Rainy Mendocino Saturday

Short and dull report I'm afraid.  I fished crappie cove for one small LMB that came unbuttoned at the boat and then the dam for two slightly larger versions of the original.  The rain was light but steady and I was ready to head indoors after 4 hours.

Spoke with another kayaker in the cove that reported similar slowness.  Didn't get your name, but nice running into you.

There are a bunch of big carp cruising around the dam under the tower.  Today was the second time I have seen them schooling in the same spot, I think that targeting them from the yak might be fun next time I head out.  They can really pull an aluminum boat so it should be way fun in the yak.

Those carp were there last weekend too.  I was working the flyrod yesterday for nada.

The carp are up?? I have been waiting for that. forget the stripers and bass, break out the ultralight and catch some carp! Those babies are the hardest fighting fish in the lake.

Friday evening I was paddling the North end and just sorta in the zone watching my rod tips enjoying the paddle when a HUGE CARP jumps and bounces off the bow of my Yak Startled me big time I have seen a lot of big carp but this was a monster he sorta floundered along side my boat and I got a good look at him his pectorals were the size of my hand looked to be 30lbs or better.

Do those carp look like they are feeding?  Or are they just cruising?  How deep is the water they are in? 

Thanks for the report, ringnebula.  It provides a good opportunity to rip Sean for not including Paige's stats (she probably out-fished the old man   ), and lay into Mike for not having the camera ready enough to get a shot of a silver dollar-scaled super carpous maximus.     I wish I lived a little closer to that interesting fishery and the people hanging out there.   

Do those carp look like they are feeding?  Or are they just cruising?  How deep is the water they are in? 

They looked to be just cruising around.  Maybe they are sniffing around for bass beds?  I was seeing them in between 5 and 10 feet of water but saw a few jump further out by the tower where it is quite a bit deeper.

I heard guys in anderson chum them with breadballs then catch them on the flyrod with bread too.

Carp dont feed on fish eggs of any kind. they eat bottom bugs and plant material.
When the carp are jumping they are prespawn and are a little diffcult to catch. but when they are crusing the bottom, its time to fish for them. anything works from bread to corn to cheetos. Carp are good for a lake, they produce milions of young which are one of the major food for bass and other fish.
my biggest carp out of the lake was around 30+ lbs. On 6lb test and an ultralight rod. It took over 30 minutes to land the fish. Once a carp gets over 30 inches they jsut get really fat and wide at the shoulders.

Carp dont feed on fish eggs of any kind.

That goes against everything I've ever heard but desperately hope that you're right.

Michael

Ringnebula-

Nice to run into you yesterday. Sorry for not introducing myself. I was the one in shorts and Melissa was in the little inlet. I was pretty tired of being wet. Wrong day to not put on the waders. Oh well... it's all good. Today was a much better day on the water though.

Hope to see you out there again...

Freddie

Ringnebula-

Nice to run into you yesterday. Sorry for not introducing myself. I was the one in shorts and Melissa was in the little inlet. I was pretty tired of being wet. Wrong day to not put on the waders. Oh well... it's all good. Today was a much better day on the water though.

Hope to see you out there again...

Freddie

I was impressed by the shorts!  I was all geared up for rain but still had had enough by 4:00 or so.  I would have liked to be out there again but other commitments kept me from it.

Freddie, better not get sick...again. 

Carp dont feed on fish eggs of any kind.

That goes against everything I've ever heard but desperately hope that you're right.

Michael

I know thats an old fishermans tale, due to the carp rolling in the shallows spawning. There is a lot of research on carp and what they feed on. Carp are caught and their stomach is opened up by the thousands in these research projects and the results are no fish eggs study after study.
The most damage ot bass nests are the bluegill, which are a well know nest raider. Take a bass off its nest and the bluegill will eat all the eggs within minutes. Mendo donest have a lot of bluegills, so the bass do ok even with all the fishing pressure.

Ocean......that's the most amazing information (that carp don't eat the eggs of other fish)......!!!!......

Like Michael, I have heard/believed the opposite.

Man, the stuff you can learn.......

Judd