The Austin Carp Championship (ATC) – 2018
Review by Chad Woolard
The Austin Team Championship has been running for 17 years now, and it continues to be an amazing event after all these years. Being able to socialize with fellow anglers, and put faces to names that you only see on the internet, is one of the best parts of the event. The conversations that can be overheard from anywhere at the corn boil, to the awards banquet, is truly what makes this such a special tournament.
The ATC is a two-angler, team based tournament, right in the heart of Austin, TX, on the magical Lady Bird Lake, formerly Town Lake. This year, it was a Big 6 format again, as it seems to be a hit. It runs from 7am-7pm on both days, but the times in between the fishing is what makes it so awesome!
Conversations range from that massive fish that you caught, or lost, or that new flavor that you just want to add to your own cereal, some mornings. Phones were being pulled out to show catch pics, or even wallet prints from some of the old timers. That’s what this event is all about. The social aspect of fishing. The fun that it brings us all. The joy that comes from it all!
Martin Rich with a lovely Town Lake common
The corn boil went off without a hitch. Anglers registered their teams, took their team photos, ate some good ol’ Texas BBQ, and engaged in good conversation. We went over the basic rules, regulations, and instructions, and then we turned it over to the new CAG President, Iain Sorrell. Iain was able to speak a little on the new direction that CAG is going in, as well as what efforts were being made to try to protect this great species of fish, in all parts of the country.
The new regulations in Connecticut were touched on, as well as what to expect from the future of the Carp Anglers Group. Beverages were enjoyed, and the BBQ was destroyed. There were still a handful of anglers enjoying each other’s company, but most had retired to their hotel rooms, as the 5:30am peg draw will definitely be approaching rather soon.
Day 1 peg draw went very well, and anglers received their buckets.
Buckets this year included the normal trash bags, rags, etc. but also came with snacks, drinks, stickers and all that. It’s just one of the ATC traditions, as well as many other tournaments across the nation. Each team pulled out 2 pegs from a bag, checked the peg map, chose 1 peg, and put the other back in the bag. After peg selection, anglers started falling out to their pegs, and we wrapped up shop.
Day 1 brought out some monstrous fish, like Jack Curry’s 36lb common, Robert Clark’s 31lb common, and Clayton Lothrop’s absolutely stunning 28lb fully scaled mirror, among many others. That mirror was by far the coolest fish I had ever seen in person. It was absolutely incredible. But, we also saw many other fish on Day 1, such as the first fish of the tournament, from Ty Buchanan, coming in at 13lb. It may have been a smaller one, but it was pristine!
Ricky Wilson with a 37lb+ tank
Martin Rich managed a nice 23lb common, and Keith Thompson with a 32lb common as well. There were many others caught that day, but our day ended with photographing an amazing 36lb common, from Marcin Szydlowski, under dusk lighting. It was unfortunately caught after 7pm, but it was a shot that we couldn’t pass up!
Day 2 began just like Day 1, with coffee and donuts for the anglers, as well as a 5:30am peg draw. On Day 2, the teams pick in reverse order of Day 1. The team that drew first on Day 1 will now draw last on Day 2. Luckily for Brian Nordberg, and Zach van Fleet, the peg they chose was a winner!
The second day definitely showed us some top notch fish! Austin Pass with a 31lb, fat bellied common, at the iconic South 1st St. Bridge
peg was definitely a sight for sore eyes, as well as an absolutely pristine 39lb mahoosive common, from Chris Fowler, at Redbud, which ultimately landed them in Second Place. Xavier Gonzales managed a new PB of a 30lb bar of gold, and 14 year old Ricky Wilson with a 37lb new PB common.
The ones that took the cake though, are the massive commons that team OG Carpers were pulling out at the Thompson’s peg, including a big fat 33lb common, which brought them all the way up to First Place, on Day 2! A well deserved victory for Brian and Zach, who many tout as the “OG” anglers that helped popularize the Euro carp fishing style, seen in the states today.
Rob Clark with a beautiful 30lb+ common
After Day 2 wrapped up its fishing, it was on to Threadgill’s for dinner, and the awards. Threadgill’s is an iconic Austin restaurant that serves outstanding food, and have an amazing staff.
