Petition Against Bowfishing Lake Fork: Bowfishing Rant!

If you've found this page, I'd like you all to visit and sign this petition to establish slot limits on the size of fish that a bowfisherman can take from Lake Fork. Lake Fork is the home of the Wild Carp Companies Texas 44, an endurance fishing tournament that promotes carp and smallmouth buffalo as sport fish. Entry fees this past year were $600 per team and the tournament sold out. Additionally, almost all anglers came in ahead of time and rented cabins, hotels, ate at restaurants, bought ice and snacks at gas stations, etc.

Not to mention I am staunchly against bowfishing as a sport except where true population control is deemed necessary by the state. The only species I can think of in this case would be the invasive Asian silver carp. To me, the senseless killing of any species of fish, whether it is classified as a "game" fish or a "rough" fish is inhumane and cruel. Texas law states you may not leave fish that can be used for bait or eaten on the bank, but does not provide a provision that these fish must be used for these purposes. In addition to being dumped at boat ramps, hundreds of fish are simply brought home and thrown in the woods, etc. It's a complete waste of our natural resources, and a waste of life. The argument is population control, but without scientific study this argument does not have any merit.

Again, if you feel the same way I do and want to start helping carp and buffalo gain the reputation they deserve as sport fish, please sign this petition

 

Fishing Log Template

I want to share a fishing log template I designed. A fishing log is a great way to track what works and what doesn't. As I play around with more and more rigs and baits, I can't remember what works and what doesn't. All I can say is lately I've been having a lot more of not working than working, and I'm determined to fix that trend. It could be worse, I'm getting the bites but not always catching the fish as I'm tinkering around with the rigs. It's time to document some of this so I can get it right and keep improving. So here's a log I developed, specifically for my needs. I make several notes on the page and print out a copy of the map where I'm fishing to mark specific locations. I had trouble finding a suitable template online, so I customized this one and hope it helps.

Blogger does not let you share files, so I had to post this file on Mediashare. CLICK THIS LINK TO DOWNLOAD THE TEMPLATE A screen shot hits the highlights.

The Ultimate Rig Guide for Carp Fishing

Recently I stumbled across this page while surfing the internet.  I think this is one of the most comprehensive rig guides I've seen yet and wanted to share.  I hope you agree.

How to Change the Hooks on a 5" Russelure

Russelure hooks were rusty after sitting in the off season

In getting ready for this year's offshore season, I was checking through my trolling lures and noticed some of the hooks were a little worse for wear with corrosion. I decided to change them out for some fresh new hooks. The front hook on the Russelure did not have a split ring and that threw me for a loop. Surely you can change out the hooks on this lure and it's not useless once the first hook corrodes! I sent an email to customer service at Russelure and Mike responded quickly to use a split ring. I went and bought some and got straight to work. Here's the steps I followed:

1. Clean up your Russelure and assemble all the tools you'll need. 

• 5" Russelure
• Mini Bolt Cutters
• Split Ring Pliers
• 3/0 4x Strong Short Shank O'Shaughnessy Trebles
• #6 Size Split Rings (50 lb rating) 

The tools you'll need to get started

. 

 

3/0 Short Shank O'Shaughnessy Trebles match the originals.  You can go bigger if you need to.

 2. Remove the old rusty hooks

Use split ring pliers to remove the rear hook.  Change the split ring also if its rusty!

 

Use the mini bolt cutters to remove the front hook

3. Install the new split rings and the new hooks

Use your split ring pliers to install the new split rings.  You'll add one to the front part of the lure where the old hook was and you may or may not replace the rear one based on its original condition.

The finished product ready to catch fish!

4. Get out and catch some fish! 

.

My first Jack Crevalle from the jet ski on a 5" silver Russelure!

