Fishing for me is about spending quality time with friends and family. My neighbor, Roland, has had a rough year getting over shoulder surgery. With his recovery almost complete it was time to once again take him out with me for a day of relaxation, fishing and most of all, fun!
For a destination we chose Adams County Fairgrounds, in Brighton, north east of Denver. Though quite a drive north this destination offered multi species angling with lakes jam packed with warm water species of fish, and of course, carp! Though Roland likes to target trout he really cares not what he catches, so long as it's a fish.
I hadn't fished the Fairgrounds in almost 2 years. My last session at this venue had been remarkable, 9 carp banked in a single morning, with the majority of captures being low to mid doubles with a couple pushing the scales close to 20 pounds. I couldn't wait to see how those carp had developed in my absence.
The weather on this Sunday turned out to be a perfect, sun, a few clouds, a light breeze. The Fairgrounds were deserted when we arrived so we had our choice of spots to fish from.
We ended up setting upon on a peninsula on Mann-Nyholt Lake.
This spot gave us a great view of the lake and provided a variety of different environments to target, shallow water, margins, weeds, or out deep.
It didn't take long for Roland to get his bobbers, batied with a worm, cast out there.
I decided to start off with a pack bait mix and sweet corn, popped up on the hair. The pack mix was formed from a base mix of NGTs Spod Mix with some added panko and oats to soak up the liquid, allowing it to be cast out there without the need of PVA, catapulting or spodding. The last time fishing this venue a panko packbait had proved very effective thus my choice to use a similar offering for this session.
It was not long before the first carp of the day was in the net, a nice 13 lb 6 oz common. Adams County Fairgrounds was not failing again to deliver and as we watched the lake there were plenty of signs of more action to come, carp jumping, rolling, bubbling and feeding.
Before too long I had banked another 12 lb 8 oz common followed by a feisty 4 lb 9 oz common. Though Roland had not yet managed to get any action he was proving to be an excellent "net man" and camera operator.
With the three quick carp captures it was obvious there was a good number of fish out there and they were feeding with abandon. Over the past year I had been testing out using a variety of different boilies in my fishing but had honestly had little success. The goal was to reduce the number of nuisance captures (trout) and hopefully target larger specimens.
I had recently decided to test one of range of products from CC Moore & Co Ltd, their Live System boilies, pellets and concentrated bait dip.
I was particularly interested in this flavor profile given the corn steep liquor and sweet smell and taste.
I started with the Live System, "Session Bucket", this provided the boilies, pellets and bait dips all in one simple to use package.
I switched out one of my rods to a use a dumb bell of their 15 mm boilies and got it cast back out there, this time about 10 yards off the previous spot.
My efforts were rewarded and a real nice 17 lb common was banked.
My first carp on the Live System ! YES !
Confidence in your tackle and baits is paramount. Impressed with how quickly the Live System had gotten the job done I rigged up a snow man, 24mm + 15mm and got cast out there again, this time alongside the other rod with the popped up corn. Which bait would be taken first ?
Soon after the boilie rod took off and another real nice common for the Fairgrounds, at 16 lb 8 oz, was landed. Honestly, I was a bit surprised, I was convinced the sweetcorn would win out in a side by side test.
It mattered not to Roland that he wasn't catching, his enthusiasm with my captures was remarkable. It was becoming a true carping team effort ! The afternoon's action was heating up for sure on the lake with the carp jumping and breaching with surprising regularity. Another common, 10 lb 12 oz, was banked on the boilies. Given the obvious success I was having with the boilies I switched out the sweet corn and was now fishing both rods on Live System.
A 13 lb common fell to our offerings, mid afternoon, I really like the colors of this one. This session at the Fairgrounds we becoming total carp madness !
Roland's fortunes started to change as we got into the late afternoon, he had a bluegill and a couple of nice little bass, though he did refer to his captures as tiny "anchovies!". The carp activity had calmed down and there were a few hours peace to sit back, enjoy the scenery, the wonderful weather and wildlife we could see.
Just before tea time I landed another chunky carp, this time, 16 lb 2 oz, on the dumb bell of 15 mm boilies.
Roland finally hooked into a nice trout, which he later referred to as "his dinner". I think it actually became his "lunch" the following day. Whilst I practice catch & release fishing entirely, I am not against someone harvesting a trout for sustenance. Trout are stocked specifically at this venue as a "put & take" resource for the locals.