This was the second year we had the awards banquet at Threadgill’s, and we will definitely be back every year. The dinner was tasty, as usual, and then it was on to the awards!
Austin Pass with a 1st Street stunner
Big common went to Chris Fowler, with his 39lb common.
Big buffalo went to Kris Tait for a massive 51lb smallmouth buffalo.
Big grasser went to Evan Cartabiano, with a 51lb grass carp.
First Place was OG Carpers, with Brian Nordberg and Zach van Fleet, with over 177 lbs of fish.
Second Place went to Golden Toads, with Chris Fowler and Benjamin Harshman, with over 170 lbs of fish, and Third Place went to CAG NTX, with Clayton Lothrop and Pieter Oberholzer, with over 169 lbs of fish.
Fantastic job to all these fantastic anglers
Chris Fowler with the big fish of the tournament, all 39lb+ of it
Town Lake is also home to buffalo’s
Grass carp also swim within the waters
This tournament was another great success, with lots of stunning fish coming out, and lots of good laughs with friends and fellow anglers.
I want to congratulate the podium finishers and big fish winners, as well as thank all of our sponsors and supporters. The ATC is just a social event; there is no official payout.
All of the great prizes come from great sponsors and supporters. We seriously couldn’t do this without all of you.
I would also like to thank the Carp Anglers Group for all they do for the sport, as well as Headwater Photography for all of the stunning photographs throughout the event.
Lastly, a huge THANK YOU to all of my fellow Austin Carp Angler comrades. Without this great team, we would’nt have an amazing tournament!
2018 Winners – Brian Norberg and Zach Van Fleet
Pocono Pandemonium
By Ryan Munn
Everybody wants a vacation, just as every carp angler wants a nice session on the water. For the longest time, I had only dreamed that I could combine the two. That was until I convinced my family to book the vacation of a lifetime along one of the most scenic and successful fishing locations in the northeast - the Delaware River.
The two day vacation entailed sightseeing in the Poconos, spending time with family and, of course, plenty of big carp! Knowing I wouldn’t be able to fish the entire time, I began optimizing my rigs and making bait over a week in advance to prepare for the session that lie ahead.
With the trip fast approaching, I settled on a blowback rig, my secret weapon when exploring a new swim.
Fishing high up in the mountains, I knew the riverbed would be littered with large boulders and various snags, so I opted for a lead clip system and a five ounce gripper lead to hold my rig in place.
I decided to use Korda plastic corn as my hookbait, mainly because I would not have to worry about re-baiting in between casts in the darkness of night. Additionally, nearby cold springs dropped the water temperature dramatically.
Based on past experience, I figured the fish would be eating smaller and brighter hookbaits, so a 20mm boilie would not be a wise decision.
The day finally arrived, and I eagerly loaded my equipment into the car as we sped off to the mountainous terrain of the upper Delaware River. I spent most of the car ride dreaming about the session to come, and analyzing the weather forecast!
The swim sat far above my usual playground along the tidal stretch of the river, but other factors such as wind, water temperature and air pressure would still play a critical role in determining fish location.
The forecast predicted overcast skies and low air pressures for the next few days, which usually trigger feeding activity. I couldn’t wait to get started and before I knew it, we had arrived at the riverside retreat!
I wasted no time and immediately began by surveying the water with a Deeper Smart Sonar device. As you probably know, this miracle of technology allows you to scan the water and create a bathymetric map of depth, bottom structure and contours. I owe much of my fishing success to understanding the world below the waves and Deeper allows me to achieve this goal on a regular basis.
Upon scanning the stretch of river in front of me, I found that the water was extremely shallow, averaging less than 5 feet deep. Later, as I began mapping outwards towards the river’s center, the sonar revealed a steep drop off that plunged down to depths of more than 25 feet.
These findings highlighted what I had already observed with my own eyes-- a slow, almost stagnant current on the near bank due to the shallow water and a swift current over the deeper channel on the far side.
Right along the drop off was where I focused my attention, as the current clashed up against the shallow water to form a series of back eddies and slow pools. This was a perfect location for holding bait. I decided that I would position my left rod in the shallower water, my middle rod in a back eddy along the drop off, and the right rod into a slow pool in the channel.