Wild Carp Club of Houston Event 4: Boomtown Overnighter April 13, 2013

Shiner Bock and Camping Shot

As the Wild Carp Club of Houston's 2013 season is in full swing, we recently held the 4th event of the season at Boomtown RV Resort in Vidor, TX. This was a new style of event for us, being the first overnight fishing event. The weather couldn't have been more perfect for an overnight event - jeans during the evening and shorts during the day. For this event we had four anglers fishing (Justin, Loren, Nick, and myself) and a few others that came to talk or hang out. Boomtown is an RV resort that allows us to camp and fish there but also has quite a few residents that live there. Setting up our euro gear attracted a bit of attention, and allowed us to talk to a lot of people about how to catch carp and smallmouth buffalo. We chose this event because it offered a chance at some larger fish that we don't normally see in Houston.

14 lb common carp from the margins

24lb common carp from the margins

 The event started at 9AM, meaning we could begin prebaiting at 8AM. Vidor is about an hour and a half away from Houston, so I shared a ride with Nick. When we got to Boomtown, Justin and Loren were already there and had laid claim to the beach/traditional tent camping area. There really was only room for two, so we decided to scope out around the lake. Ultimately we found one corner of the lake that looked amazing. It was designated as a fishing zone only. The lake is an old sand pit, and you could see a pronounced drop off about 10 feet off the bank, where it dropped from 7 to 20 feet very quickly. You could also see ridges between the pits and a channel off to the left. The water was a super clear color as opposed to the brown of normal Houston water. As we left the truck to do some scouting, we saw a few carp spawning in the shallows, and even saw a few cruising in the margins, some as a pod and some cruising alone. This gave us a lot of confidence, and I couldn't wait to put a rod in those margins!

 9 o'clock and the start of the tournament came and I immediately put a rod in that margin. Nick and I ended up setting up the rest of our swim, feeling confident having seen so many fish. We were also hoping that not all of the fish were spawning with "other things" on their mind =] than eating. I was fishing with my new spod mix, chicken scratch. This is a mixture of cracked corn and bird seed. I prepared it by adding boiling water to about 2 gallons of chicken scratch in a 5 gallon bucket and sealing the lid on it the night before. Overnight, this bait swelled to roughly twice the size. I like this spod mix because it is a lot of small pellets, and I feel it helps the fish get their heads down and feeding more aggressively. I put one rod in a channel that dropped from 7 feet on each side to 12 feet in the middle, one in the margins (my favorite spot), and one in 15 feet of water straight out. Nick set up a swim in the margins and one in 15 feet of water. He was going for buffalo, he claimed having caught a 30lber the last time to the lake. He was using his trusty Fox Armapoint LSCs, which ended up being very effective. Gotta get me some of these!

26 lb smallmouth buffalo

 Our confidence in seeing fish swimming in the margins quickly diminished as we weren't fortunate enough to have any runs straight away. So we set up the rest of the camp and settled in for the long haul. About 9pm things had gotten dark and the mosquitos had come out. Justin and Loren were fairing the same. Then, all of a sudden, my rod started going off. I had some trouble with my head light and ended up doing a dead sprint in the pitch black, luckily not falling or hurting myself along the way. By the time I got to the alarm it was a solid scream and I lifted into a hard running fish. Nick came over to help and we realized the fish had run into the rushes between two pits. Luckily, with some pressure, I was able to ease it through and netted a nice 14lb common! This was the first time I had ever been in the lead in a WCC Houston event, and I was stoked! And guess where it came from? The margins!

21 lb smallmouth buffalo

 We had until noon the next day to fish, and we were hoping things would pick up with fish coming in. Unfortunately, the rest of the night was uneventful, except for a few small catfish for both Nick and I. This actually kept me from sleeping much, as I was having tweaks and pulls and ended up with three small catfish. To make things worse for me, I woke up to a text message from Justin who landed a 24 lb common. Boo! At about 530AM I woke up to Nick's alarm screaming off. He struck into a fish and I came over with the net. After a good fight, he landed his first real fish, a 26lb smallmouth buffalo that catapulted him into the lead. After a few pictures, we let that fish go and settled back to sleep. Around 6:30AM I saw my rod bouncing a bit and struck it. I had a good fight on my hands with the fish not running much but shaking its head. Nick didn't know I had a fish and didn't wake up, so I fought it a good while and netted it myself, quite a feat with a 12ft rod! I woke Nick up and we weighed the fish in at 21lbs - back in the lead baby!