As we reached the end of the day, with the light failing, this session with Roland had turned out to be my best of the year - great company, some good captures and a lot of fun.
We witnessed a beautiful sunset. It's days like this that remind me just why, I go fishing.
As we started to pack up the gear for the day I was certain the session was over. The Fairgrounds was not in agreement and provided one last surprise capture. A fine, 8 lb, channel cat.
What a session ! The Live System had proven to be highly effective and my confidence with boilies had increased dramatically. The Fairgrounds delivered yet again. Given the quality of frequency of captures during this session it was certainly a venue I planned to return to soon.
I am certain there is are a few 20+ in there, who knows, maybe even a 30 lurks beneath the water waiting to be captured!
Roland is always a pleasure to be with and a real gentleman, net-operator and camera man!
Here is a link to the CarpQuest Episode of this session.
Hope you enjoy watching it as much as Roland and I with the our days fishing!
In this episode of CarpQuest we take a family picnic down south to a lake near Pueblo. This was our first visit to this venue and I was unsure if the rumors of grass carp in these waters would prove true.
About a decade or so ago the lake had been stocked with grassers to control the abundant weed. Though typically a sterile hybrid nature always finds a way and there was now a breeding population present – or so I had read.
Arriving at the lake mid-morning I took a walk around to scout out the margins. Shallows, overhanging trees, bull rushes, the place sure looked very carpy!
Out in the middle of the lake I could see trails upon the surface formed by large fish just beneath. The wind was light and my wife and I picked a spot a few hundred yards from the car park to setup.
With the sportbrella setup for my wife, a tie-down secured for our dog Raven, I setup the fishing gear.
The clouds were dark and full overhead and I was pretty convinced the heavens would open and we would be soaked with a downpour.
Now, as I knew this venue had both common and grassers I chose a very fruity bait offering, some giant peach flavored maize. Combined with the usual panko/oats packbait I cast both rods out to a distance of 40 yards off the bank.
The first few hours were peaceful, no rain descended and no runs were had. I enjoyed the picnic sandwiches my wife had prepared though sadly I had forgotten my coffee.
Reeling in the lines I cast them out again to the same sports and waited. Just after lunch the wind started to gust and chopped up the surface of the lake nicely.
My efforts were finally rewarded with a fast run. Pulling into the fish at first I wasn’t sure if it was a big trout, channel cat or carp. Once the fish was close to the bank I could see the glittering off those golden scales and the familiar long torpedo shape of a grass carp.
The slender carp was netted and placed in the weigh sling. This gave me a great opportunity to test out my new Cygnet Sniper Weigh Tripod. Over the past few months I’ve been getting over a back injury and wanted something to help me with weighing the fish and getting a more accurate reading. SD
The Cygnet Tripod was christened and my first grass carp topped the scales at 10 lb 4 oz.
The peach flavored maize was going the job nicely!
Quickly re-baiting up the rod I cast it back out again .The storm clouds above looked ominous and I was not sure just how long left we had. Not fifteen minutes later I had a nice screaming fast run on the other rod. This time the fish put up a good fight but was soon netted.
Another grasser, slightly larger and longer than the first, which weighed in at a respectable 11 lb.
Again this grass carp fell to the peach flavored corn. Two fish in less than twenty minutes, both grass carp,
My earlier research was being proved accurate. The gusting winds faded and there was the occasional glimpse of sunlight through the blackness above.
We managed another couple of hours at the venue, I even caught a baby catfish. With weather alerts on the smartphone implying rain was imminent we packed up and headed back to the car for the drive home.
It was a great day out, we avoided the storms, had a nice picnic, got to spend some time together, and yes, a couple of nice grass carp graced my net.
No, not the Iron Maiden song; rather my first experiences of night fishing for carp.
This has been a crazy year for weather in Colorado. First with the never ending freezing winter followed by boiling hot days, cold nights and record rainfall, dust storms and electrical storms, high wind; sometimes all in the same day. The volatile conditions have made this year’s fishing a real challenge. After many a day session blanking this summer, burning up in the heat, without hide nor hair signs of a carp, it was time for a change – for me that would be, night fishing!