My next course of action would be to chum 2½ gallons of particle bait over the potential swims I had identified. The house did not provide a kayak or canoe so I had to chum it all with a spomb!
As I finished up, the sun began to sink below the horizon as I gently casted the rigs into the river. I lay down in my tent exhausted but ready for whatever the carp had in store for me next.
Around midnight, I was startled by the screeching of my bite alarms as the carp teared away at my line and even found the strength to tip my rod pod over! I was quick to arrive and after repositioning my equipment I was into a fish! Apparently, it didn’t have much energy left after its little ‘stunt’ and was relatively straightforward to reel in. After that, the chilled air didn’t bother me anymore as I had a fish in the net! Weighed, photographed and released, the 18 pound common was not a bad way to start the session.
Fortunately, I was left to sleep in peace for the remainder of the night. Little did I know how much I would need it for the next day!
The warm sun lured me out of my sleeping bag and I joined my family for breakfast.
Now that I was fed, I could focus my attention on my fishy friends! In order to keep them in my area, I spombed another gallon of particle over the top of my other rods. However, I noticed the floating dock where I positioned my rod pod had drifted slightly overnight, causing my lines to become snagged on the cluttered riverbed. I recast my rigs and it wasn’t long before the carp enjoyed their breakfast, too.
I landed two fish back to back, both beautiful high doubles. They were extremely annoying to land, swimming under my other lines and causing a tangled mess. Thankfully, my dad came down to help net and weight the gorgeous duo. Before we even released the second fish, a third common decided to join the party.
This one ended up in the low 20’s and was a joy to reel in. The school moved on afterwards, and I retrieved the rigs to go sightseeing with the family.
We returned to the cabin around sunset, as I used the last remaining daylight to position my rods. This was the last night of the trip so I had to make it count. Unfortunately, while going inside for a brief moment, my left rod burst into life. I was not quick enough to return, and the fish got off. Mildly annoyed, I fell fast asleep in my tent only to be interrupted about an hour later. After a long battle, I scooped the longest common I have ever seen into my net! It clocked in at 30 pounds even, absolutely destroying the average size so far. It was difficult to recast the rods in complete darkness but I released the fish and used my headlamp to
chum a few handfuls of bait over my swim.
It was not long until I was into another. The fight was short and it wasn’t long until I landed the smallest carp of the trip. Despite its size, the low double was a gorgeous fish that I was still very happy to catch. Photos taken, I released the spunky little common back to the river.
I was completely blown away with the results of the session. However, it appeared that the carp had one last surprise in store for me. The
moment I crawled into my sleeping bag, I was shocked awake by an absolutely screaming run. I sprinted down and hooked into whatever was on the other end of my line. With my 12’ rod in a 90 degree bend, and my drag screaming like it never had before, I knew I was into a BIG fish.
It held bottom for 20 minutes as it bolted into the deep channel on the far side. The carp was trying to fray my braided mainline on one of the many boulders on the riverbed.
My line twisted and turned, bouncing off snags and cutting through the weeds. After many attempts, the fish finally broke the surface. I barely managed to get it into the net, as the hook popped off at the last second. In shock, I looked into the water to see a fish that would rival my personal best.
I carefully hauled the fish into the sling, and was overcome with joy to have landed yet another 30!
This one came in only a few pounds short of my PB. At 33 pounds, I couldn’t have imagined a better session. I made sure to take plenty of photos, and quickly released the gentle giant to swim another day.
My rods stood still for the remainder of the session, but I was completely satisfied. All in all, I ended up with 7 beautiful carp totaling over 150 pounds.
With a smile on my face, I disassembled my equipment and headed home. The weekend of paradise may have come to a close, but the memories with my family and the session will last a lifetime
By Ed Skillz
Nowadays carp angling seems to have taken a big jump over the last 10 years. More and more people have found their way to carp angling. This can be good and bad. The good thing is never in the history has there have been more development in angling than now in carp fishing with companies bringing out all sorts of material to lure our beloved friends into a bite.