26 lb smallmouth buffalo

 But it didn't last long. Nick let me have the lead for 5 minutes before his rod started bouncing again. He set the hook and landed another 26lb buffalo, to put him in the lead with just over 53 lbs. Things were looking up as we had caught 5 fish overnight plus some catfish. Sadly though, the carp started spawning again in the shallows and disappeared, just as they had done the day before. The event ended at noon with no more fish caught. Nick was first, I was second, Justin third, and Loren fourth.

 However, as the carp fishing slowed down, we saw mullet tweaking our lines and eating our method mix. My method was made from a

5lb 4 oz striped mullet

combination of salt, oats, and the chicken scratch I discussed before. I took my spod off my spod rod and put on a small float and #8 hook. I had a school of four or five large mullet destroying my method in the margins. I took a very small ball of method and molded it around the hook. I saw the mullet circling and sucking up the method, until they finally go to my little tiny ball. One sucked it up and I struck him good. He gave me an awesome fight until Nick netted him. He came in at 5lbs 4 oz and was 24 inches long...AN UNOFFICIAL TEXAS STATE FRESHWATER RECORD STRIPED MULLET! I decided not to certify my scale, but it was a cool feat. We kept trying to catch a few more, but they're surprisingly hard to hook and we ended with just the one.

 Overall, it was a very fun overnight camping trip and a success both personally and for the Wild Carp Club of Houston. We generated a lot of interest among the locals, and had a lot of discussion over rigs, baits, etc. That's the whole idea of the club. Most importantly, we also caught a few good fish and had a lot of fun. Thanks for reading and leave your comments

Jet Ski: How to Build A Cooler Rack - 1.5" PVC

As you may know, I am venturing into the world of off shore jet ski fishing.  As I learned today on my first trip out, a jet ski is a very versatile and fun fishing machine.  But, like any fishing platform, it has to be set up first.  One of the biggest challenges of a jet ski is how to carry your rods with you.  A secondary challenge is storage.  Since my fiance won't let me permanently modify my jet ski, and due to budget restraints, I decided to make a removable cooler rack/rod holder rack.  I built this using an example off the Jet Ski Sportfishing website.  Below you will find my measurements and materials list so that you can follow this example and build the exact same model.  These are step by step instructions and plans and I hope you find them helpful.  This would have saved me a ton of time from measuring twice and then cutting.

These instructions will help you build this rack!  It can hold up to 6 rods/accessories and also has two trolling positions - perfect for my SeaDoo which goes 2-3 mph in forward gear.

 Step 1: Gather Materials

Also need safety glasses, a  marker and a measuring tape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parts List
All PVC is 1.5" diameter - fits an Igoo 54 qt marine cooler
Fittings:			PVC Pipe Sections
Elbows -	10		#1 -	3 x 9 in
Crosses -	8		#2 -	8 x 6.5 in
Tees -	4		#3 -	12 x 7 in
			#4 -	6 x 2.5 in

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 2: Cut PVC Pipe Sections to Spec and Label with Numbers.  

Using a measuring tape, measure the 1.5" PVC Pipe and mark where you are going to cut.  I used a miter saw, which was very easy and I recommend it.  Make sure to wear your safety glasses.  After you've made your cuts, label each pipe with the appropriate number (1-4 based on the parts list).

Step 3: Become familiar with the layout 

Take a look at the finished product pictures.  You need to be comfortable using the diagrams below to see where each piece fits and how it fits together.  I DO NOT recommend dry fitting, as I made this mistake and it can be very difficult to get the pieces apart.  Just be comfortable with the way these go together and if you have any questions post a comment for me.

