rope.  A 735 Marlin has been landed on 6 lbs test line.  

I use 12 lbs monofilament line.  Mono is the clear stuff that all but disappears in the water.  It's thin enough to make knot tying easy, but strong enough to land the big fish.  Below is a photo.  Notice how the line disappears into the water.

Next up, the pole.  Make sure you loosen up your drag (as much as half way) so that the fish can run with your line versus breaking it.  Keep the pole at a 45 degree angle, as pictured below.

In addition to the drag on the line, the fish now has resistance from the pole.  Your resistance is instantly doubled or even tripled by holding the pole at a 45 degree angle.  That fish is going to tire out in half or even a third of the time.

Reel in gently but consistently.  Never reel while the fish is exerting enough pressure to overcome the drag and pull line from your spool.  That's a guaranteed line break!  

When the fish stops running, start reeling again.  As it tires, you'll be able to tighten up your drag and reel more effectively.  That said, don't ever tighten your drag up completely.  When you get the fish close to shore and it sees you, it will exert every ounce of energy it has to swim back out. This is literally make or break time!

So now we have this heavy weight to the shore.  Never ever try to land a big fish by pulling up on the line.  Have a net within arm's length.  The net doesn't have to be huge.  Mine is pictured below.  The handle is just over two feet.

With regard to the net, you need to keep it away from your line.  If you don't, the fish will wrap the line around the net handle, break line, get away, and leave you with a mess.

I recommend gently dipping the net below the water about two or three feet from the fish.  Make sure as much slack as possible is out of your fishing pole line.  By now your fish should be fatigued enough to oh so gently guide it into the net with the pole.  

Make sure you keep the pole at a 45 degree angle, especially now.  You're guiding the fish in versus reeling.  Maximum resistance is still crucial.  

For ultimate precaution, you can also carefully move the net, still submerged, towards the fish as you're guiding the fish toward the net.  It's a meet in the middle kind of thing.  Lots of work, I know.  But is this not worth it?

Happy fishing!

Two Foot Long Carp Caught on Corn

Winter's a tough time of year for fishermen.  Fish feeding slows WAY down because the fish are cold.  They're not spawning.  Basically the fish are going to exert minimal energy to eat enough to sustain them.  So bites are few and far between.

To succeed, the bait has to be something that's very aromatic and very oily.  In this case, I used corn.  It paid off to the tune of 7.61 pounds of carp!

The carp below weighed in right at 3 pounds.

Below is today's prize catch.  Its weight was good at 4.61 lbs.

That guy put up one heck of a fight, let me tell ya!!  If he looks long, it's because he is!  Below is a picture of him with the net I used to land him.  You can see that he's almost as long as the net handle!

The total official length was 22 3/4 inches!  I'm invoking the fisherman's exaggeration privilege to round up to 24 inches, which is two feet.

How to Catch Fish with Corn

I love corn.  I love to eat it, and so do fish.  They like it A LOT.  There are several reasons.

First, it's easy to see, even in heavily stained water.  It's hard to miss something that's bright yellow!  Second, it's aromatic.  It expels a strong, sweet odor and a lot of oil the SECOND it hits the water.  Third, it tastes good, but we've already covered that.

So, step one is buying the right kind of corn.  In order to stay on your hook, it needs to be whole kernel sweet corn.  The stuff costs less than a dollar a can.  See below.

Step two, CHUM.  Buy two cans so that you can throw liberal amounts in the water.  When you open a can, pour the juice directly in the water.  I call that the dinner bell.

Next up, the hook.  I use the Eagle Claw baitholder hook, size 4.  See my post about hooks for a photo.  The barbs do a superb job of holding the corn, even when you cast.

When you bait, put enough on to completely cover the hook EXCEPT for the very tip of the point on the hook.  That has to be exposed so that when you jerk up vertically to set the hook, it makes good contact with the fish's mouth.  Take a look below.

The tip of the hook is hard to see, but it's exposed.  If you have a hard time seeing it, so will the fish.  That's a good thing!