Living the life of an adventurer
It wasn’t always like this and I can remember the days where I felt like an alien going out on a hunt for carp. Now everybody is doing it or has done it or knows somebody who does it.
Fish are growing bigger and bigger all over Europe. Not in the least because of all the bait that is going in; since every angler is trying to pre-bait their spot to secure the chance of catching one of these big lumps.
Pay lakes all over Europe are growing out of the ground as if they were mushrooms. I have nothing against commercial big fish ponds, but for me personally it takes all the fun out of the game as an angler who likes adventure.
I don’t say I have never fished a pay lake nor that I will never will again, because they aren’t all the same and some of have managed to give the angler still the feeling of being on a hunt, out in wild nature.
Ed loves to catch carp of all sizes
But why do so many people choose to fish the pay lakes? Is it because the certainty of the fish being present? Is it because they know how big the fish are swimming in it? Or is it the fact that many anglers don’t know where to start when fishing public waters?
Everybody has heard stories of burned out cars and flat tires of adventurous anglers fishing the public waters of France and Belgium. So it might seem it isn’t safe fishing these waters but in reality this isn’t the case because it isn’t all that bad
No pay lakes here!! Just a large span of public water
With this mentioned I couldn’t think of a bigger challenge for me than fishing the public waters of Europe. That makes me feel alive and the adventurer in me wakes up the moment I start my engine as I take off for my destination abroad.
The fact I have to find everything out myself trying to seek out the puzzle and get the pieces together keeps me sharp. If I’m not sharp, I won’t catch any carp. Having said this you can imagine how big of a joy it is to catch a carp from the public waters.
Catching wild, pristine carp is what is all about for Ed
Skillz
One of the big advantages of fishing public waters is the price. For Belgium they have two licenses which you can buy from the post office or online. One license for the west which cost around 45 Euro’s and one for the French speaking eastern part which cost around 37 Euro’s per year.
Can you imagine having rivers, canals and many big lakes all to yourself for that price?
For France there is just one license for the whole of France. Buying a license in France can’t be done at the post office but most of the time in a pub or online.
For just around 75 Euro’s you can fish the whole country. There are so many treasures hidden in the public waters in both countries that I can’t imagine I’ll ever be done fishing them.
Tools of the trade when fishing large, public waters
We must not forget that the long French and Belgian channels and rivers stretching out over the countries aren’t the same as in England.
The carp population in Europe is much bigger and the chances of catching a fish of a lifetime are absolutely there. But you have to work hard for it. Nevertheless if you are up for an adventure it’s there for the taking.
While traveling across the countries I use google maps as a guide while driving. Tom Tom is used for showing me the way to a destination, but google maps for showing me what waters are around me.
This way I have come across many unknown and probably hardly fished waters. Many times I took the next exit to discover the newfound waters. It wasn’t always what I was looking for and many times Google maps deceived me.
Driving many miles to find out it was just a mud pond laying in the middle of the woods with hardly any water in it. But those are all part of my adventure and remember it’s not the destination but the journey to it that makes an adventure.
I can remember one time coming up to water that google maps showed me, and I couldn’t find it. I was sure I had taken the right coordinates but I found out that many farmers do have water reservoirs to feed their lands in dry periods, some of them even quite big. But there are no fish in there and often no water as well. The time google maps took the shots from the air it probably did have water.
Across the road where I was parked was this magnificent old castle that drew my attention that was surrounded by water and I couldn’t resist looking for carp. After 2 minutes I walked back to the car in search for some sweet corn and my float rod. The water was full of carp. I fished it for a couple of hours and had a fantastic time catching one after another. It probably wasn’t allowed but nobody ever asked me what I was doing there. They even stopped while I was taking a picture of one of the catches.
Being out in nature is not just about the fishing
For me it’s not about the size of a carp and I enjoy every one I manage to catch. Yes I do catch many big fish, but that’s not what it’s all about for me. One day I found a small lake after traveling deep in to a French forest.
The beauty of its presence overwhelmed me. It looked like a lower part of the forest had been floated. Trees came out in the middle of the lake and old trees from which many had fallen into the lake and just kept on growing surrounded it. There weren’t many places where I could reach the water because of this.