This is a picture of the basic layout. Note paint will chip off from time to time with use, its OK!

Step 4: Begin Gluing

READ ALL THESE TIPS BEFORE PROCEEDING:  When you feel comfortable with the assembly of the rack, start gluing.  If you've never glued PVC before, you simply need to put the purple primer on the inside of the fitting up to where you can see the pipe would seat flush inside.  Do the same on the pipe.  I like to prime multiple parts at once.  Once you've completed that, you can then use the PVC cement and spread it on the inside of the fitting first and then on the pipe.  This makes it easier so you're not trying to hold onto a pipe wet with cement as you can usually put the fitting so the cement won't run out.  Push the two pieces together, and if necessary hammer in with a rubber mallet until the pipe is flush with the fitting. 

PAY ATTENTION TO THE ANGLE OF THE FITTINGS WHEN YOU ATTACH THE PIPE!  They must be at the correct angle in order for everything to fit correctly.  Read the captions on the pictures, as I tried to explain to the best of my ability.  Double check the finished picture and be very comfortable with it. 

I assembled THE BOTTOM PIECE FIRST and then assembled the top right and left halves of the rack separately.  When it came down to it, PVC Pipes  #1 were the last pipes that I had to install.  In my rack, I actually had to cut them a bit shorter because it is a tight fit.  The result is they are not flush in the crosses.  You may know a better way, and if you do please share it in the comments.  Another way may be to assemble  front and back of the top half and then put the cross with PVC Pipes #2 in last.  If you try this let me know - I don't need two racks so I'm not going to test it out.

OK, glue away.

This is the top section of the cooler rack showing how the numbered pipes and fittings fit together.  Use the finished pictures if you need more detail.  The Crosses all point vertical and the Tees that come off the front for trolling should be angled to your preference.

This is the bottom portion of the rack.  The Elbows should be facing vertical with Pipe #3 facing vertical as well.  These will match up to the Crosses on the top section of the rack. 

Step 5: Drill Drain Holes

After you've allowed the cement to set (doesn't take long, read the instructions and it will tell you how long), flip the rack over.  Drill holes in the bottom of EACH of the elbows - I drilled two in each.  One in the bottom and one a little higher.  You want to allow water to escape if it goes down into the rod tubes.  I drilled a 1/8 " pilot hole then came back with a 3/8" hole for quick draining.  

Step 6: Spray Paint

Take your rack to a place you don't mind getting spray paint on.  For me, that was the grass in the back yard.  Put it on the card board and spray paint your rack.  Allow to dry to the touch (for me an hour) and then flip it over.  Make sure to get full coverage.  This is a cosmetic step but will make your rack look awesome.  It will cover over any exposed cement, primer, and the numbers that you numbered your pipes.  You did number your pipes, right?

The finished product on the card board spray paint.

Step 7: Padding

After you've painted your rack, flip it over and measure each of the tubes on the bottom that the rack will sit on the back of your jet ski.  I eyeballed this, and then cut pieces of noodle to the correct length.  Cut it to match the length, then cut one side lengthwise to the middle of the noodle.  This will allow you to fold the noodle around the PVC pipe.  Secure using zip ties so that your rack is sitting all on noodles and no pipe will be touching/rubbing the padding on the back of your ski.

Add some kind of padding to the bottom of your rack to protect your ski.  Notice the zip tie ends are inside the rack, not outside so as not to damage the foam on the back deck of the jet ski.

Step 8: Test It Out

Side view of the rack on the jet ski

Rear view of the rack on the jet ski

Place it on the back deck of your jet ski so that the trolling holders are facing you.  My ski, a 2007 Seadoo GTX has a ski hook.  I bought two 24" rubber bungees with galvanized hooks on them to secure it to the ski.  The first bungee is wrapped around PVC Pipe #1 twice (on the front) and then each hook goes to the ski hook.  The second bungee wraps over the back side of the rack and attaches to my tie down hooks on the back of the ski.  This setup is very sturdy.  Place your cooler in, test out your rods/accessories, and modify as you see fit.  If you have any cool modifications, be sure to submit them in the comments.