One last thing about corn - it keeps well. I would suggest keeping a can in your tackle box at all times.  Also make sure you have a can opener or a knife on hand.  Or you could just buy the cans with tabs for easy opening.  I'll let that be your call.

As usual, check the rules and regs in your area to make sure corn's a legal bait.  Happy fishing!

Urban Fishing

For most people, fishing calls to mind the outdoors.  It conjurs up images of vast expanses of water on huge tracts of land.  Most fishing occurs miles from civilization, right?

Right, sort of ....  However, cities are increasingly recognizing fishing as family friendly recreation that can draw people to otherwise underutilized public parks.  As a result, many towns are incorporating ponds and playa lakes into their parks.  These cities encourage fishing and even have the ponds stocked with fish.

The result is, at times, an odd mixture.  Geese can be heard honking right along with car alarms.  Ducks float on the water while a city bus passes in the background.  Then there's this.

I'm enjoying a care free afternoon of fishing while there's some poor sap just a few hundred feet away holding his wife's shopping bag!

It may not be a wooded area with a river, but there are advantages.  For instance, easy access to restrooms.  If you've ever taken your daughter fishing, you come to appreciate this immensely.

Then there's bait.  If worms aren't working and you don't have corn, guess what?  There's a store a block away with corn!

Now you do have to remain aware of your surroundings, especially if you're in a city and especially if you're in a less than great neighborhood.  For instance, as many times as I've been night fishing on a lake, I wouldn't go fishing at night in the "rough" part of a big city.

Check the parks and recreation department of your city.  Find out if there are lakes in which citizens are allowed to fish.  Follow all rules, regulations, and laws ... and HAVE FUN!

 

How to Find the Deep End of a Pond

We all know that water depth is important.  Knowing where the deep and shallow areas are can greatly improve your fishing results.  This is especially true in winter.

During winter (or any other time), bodies of water such as lakes and ponds cool off from the surface inward.  Water also cools at a much slower rate than the atmosphere.  That's why you might see steam rising from a lake on a cold morning.  That's also why fish head for the depths.  It's warm down there!

If your fishing location happens to be a major lake or river, finding the deep area is fairly easy.  In most instances, the deepest part of a lake will be at the dam. Rivers are a bit tricky.  The easiest way to find the depths is to Google the river.  If it's well fished, there will be plenty of information posted by other anglers that will guide your way.

But what about those of us who have neither lakes nor rivers?  What about those of us who fish ponds and playas?  Here are my tips for finding the deep end, because casting out to the middle may or may not do the trick.

First, take a moment to look around at the topography.  Water is subject to gravity in a huge way, and I haven't seen a pond yet that's a perfectly shaped bowl.  Use the surrounding streets and land to determine where the ground slopes down.  

Gravity wants to take this water to the lowest possible point.  Where is that?  Look at the picture below.

At the street level just below the houses, the ground slopes down from left to right.  That's a big clue that I'm at the deeper end of this pond.  Look down for the next clue.

That structure protruding from the water is a drain that's connected to a city water system.  When the lake gets too high, water goes in the drain.  So where's the best place to put a drain?  That would be on the lower end where gravity carries the water.  As bizarre as it sounds, lower is deeper when it comes to ponds.

Last but never least, pay attention to nature.  If you see blades of grass protruding from the water several feet passed the water line, you're not on the deep end.

If you observe ducks barely touching the water surface with their beaks to get food, you may not be near the deep.  What you want to see, at least from ducks, is pictured below.

Look at those ducks.  Their bodies are vertical.  They're at a perpendicular or 90 degree angle to the water.  The whole front half of their bodies are in the water.

Take a close look at the feet on the black and white duck.  It's having to tread just to keep itself in that position.  This indicates that the duck is probably not touching bottom with its beak.

All of this, friends, adds up to the lower end of the pond.  The lower end of the pond, with few exceptions, will be the deeper end.