You can imagine I had to see for myself if there would be any carp in there. Some bubbles reaching the surface of the water could indicate feeding carp and I might be in luck again. After pre-baiting a few spots with ground bait
Releasing a carp, back to grow bigger
and sweet corn, more activity reassured me of the fact that this lake must have some carp in it. Two squeezed out pieces of sweet corn presented on a small hook, size 10 had to do the magic. Not even 30 seconds later my float was drawn underwater. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was holding a stunning fully scaled mini mirror!
At that time I was still thinking it was luck catching a fully this beautiful. But after 3 hours and over 50 fully scaled, linear and big-scaled mirrors I was sure I had found the magic lake.
There was not one ordinary carp in the there. Each carp I had caught was unique and breathe taking.
The lake I discovered had probably once been in the hands of very wealthy people and the land I was on probably once where the hunting grounds of the rich of the world.
And now everything was desolated and the only sound I heard that day were the birds and some deer drinking water on the other side of the lake.
Life can be very hectic at times and adventures like this give me the energy I need to get back in to daily routine and work my ass off. The fact that I’m free to fish whatever spot or place I have in mind or see fit makes me a happy.
In my angling I don’t want to make concessions because somebody else is fishing the swim I have in mind or somebody else is fishing the spot where I see carp jumping out of the water like they were dolphins! As a carp angler I need freedom in the biggest meaning of the word.
Carp fishing is a life-style for Ed
That’s what fishing is all about for me; Freedom! After many years of making lots of money I found out that this also brings many problems and not as much freedom as you would think.
After a heart attack and heavy burnout I decided it was time to make a change; a change for the better. Yes I need money, we all do. But the real freedom can’t be bought. The big joys I find in small things don’t cost much. My life has taken a big turn since then and now I’m not living to work my ass off, but living to make sure
I can enjoy the best things in life, and for me that means spending as much time in nature as I can.
I used to book my agenda full with tattoo clients. At my heights I was booked up 3 years in advance, leaving not much time for angling or relaxing. Yes money rolled in, but my energy was down to zero.
Now I go fishing and travel across Europe and in between I schedule my tattoo clients all over Europe. I make enough money to pay the bills and that’s more than enough for me. I have more energy than I used to and stand closer to myself.
For me carp angling is a life style not just a way to spend time. And I can say out loud that I have the feeling that I’m living the dream, or better said MY DREAM.
I admit, I am a pathologic fisherman, and just this past year I have found carp to be one of the strongest, most common quarry I could pursue. Thanks to members of CAG, I entered my second consecutive CAG Big Four (Spring 2017) hoping to better my results from the fall event.
I also hoped to learn from the elite carpers; hair rigs, bolt rigs, method leads, etc., etc. And I did, but found a subtle bite technique caught far more fish and, at least this spring, I totaled 1,057lbs from 102 fish for an average of over 10lbs per fish.
I’ve refined the technique based on experience and underwater videos on how carp consistently mouth the bait without running and getting hooked (Thanks Jerome!). This technique exploits that behavior, resulting in far more fish, which on ultralight rods are so much fun!!
Carp of this size are fun when fishing for them on ultra-light tackle
Fishing with a bow in the line allows for subtle bit detection
I use the subtle bite technique mostly in local creeks, some as narrow as 10 yards and no more than 5 feet deep at times. Terminal tackle includes either a #4 or #6 Korda Krank hook, a split shot about 4-6 inches above and just below either a 1/8 or 1/16oz bullet weight on either 8 or 15lb Berkely or Trilene line. The bullet weight helps prevent loss of tackle in the rock-laden creek beds.
Tackle I use is simple; Pfleuger Trion ultralight rods, anywhere from 5’ to 6’6”long. Use of larger rods is awkward and less sensitive using this technique. Rods are placed on paired bank sticks with the line set at somewhat of an angle. Lighting and calm winds are critical to this technique. You must be able to easily see the line, so cloudy days, dark water and shadows allow visualization of the line.
At night use of lights pointed at the bow in the line is critical. I have found no bite alarms that can detect the subtle movement of mouthing the bait. Finding carp in local creeks is easy, but it does take some time to perfect hooking the fish, as they seldom run.