I secured the front part of the rack by wrapping a bungee around the tube and securing the hooks to the ski hook.

I hope this helps you make your rack for your ski.  It is a very affordable way.  I took the ski out for the first time this weekend and held my rods and my buddy's rods, who didn't have a rack yet.  He was very jealous! 

Using rubber bungee and hooks to secure the back part of the rack

Thanksgiving Overnighter 2012

View from the road

Well I guess this post is a bit overdue being that its now March and I'm writing about a trip that I took back in November of 2012.  But no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to get this trip out of my mind.  It was one of my most memorable trips taken, with good company, an absolutely humongous and breathtaking lake, and some of the most memorable runs that I've ev
er had.  My buddy Nick and I had decided to try a new lake which looked promising for large buffalo and large carp.  In fact, an 85lb buffalo had been bowfished out of this particular lake - which is bigger than my PB of 56lbs.  So I was excited to say the least!  We had the trip scheduled for the Monday-Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  First light at Monday morning, Nick picked me up and we packed his Ford Edge all the way to the brim and headed to the lake, about a 3 and a half hour drive from Houston.  With all of the excitement, it felt longer.

Baiting up the swim in the dinghy

When we got to the lake, we immediately pulled out the rods and started marking the potential swim we found.  We found a nice looking swim about 100 yards from shore - 20 feet deep, on the other side of a weed bed that was about 15 ft deep with a few ledges in the swim.  It was close to some very deep water further out as well.  The campsite we were in was also pretty nice with picnic tables, bathrooms, showers, and you could park relatively close to your campsite.  There was a nicely mowed lawn that we set up camp on, and walked down to the beach to set up our fishing rods and bait up.  On this particular trip we had brought an inflatable dinghy and roughly 25-30 gallons of bait in 5 gallon buckets comprising of 15 gallons of maize, 10 gallons of chick peas, and 5 gallons of small particle mix.  We set up the marker float and then took our H-buoys and marked out a long section of swim.  We then went out in the dinghy and dumped about 7 gallons of bait in between the markers, figuring we'd blank for awhile and then the fish would move in and we'd haul.  We also took a fish finder that I made portable and confirmed the features we had marked with the marker floats.

Fresh catfish - yum! 

After getting all the bait in the water and rigging up our rods, we set up camp and settled in for the long haul, with alarms and rods set and method made.  As I said, we were fishing roughly 100 yards out.  I was just able to hit that distance with a 3 oz method lead and a small method ball with my 3.5TC Daiwa Black Widows.  Nick was able to hit this distance easy
with his 3.5 TC Gilbert Huxley Rods and a larger method ball.  To me, that really shows you get what you pay for.  We had to wait a few hours and Nick got his first run.  Unfortunately it was a channel cat, and not the monster we were hoping for.  But it was legal size so we decided a fresh fish dinner was in order.  It was the perfect size for us each to have a nice size fillet.  What an awesome shore lunch!

One of my all time favorite sunset picures

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, with no more runs.  As we settled in for the evening, the sunset became spectacular.  It offered some great photo opportunities which we took.  We decided to settle in for the night  If you've ever fished overnight with alarms, you know that feeling where your ears are super sensitive to any noises as you're waiting for that alarm to go screaming off.  As I went to sleep that night, it sounded like big rocks being thrown into the water - a sure sign of big buffalo in our swim.  At 1AM my alarm beeps once.  My rule is that I won't get out of my tent unless the alarm beeps 3 times.