Things I Say to My Kids

Fishing trips afford a fantastic opportunity to talk to children.  That's especially true if you allow NO electronic devices.  That includes phones, except for yours.  Your phone should be used ONLY for photographs of the kids and the fish.

When there are no devices around, a funny thing happens.  People look at each other.  They make eye contact.  They talk, and that's rare.  Conversation is a lost art, even among families.

Those moments of fishing with my kids are precious because we may have a crazy week ahead.  So it's important to make the most of the time.  There are many things that can be said or asked during a fishing trip.

1.) I love you.  Say that one a lot.

2.) I'm proud of you.  Say that one a lot too.

3.) God loves you, and God made all of this.  You can't say that one enough either.

4.) How are you?

5.) Who's your best friend nowadays?

6.) How's school?

7.) What's your favorite / least favorite part of school?

The list goes on and on.  My kids are still young.  Obviously the way you frame questions for a teenager might be different.  The first three should NEVER change.

Now I'll be the first to admit that not every one of my fishing trips goes like an episode of Leave It to Beaver.  Sometimes I'm in a bad mood.  Sometimes my kids are grumpy.

There are days when my kid casting over my line is no big deal.  Then there are days when it results in a colossal tangle, and I get upset.  Just like anything else you do with kids, there will be times that it doesn't go well.

That said, the bad trips pale in comparison to the good ones.  What makes a trip good actually has nothing to do with the fish.  It has to do with perfect, innocent little eyes that light up when they catch something that looks more like bait.

It's all about the silliness and the smiles.

It's about a moment between a brother and sister that you can't re-create or ever get back.

Because this 6 year old little boy here ...

... turns into the 10 year old boy below in the blink of an eye.

And what better setting to watch them grow up than this?

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take; but by the moments that take our breath away." ~ Author Unknown

Hook

There are many, many hooks out there.  If the fishing hook selection at Walmart is intimidating, a dedicated bait and tackle store like Bass Pro can be overwhelming.  I'm no expert on hooks, but I can tell you what I use.

First of all, it's Eagle Claw.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not affiliated with them in any way.  I use them because my father did.  He was twice the fisherman I'll ever be.

Eagle Claw offers the option of a plain shank or a baitholder hook.  Either will catch fish.  I prefer the baitholder hook, though.  Take a look below.

Notice the two small barbs on the back.  When you thread a worm on the hook, those two little pieces of metal do a marvelous job of holding it in place.  The more difficulty a fish has in removing the bait, the longer it must play around with your hook.  Your chances of catching the fish improve astronomically.

The other key consideration for the right hook is size.  Hooks range from huge to tiny.  You maximize your chance when you go with a size in the middle that will catch big fish and small fish.  That would be a size four.

Put it all together and what do you have?  Take a look.

One last thing about hooks.  Often times when a hook is reeled in, it will pick up debris.  That debris will partially or sometimes completely cover the bait.  

There are a lot of fish that won't strike what they can't see.  Debris on your hook can partially or sometimes totally obscure your bait.  Depending on the type of debris, it can also mask some of that bait odor that you're trying to put in the fish's nostrils.  Here's an example.

Each time you reel in, take a second to remove debris like this moss.  It can be the difference between catching a fish ... or not.

Location, location, location!

If you've read enough of my posts, you know that I'm all about keeping it simple. With regard to location, I'm not talking about high-tech fish finders or GPS devices.  After all, I'm a bank fisherman.

The truth is that when you're fishing smaller bodies of water like playa lakes and ponds, location becomes less critical.  The smells and loose particles from your bait will permeate a good portion of the lake in short order.

But, let's remember something from the last post.  It's fall.  The water's cold and so are the fish.  

They're not exactly in a feeding frenzy.  Fish may detect your bait from yards away, but they may not want to expend the energy or what little heat they have to head your way.  Even in a smaller lake or pond, you sometimes have to drop the bait right in front of the fish's face ... or at least within a few feet.

That may seem daunting, because even playa lakes cover hundreds of acre feet.  So what's your next move?  There are certain features that should attract your attention, especially on those warmer fall days.  Here are a couple of examples.