I generally look for deep holes (I’m talking 6-10 feet mostly), located below some riffles. The ideal set -up I have found are bends in the creeks with at least two sets of riffles, divided but feeding into the same pool. I look for slack water between or at the head or along the pool.
I generally chum a can of sweet corn mixed with boiled sweet corn with vanilla, or creamed corn at the head of the riffles and let the scent disperse. Many times I’ll slingshot more corn into slack water as well. I place 1-2 pieces of boiled corn or 3-5 pieces of fresh sweet corn or alternating corn and sweet peas on the hook
( I also remove the corn from the can and place in baggies overnight if I fish the next dayI think the can gives the corn a metallic taste once it is opened and decreases the take) and make short cast into slack water-I tighten the line, BUT then I slacken the line from the reel to form a slight bow and I watch it constantly for the slightest movement.
On occasion I use a combination panko, strawberry jello powder and sweet corn juice to make a small amount of pack bait around the bullet weight, which falls away quickly but provides a concentrated scent site.
Typical creek set-up
In my experience, carp initially touch/mouth the bait and it is telegraphed softly along the line. In most instances, I wait just a minute or two, sometimes several minutes until the carp takes it fully, then set the hook.
I seldom strike at the first hit as the carp seldom remove all the corn, but will take the remainder after a couple minutes. On rare occasions a carp will hit and run, but this is uncommon.
By contrast, catfish and grass carp hit more strongly multiple times over several seconds. I have tried hair rigs, pop- up rigs, with large amounts of pack bait, but I think the key here is I catch the carp that others miss.
During the tournament, I fished nearly every late afternoon for 2-4 hours and as the weather warmed, I moved to fishing in the evening. While I concentrated on creeks, the largest fish generally came from lakes, where the subtle bite technique worked well only during times of complete calm. In these conditions, I’d commonly chum for 2-3 days prior to fishing.
On many occasions, I would catch a carp every 8-15 minutes at times in creeks and about one every 20-30 minutes in lakes. My personal best came during this tournament, a 33lb 4 oz fish taken at a local lake late one evening, while my PB mirror, a 14lbr, was taken in a local creek during the day and both on the subtle bite technique.
The largest creek carp so far ( in less than a year of fishing creeks) is a 21lber but multiple upper teen fish are common. I also traveled a couple times up to 3 hours to find new swims, mostly in the St. Louis county area where my brother docks a boat on the Missouri river.
Small carp often mouth the bait, rather than running
Last fall, I caught 152 carp, mostly small ones at a local lake, where I averaged about 4-5 lbs a fish with a total of more than 650lbs. This time, I focused on larger carp and averaged 10lbs a carp. I am constantly looking for new swims, and was lucky enough to find 3-4 that consistently produce larger carp.
Creek carp are far stronger than lake fish and often take up to 15 minutes to land, even fish less than 10lbs can take several minutes to land, while most lake carp tire easily and are landed in a few minutes.
Is the subtle bite technique in creeks the endall to carp fishing? No, but it does catch far more carp on a consistent basis, and for me, fighting this genuine sport fish numerous times per day is a true thrill of fishing!!...give it a try!!!
My current PB, taken on light tackle tactics
A rare creek caught mirror carp
By Dean Brookes
In the last couple of years I have found my fishing time more and more limited. I’m sure this is a common problem in today’s hectic world, with work, family and other commitments all vying for your time.
I’ve always been more of a short session angler anyway, preferring a few hours down the river rather than days on end on the water. At times I will get more than a day to enjoy but generally my time is very precious and with this in mind I pay particular attention to a couple of areas.
A rainy overnight session led to this stunning fish
Firstly, location is always my number one concern so it goes without saying that wherever I decide to fish I put a lot of effort into making sure there are fish in the area.
This may mean doing some scouting or prebaiting beforehand or I may go on my past experiences based on the time of year and area. Other factors that I may pay attention to, could be bait and rigs but generally these fall down the line for me.
The one area I concentrate on very keenly is the weather. I’m constantly looking at the long range weather forecast (including moon phases) to plan when and where I will fish my short sessions.