Delkims at dark

My alarm beeps twice a few seconds later, and a third time after that.  I start getting up out of my tent and my alarm turns into a solid ring!  I have my first run and it sounds like a screamer!  As I run down to get to the rod my reel is in full melt down just singing away as the fish runs.  I pick up the reel and engage the drag and to my surprise the fish does not stop running at all.  It's like there's no pressure on the fish!  I give the drag a full turn in hopes of slowing the fish from its monster run, but to my surprise it speeds up.  I'm now to a point in my reel that I've never been before.  With roughly 300 yards of line on my reel, I'm starting to get worried about this fish.  As I tighten the drag a half turn more I feel the dreaded "pop" of a lost fish.  Reeling in shows me that I had bent my Daiichi 2571 Boss Hook - NOT a good feeling.

Looks like paradise to me...

The rest of the night was quiet, with no more runs to speak of.  All I could think of was that monster run that I had.  The next morning Nick and I cast my line out and we walked out the distance that the fish had run in that short time.  It was 80 yards and I was kicking myself for having 120 yards left on my reel and pressuring the fish too much.  I tried not to think about it too much.  After having a breakfast of sausage and eggs, we decided to top up the swim with some more bait.  We went back out in the dinghy and topped up the swim and then settled in for the day.  We waited, and waited, and waited with nothing to show for it.  Before we knew it it was already dark and time to go to bed again.  Oh yeah, and it was getting cold too!  That night we had high hopes that the fish would move in and we would haul.  Unfortunately, it was to no avail, as the lake was kicking our butts.

Fog rolling in on the lake

The next morning we were feeling pretty discouraged.  We had put out quite a bit of bait with nothing to show for it except for one lost fish and a small catfish.  We had set a time to leave of 2pm, and our hopes were dwindling.  On the plus side, the lake looked amazing. A fog had settled in over the lake in the early morning that made for some really neat pictures.  We decided we weren't going to take the dinghy out and put any more bait out unless things started going nuts.  For some reason I decided to top up my swim with my spod rod and redo my method.  After putting out 3-5 spods and redoing my method, I sat down without really expecting much.  The wind had started to blow up in our faces and was churning up the weeds which made it interesting fishing as well.  However, within 10 minutes I had a screaming run and a fish on!  As I played the fish, I felt the familiar "pop" of the line.  Not knowing what happened, I reeled in to see that the fish had snapped my 20lb Spiderwire EZ Braid Hooklink.  Needless to say, I was not happy.  Nick and I tested the hook link to find that it was breaking at 7lbs....complete garbage!

Tools to try to conquer the sea

We tested some other braid that I had, 50lb powerpro, and it was showing to break between 26-30 lbs...definitely good enough to handle large fish.  I started immediately tying new rigs, but left my old rigs out there.  While in the middle of tying my new rigs, I got another run on a second rod.  Not wanting to bend the hook or break the hook link, I let the fish take a lot.  This third fish ended up running through a snag that I could not get it out of.  We decided to go out in the dinghy and head to the other side of the snag to see if we could free the fish, but to no avail.  To make matters worse, the only leverage I could get on the fish was to bend the rod, and I ended up breaking my 3.5TC Daiwa Black Widow!  That makes 3 for the fish, 0 for me!  The rest of the day was uneventful as we broke down camp without another run and broken hearted as we left all of the monsters in the lake.  We didn't catch the fish we had come for, but it was an experience and a challenge that I need to take on again.  It's hard for me to get that many days in a row off work to spend on a fishing trip, but the lake still calls my name.

Moral of the story: Make sure your gear is up to the task.  I could have lost 3 fishes of a lifetime (and I like to think I did!).

Float Fishing Houston 3-16-13

So in my quest to become a better angler, and in my laziness to not want to carry all of my gear to the lake and set it all up for a quick fishing session, I decided to load up a bass rod (7' medium action), some All-Stock pellets, and a small bag of spoiled banana maize and head to one of my new favorite spots to fish in Houston - Brays Bayou.  I bought some Crystal Wagglers off a Chinese seller on eBay at an unbeatable price, and decided to give those a go.  They were $3 for 20 wagglers, can't beat that! I made it there about 9am and my friends Nick and Mike were already in full set up.  I decided to set up about 50 yards down the bank from them.