In the picture above, the main portion of the playa is beyond those two trees.  The narrow creek-like feature is actually overflow from a recent heavy rain.  It leads to a small pool pictured below.

Features like this are fantastic!  During the warmest part of the day, carp and catfish will swim up into these channels and pools in search of food.  After fishing the main lake for a long time with only one small catfish to show for it, I decided to hit that creek-like area.  That's where I caught this carp.

This is a common carp.  He weighed in at just over two pounds.  Here's a better look.  

My tackle box can be used as a length reference.  Of course, I've caught much bigger.  (See previous posts.)

That said, my two pounder put up a nice fight.  By getting up out of the old chair, taking stock of the lake formations around me, and fishing those formations, I was able to pull a trip out of the toilet.

In the fall and winter, that's often the best you can hope for.  Happy fishing!

Fall Fishing

I love to fish in the fall!  The colors this time of year are beautiful.  Even in Texas, the leaves change.  Check out the red hues on the tree in the background.

There's one other thing that comes with fall, and it's not as much fun.  As the air temperature falls, so does the water temperature.  This has a profound effect on aquatic wildlife.

The fish will still bite, but they're sluggish.  They have to conserve as much energy as possible, so they won't bite as often.  If you're going fishing by yourself, this is not a problem.  If I'm alone, I take a book to read.  Then I alternate between reading, talking to The Lord, and observing the nature all around me.

If you have a kiddoe with you, this formula won't work.  They won't be content to sit, talk, and watch the water fowl.  You need an activity planned for those long stretches between bites.  For example, my son and I tossed the football today.

Just don't forget to watch your pole!  You  will eventually catch fish.  Today we caught a total of 10 bullhead catfish.  They were all small, like the one below.

That's a classic bullhead catfish.  The tail's not forked.  Its top and bottom lips are even.  There's no major under-bite or overbite.

Today was not a "big fish" day, but it was a win.  I was with my son, and it ended like this.

Reviving Large Carp and Catfish

So you've landed that big carp or cat.  It's exciting!  The fight was intense.  Even with the drag let out, the line took a beating and could have snapped at any moment.  

The feeling of landing the fish is really more than words can describe.  So what do you want after you land the fish?  Pictures!  You want lots of pictures, especially if your child caught it!

Here's the thing.  All that time you're taking photos and passing the fish around, it's suffocating.  Bigger fish require more oxygen.  When they're deprived, they'll go into shock quickly.

So what should you do when you return your fish to the water and it starts to float sideways?  First of all, don't leave it floating.  Look at the gills.  If there's still movement, the fish is probably not dead.  If you leave it floating on its side, it will expire all the way.

Grab the pole you caught the fish on and one other pole.  Put the fish far enough into the water to submerge both gills.  Hold the fish upright on its belly between the two poles while the gills are underwater. 

 Odds are, even if you've had the fish out of the water for several minutes, the shock will wear off.  This fish will start  making its swimming motion.  In a few minutes, your big buddy will swim out from between the poles and into the depths.

The important thing here is to use common sense.  When it comes to oxygen deprivation, all of God's creatures have a limit.  There is a point of no return.

Carp and catfish are among the more hardy, but time is critical.  Snap those shots quickly and then return your catch so that someone else can get photos like these!

Playa Lake Defined

Recently I posted a pic to a Facebook page.  In my comment, I referenced a playa lake.  Most people on the page didn't know what a playa lake is.  They thought I was using slang for "player."

Playa lakes are bodies of water.  Most are the size of a large pond.  The great majority are man made.  They're usually found in arid or semi-arid climates where rain is scarce.  Some are filled only when it rains.

In my part of the world, playa lakes are connected to city parks.  They serve a dual purpose of recreation and drainage.  When it rains or when someone waters the street with their sprinkler, run off water from the city streets goes into the playa lakes.  

When the lake itself rises above a certain level, it drains into the city pipes via the drain structure seen in the final picture below.  The water is then ultimately released into a small tributary of a river.

Now you know about playa lakes!