Weather plays a far more important role than most anglers realize. Generally, if the fish are not very active or moving around in the upper layers I can almost guarantee there will be a high air pressure system coming through.
You can definitely catch carp in ANY conditions, but with limited time I try to stack as many things in my favor as possible.
Let me focus on a few examples in recent years where certain weather systems have played a large part in some memorable captures.
According to Dr. Stephen Baig, an oceanographer at NOAA’s Hurricane Center in Miami, barometric pressure is defined as the weight or mass of an entire air column on a unit of surface area at sea level. It is instrumental in weather observations, since its fluctuation indicates the movement of weather fronts and systems.
Liquid mercury (Hg) is commonly used in a barometer to measure air-pressure changes in inches (in.).
“Imagine a U-shaped tube,” says Dr. Baig. “At one end is liquid mercury, whereas the other end is open to the atmosphere. When the air pressure rises, it pushes the mercury higher. When the air pressure drops, so does the mercury level.”
Atmospheric pressure can also be measured in millibars (mb), with a “bar” being roughly equivalent to one atmosphere of pressure (one atmosphere equals 1.01325 bars). One bar is equivalent to 29.6 in. Hg.A barometer reading of 30 inches (Hg) is considered normal. Strong high pressure could register as high as 30.70 inches, whereas low pressure associated with a hurricane can dip below 27.30 inches.
As a very general rule, approaching weather systems - such as cold and warm fronts, tropical waves and rain - are usually associated with low atmospheric pressure. Conversely, high atmospheric pressure usually arrives after the passage of such a weather system. When high pressure settles over an area, it often means bright days and relatively calm seas.
How does this effect fishing? Generally, the approach of a low pressure system, particularly when the pressure has been high (over 30.3 Hg) will bring on excellent feeding conditions and some of my best sessions have been during this weather system.
A big Texas Storm front led to several of these big grass carp, along with Buffalo and carp
I can think of several sessions when the fishing has been lights out in these conditions but one that stands out, happened a couple of springs ago. The weather had been in the 70’s and 80’s and the carp were starting to look like they were ready to spawn, however having checked my weather app on my phone I could see a thunderstorm and rain front was approaching in the next 24 hours.
I managed to get to the river during the early evening with the conditions being hot and humid (typical of the weather before a storm) and I got about the task of baiting a few areas.
This particular spot is tough in general and usually I’d be happy with one or two fish on an overnight session.
However, during the night the storm came through and was followed by steady rain. I was quite surprised and disappointed on day break as my alarms had been silent all night.
However, within the next 4 hours this would change. By 9am I had two fish in retaining slings and one in the net, as well as unhooking a few in the water to be returned without a picture.
The first fish was a stunning 30lb linear and I quickly got a few snaps.
The second fish was just short of 40lb’s and as I was attempting to take pictures I could hear an alarm signaling another fish!! The big common was quickly put back into the retaining sling and carried back to the water.
By the time I picked the rod up, the fish was over 200 yards away, but after a good 15 minute battle I had a 43lb mirror in the net!! The session was only finished as I had to leave for work, but in those perfect feeding conditions I managed a dozen fish from one of the hardest waters I’ve ever fished.
Carnage, when conditions are perfect!
In our American waters I often think the effects of wind patterns are mostly ignored. As a rule this may be because our waters are so vast in size, but I’d also guess it’s because anglers either ignore or are unaware as to how much of an effect the wind can have on carp behavior.
Carp have very basis needs and one of these needs is that they require nutrition from food and oxygen to sustain life. What does the wind have to do with this? Well, a strong wind can provide food, oxygen, comfortable temperatures and cover.
Food – Many food items will be picked up by the wind and water currents and will be pushed toward the windward bank. These food particles usually attract small insects and invertebrates which in turn attract bigger fish.
Oxygen – The wind will provide a greater oxygen concentration in the water, allowing carp to breathe easier and thus they will be more comfortable. Most life forms look for homeostasis and carp are no different, they will want to be where they are most comfortable.
Temperatures – Wind will have an effect on water temperatures, which could either increase or decrease depending on the time of year. For instance, in the summer a colder wind will cool down the water and carp will often follow this wind.
On the other hand, in the winter a warm wind will often increase the water temperature (especially in shallow areas) and you’ll often fins fish here.