My entire kit included:

Medium size back pack with hooks/shot/floats, sun block, etc.
Chair
Bucket of pellets
Bag of spoiled maize

Assortment of Crystal Wagglers

Arriving at the bayou there was some current and wind pulling the water out towards the gulf.  I learned these were not ideal conditions for the waggler, as they do not take much weight to set them correctly in the water - just two very small split shots for even a 5" waggler.  This made it difficult to hold the bait in place as it wanted to skip across the bottom.  In the end, I just left the waggler laying flat on the surface and figured when the fish picked up the bait I would see the float shoot up and then under, but I was missing out on the float popping up to indicate a bite.  With the small amount of weight under the waggler, I could only cast about 6 feet off the bank anyways.  To complete the rig I used a bobber stop set to depth and a #8 barbless hook. 

Can you spot the float?

Nick and Mike had not had much luck when I arrived, and sometimes the swim takes awhile to get moving.  After it's moving, it usually pretty productive, with grass carp, common carp, and smallmouth buffalo all coming out.  This particular swim is a channel cut down to roughly 14 feet in the middle and the edges have quite a drop about 4-6 feet out.  This is the main feature and what the fish seem to hold to on both sides of the channel.  I put one piece of maize on my hook and casted the float to this feature.  I threw some All Stock Pellets over the top.  These pellets are nice because they disintegrate, leaving only the scent of bait in the water with only my bait actually there to eat.  I was messing with my floats quite a bit trying to get the hang of them and was pretty pessimistic about catching anything.  I had the right attitude though, of learning and just getting out to enjoy being out.

Bayou fishing at its finest

My plan was to fish for three hours, and bait a spot and fish it for 30 minutes, move to a new spot for 30 minutes, and a third spot for 30 minutes.  If I hadn't caught, I would move back and fish those spots for 30 more minutes each to see if fish had moved into them (Do you think this is the right approach?  Comments?).  I was approaching 30 minutes on my first spot when my float shot under and I set the hook.  Being on light tackle was something to get used to and I ended up pulling the hook on an unknown fish close to the bank.  Oh well, it was better than nothing!  I decided to stay in that spot and rebaited with another piece of spoiled banana maize and threw some pellets over the top.  About 30 minutes later I landed a 10lb plus grasser, my first ever carp species on the float!  I C&Red that guy (no Pics) and kept at it.  I ended up fishing for three hours like I promised myself (and my fiance) and headed home a happy camper with 3 grass carp over 10 lbs on the bank and a less than 10lb common who fought harder than the grass carp.

I have to say, it was a blast fishing for those carp on light tackle, and I enjoyed every minute of it.  It was also liberating to be able to make only one trip from the car to the bank.  Float fishing is definitely something that I still could use some practice with, but my confidence is up having caught on it now.  I think there's a lot to be said for trying it out in the right swims.  What do you think?  Suggestions or comments?  Please leave them for me!

Product Review: Gardner Pocket Rocket XXL

Recently I made a great cast with my spod and hit a concrete culvert and shattered the plastic, creating the need for me to buy a new one.  After researching different spods, I decided on trying out the Gardner Pocket Rocket XXL.  I was a bit skeptical of this spod having not seen one of them.  I was concerned that the XXL spod would be too big for my spod rod to handle based on it being marketed as XXL.  My current spod rod is a 12' 3.5lb TC Daiwa Mad Dragon which is basically an extra rod that I have at the moment.  Most spod rods are 4.5-5lb TC so you can see why I was worried about a product marketed as an XXL.  I paid $8.66 for this spod.  This spod is marketed as having a larger capacity without the bulk of other spods that casts accurately and can also float as a marker. It is made in orange, yellow, and fluoro colors.

