05-30-2007, 04:59 PM
I did have a story to go w/ the pic, but it was edited cuz it was a link to another site. I don't understand why this site is so anal about other sites to be linked, I don't believe I'm causing problems, it just takes a long time to resize pics on my computer. Whatever.
Here's what I wrote about the carp catch & release:
Now I'm not a carp or catfish fisherman, I don't fish them for sport. I don't like to just sit & wait for something to bite my line. I know a couple weeks ago I caught my first carp, but that was w/ a worm & bobber.
Well me & one of my daughters headed back to the friends place that their backyard is part of the St. Joe River. Me & the girls have been having a blast fishing there, it's like we are practically guaranteed to hook into something...granted we are mostly fishing for bluegills & small LM & SM bass.
I've been bringing along an extra ultra light rod & reel to cast out bread balls. I also have a bell on the end, so we can hear if something "fishy" is going on while we fun fish.
About a half hour goes by & the bell is ringing out of control. I look over, see the rod bent crazy & I run for the rod. I take off the bell & set the hook HARD! Whatever is on the other end is spooling my little UL spinning reel, like I had maybe a couple yards of line left. I had 10 yds of mono & the rest is 15 lb braid, then at the end 10 lb mono w/ size 10 treble hook. So I may have the most 100 yds of line total. I start reeling, trying to get the mono line back on the spool, but the fish keeps swimming hard for deeper water. I pump more & reel in more, the fish answers back by trying to spool me again, this happens a few times. Slowly the fish is tiring & I'm getting line back & the braid back on the spool. My friends wife is looking around for a net, cuz whatever is on the other end of the line is HUGE. Finally got it to 10' of us & the fish surfaces...it's a huge carp! I got it close to shore, gave the rod to my daughter & I try to net it. The carp is too big, it takes off again, another fight! I get the rod back from my daughter & me & the carp are battling for another 5 minutes. The carp finally tires out, I give the rod to my daughter again & I finally am able to net the biggest carp I've ever landed! I gotta tell ya, the 3 ft net handle was bending! Man I was going nuts, we just can't believe how big this sucker was.
This carp weighed 20 lbs & 10 minutes worth of fighting using an ultralight setup. Second pic is me w/ my friends boys, they've never seen a fish this big before landed in their backyard.
[signature]
Here's what I wrote about the carp catch & release:
Now I'm not a carp or catfish fisherman, I don't fish them for sport. I don't like to just sit & wait for something to bite my line. I know a couple weeks ago I caught my first carp, but that was w/ a worm & bobber.
Well me & one of my daughters headed back to the friends place that their backyard is part of the St. Joe River. Me & the girls have been having a blast fishing there, it's like we are practically guaranteed to hook into something...granted we are mostly fishing for bluegills & small LM & SM bass.
I've been bringing along an extra ultra light rod & reel to cast out bread balls. I also have a bell on the end, so we can hear if something "fishy" is going on while we fun fish.
About a half hour goes by & the bell is ringing out of control. I look over, see the rod bent crazy & I run for the rod. I take off the bell & set the hook HARD! Whatever is on the other end is spooling my little UL spinning reel, like I had maybe a couple yards of line left. I had 10 yds of mono & the rest is 15 lb braid, then at the end 10 lb mono w/ size 10 treble hook. So I may have the most 100 yds of line total. I start reeling, trying to get the mono line back on the spool, but the fish keeps swimming hard for deeper water. I pump more & reel in more, the fish answers back by trying to spool me again, this happens a few times. Slowly the fish is tiring & I'm getting line back & the braid back on the spool. My friends wife is looking around for a net, cuz whatever is on the other end of the line is HUGE. Finally got it to 10' of us & the fish surfaces...it's a huge carp! I got it close to shore, gave the rod to my daughter & I try to net it. The carp is too big, it takes off again, another fight! I get the rod back from my daughter & me & the carp are battling for another 5 minutes. The carp finally tires out, I give the rod to my daughter again & I finally am able to net the biggest carp I've ever landed! I gotta tell ya, the 3 ft net handle was bending! Man I was going nuts, we just can't believe how big this sucker was.
This carp weighed 20 lbs & 10 minutes worth of fighting using an ultralight setup. Second pic is me w/ my friends boys, they've never seen a fish this big before landed in their backyard.
[signature]