Cover – The disturbance of a strong wind will often cloud the water, leading to increased cover for fish. Light levels may also be affected with this clouding.
One particular session when I maximized the effects of a strong wind occurred several years ago. I was fishing in another location overnight and had a very successful night, landing several fish topped by a beautiful heavily scaled mirror. However, at first light I noticed that the wind had increased substantially overnight and a quick check of the weather confirmed 25 mph SSW winds.
I knew of one spot where this wind system in that direction usually drives the carp close to the windward bank, as they follow the food being pushed there.
I quickly packed up and headed the 30 minutes it would take to get to the new area. On arrival I could see the wind was even stronger (30 mph) and the odd carp could be seen crashing in the waves!! I grabbed two rods, a net and some bait and got to fishing.
Over the next 3 hours I landed several big carp, topped by a cracking 38lb mirror before again I had to pack up and head to work.
One of several big carp that followed a strong, warm wind I’ve been waiting for this same weather pattern for the last two years, but so far the stars have not aligned, but you can bet when they do I’ll be back in the same spot!!
Often laughed at and ignored, moon phases are something I pay attention to year round. If the other conditions are good and I know we have a full moon on the horizon I’ll usually rearrange my work schedule so that I’m on the bank.
In the past I didn’t pay much attention to moon phases and during my day’s fishing for carp I actually avoided them. However, looking back it’s easy to see I didn’t understand how to interpret the data.
The best explanation I have heard on the effects of moon phases is from Kevin Nash. He highlights the fact that with the extra light levels the full moon brings the risk of predation on smaller fish increases. Therefore, in theory the smaller fish will be more hesitant to feed leaving the bigger fish to enjoy the spoils.
The predation effects may also explain why it’s common belief that the full moon brings big common carp, as they tend to be much more predatory animals than mirror carp.
I remember 3 or 4 years ago, when I left two friends fishing a spot with the full moon due that night. I mentioned to them that they’d catch a big common, although at that time we didn’t know there were any in that particular water. In the middle of the night I got a text from them that they’d just landed an upper 40lb common!!
That fish had me back out on the banks during every full moon phase for the next 2 years! While I failed to tempt that particular beast, I did land many other big carp topped by a 45lb common so I can’t really complain.
Not a big common, but a nice 30lb+ mirror, taken on one of the brightest full moons I’ve ever fished under
No complaints when you’re catching big common carp like this long fighting machine
This is one area where it took me a few years to grasp the effects. Obviously, when the water temperature is either high or low this will have an effect on fish behavior but one aspect I now focus on with water temperature is the thermocline. This is an area of water where the temperatures can differ, quite substantially.
How does this help in carp fishing? Simply put, as mentioned previously, carp will live where they are most comfortable.
Knowing where the thermocline is can often give you an idea of what depth to fish in, especially when fishing in deeper lakes.
I have one particular lake I fish where the water drops off very quickly from the margins and goes down to well over 60 feet.
Most areas will level out at about 35-40 feet and where possible I like to fish areas where the margins drop off steadily. In these areas, having a good idea where the thermocline is will help in determining at what depths to fish.
Generally, on the first session or two I will fish baits at varying depths ie. 10 foot, 14 foot, 18 foot etc. Once a pattern emerges as to what areas are productive I’ll then hone my approach.
These areas can change suddenly if another weather factor comes into play, but knowing where the carp want to feed is a big advantage.
Don’t be afraid to fish in deep water (25ft plus) if you think the fish are there! I’ve caught fish in over 35-40 feet of water and I know others who caught from much deeper. Basically, if the carp want to be there, that’s where they’ll be!!
If I could give an overview of this article I would say, learn from your experiences. Make notes, whether mental or written as to when you catch and in what conditions. If you do this over time, you’ll definitely see some patterns that you can then use to your advantage.
If you’re a long session angler this may not make much of a difference, same as if you can get out several times a week as by default you’ll often be in the right place at the right time. However, if like me, you have limited time, ignore the weather at your peril.
Another fish that felt comfortable feeding as the air pressure dropped
A big chunk, taken at 22 feet when I found the thermocline
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