The Good:

Gardner Pocket Rocket XXL

• This spod is a really light spod compared to other spods that I've had with a similar capacity.  This is nice as my spod rod is not as heavy as it should be.
• Due to its design, this spod is very easy to be accurate with.  The marketing here does not lie.  It flies true through the air and I was actually able to cast this spod farther than my marker float with a 3 oz lead.  
• This spod is well balanced for the amount of bait it delivers to the swim and its accuracy and distance achieved.  
• The spod can deliver cloudy/milky liquids and does not lose smaller particles through holes in the side like other spods.  Also because it does not have any holes, you can fill with water from the lake and have weight to cast to measure distance and clip off.  

The Bad:

Gardner Pocket Rocket XXL 

• This spod is marketed as being able to be a marker as well.  I did not see this as being a very good function of this spod - despite it being highly visible in the yellow color that I used.  
• This spod does not empty as well as other spods I have used.  It tends to stay on its side rather than go verticle as it does not have any foam in the spod at all.  Occasionally when reeling this spod in, some of the bait would still be stuck, especially in the tip of the spod.  
• Reeling in the Gardner Pocket Rocket XXL can be a challenge.  It tends to plow through the water until it gets close enough to you.  As a result, it can make you pretty tired if you're spodding heavily and you cannot spod as quickly because of all the drag the opening creates when you reel it in.  Modifying this spod to come in nose first would be more preferable.  

Recommended Use:

• Overall this is a good quality spod for the money.  I like the way it is easy to cast and I like the amount of bait it delivers.  It fits in an all around category and can be fished with a range of test curves (lighter to heavier).  There are some other spods on the market that have advantages over this spod like delivering larger bait quantities and/or being able to be reeled in easier.  However, I think you will be pleased with this spod.  

Have you ever used the Gardner Pocket Rocket XXL?  What do you think about it?  Leave your comments below! 

How To: Carp Fishing - Basic Hair Rig

There are many variations on the carp hair rig.  The following tutorial will show you how to tie your basic hair rig.  This is the very "bare bones" hair rig without any fancy twists to it.

To make your basic hair rig, you will need a hook link material, hook, and swivel.  In this case I have 50lb Powerpro, a Daiichi 2571 Boss Steelhead Hook size 6 and a size 12 swivel. 

Double over one end of the line.

Tie an overhand knot leaving a small loop at the end.

Leave a small loop at the end.  This is a little big actually for my taste.

Go to the other side of the line and thread it through the hook eye from the back to the front.

Slide the hook all the way down and hold it so the bend of the hook is towards the hair/loop you just made.

Starting away from the break in the hook eye, wrap around the shank of the hook 5+ times

Push the line back through the back of the hook eye and out the front

This is how the finished product should look on the hook side.  Notice the line coming through the hook eye comes in through the back and out through the front of the eye.  This is the most important part!

Double over the other side of the line and pass through one eye of the swivel to start the palomar knot.

Tie an over hand knot with the line that you just stuck through the loop.

Take the loop coming out of the overhand knot you just tied and pass it completely over the entire swivel

Pull both the tag end and the hook link end tight to cinch the knot tight.

Here is a picture of the finished rig before you put bait on.

Now that you've got the rig, you will need a bait needle, bait stoppers, and bait. Bait stoppers can be found at many of the carp fishing stores in my links section.  The bait in this case is two pieces of Enterprise fake maize for illustrative purposes.

Pierce through your selected bait with your bait needle.

  Use the hook in the end of the bait needle to hook the loop of the hair and push your bait down towards the hook.  Then unhook the hair from the bait needle.

Next you insert the bait stopper.  In this case they come in a section with several on a string.  Insert one section and then cut to fit. 

Slide the bait down to the bait stop to lock everything in place.

Here is the finished rig with the bait attached.  Normally I would look to have a little less room between the hook and the bait by adding a third piece of fake maize.  But you get the idea.