For many carp anglers, overnight sessions are the norm, rather than the exception. Yes, I have fished into the hours of dusk before, nothing remarkable there. However I have only fished once through night, but a few years ago, to test out some tackle and lighting options.
You may ask yourself, why?
Well, there were many reasons, safety being the primary concern. Many of the more urban Colorado venues are not the most hospitable as twilight descends, that’s the polite way of putting it. Many other urban lakes have limitations on the hours you are permitted to fish, no night fishing, or dawn to dusk angling only. Once out of the city there are then other factors to consider, the obvious one for us here is, the wildlife.
I am fortunate enough to live in a state that has mountain lions, black bears and coyotes, to name but a few. This is not to say you are animal food the minute you set foot outside the city limits, but you do need to be more aware of your surroundings and appreciative that we are living in a wilderness.
Here was a picture I took a few years ago from my driveway, black bears in our garden!
None of these things were a consideration when I fished, back in my homeland of England as a youth. The only wildlife to be wary of there was a stray dog, or an annoyed mother goose, if you setup too close to her nest! Was I being paranoid? Hopefully not, though I do acknowledge I was being overly cautious.
Given the safety issues I decided it was important to team up with another angler in the upcoming night fishing operation. With my variable work hours this was a difficult proposition. I was fortunate, a passionate angler new to carp fishing. He was eager for the challenge and happily offered to join me for an evening session that worked with my hectic schedule – btw, thanks Ron Altman!
In advance of the trip we discussed what changes in our preparation and gear would be required. From lighting, to shelter, devices to heat up drinks, camcorder lighting, head lights and warmer clothing. Fortunately we were both very familiar with the venue and swim. If we had not this knowledge then certainly we would have scouted the venue and swim in advance during the daylight hours, or arrived at the location much earlier. I can imagine nothing worse than turning up at a new venue in the dark, no clue of the layout, swims, parking or even rest areas. With the date set, we readied our gear and finally descended upon Chatfield Reservoir, CO – armed for battle!
We arrived at the venue a few hours before dusk and were greeted by the usual Colorado early evening thunderstorm. Thankfully the storm was moving out of the area and we were able to safely head down to the shore after a short wait. In light rain we setup the shelter, ground sheet, rod pods, prepared our rods and finally the baits were cast out. All our necessary gear was setup within reach, the carp mats and cradle, a pair of landing nets (in the event of a double run), camera tripods, lanterns, everything we thought we would need. It would be fair to say we had gone a wee bit overboard in our preparation and gear – better to over engineer than not be ready!
Feet up, we watched the sun setting against the mountains and waited for the highly anticipated carp action.
Ron had brought with him an underwater camera. He bravely waded out into the reservoir and setup the device in 4 feet of water; dropping his bait down so we might catch a glimpse of any fish that came to investigate.
I do admit to misjudging just how deep the water was. As Ron waded out into the reservoir he almost vanished beneath the surface as it got deeper, and deeper, the surface edging ever closer to the top of his waders!
A good lesson in just how well I actually “knew” the depth and layout of our swim – which I had plumbed before, with a marker float. I was very supportive from the bankside in offering encouragement, “just a few feet further”, I would call out, through the fits of laughter.
A cable ran back to the shore from the camera to a monitor, we called it, our “Carp TV”. I must say, it worked remarkably well, with a good field of view and resolution.
As dusk fell, and the light diminished, we saw bass, perch, crappie and, we think, a carp that swam high overhead. Sadly we had no way of recording the footage from the monitor – something for us to consider for the future trip.
We both fished with two rods. Ron setup his first line with sweetcorn on the hair, popped up with some plastic corn, panko/oats flavored pack bait. His second with a pair of 15mm Nash Instant Action Coconut Crème boilies, again with the panko/oats pack as an attractant. I fished one rod the same as Ron, popped up sweetcorn and the other with pair of NGT 16mm squid and octopus boilies, both with panko/oats pack.
Most nearby shore anglers and park visitors departed as the light faded away, though a few stayed, their bonfires blazing upon the shoreline and casting a red glow into the night. We both thought it was against the State Park regulations to have open fires upon the shore. This was soon confirmed as a pair of State Park Rangers stopped by to talk to us briefly then headed on to cite the enthusiastic fire makers. With all the dry weather we have in Colorado, the terrible wildfires of the past few years, it was sheer madness to build a fire on the narrow shore with trees limbs dangling overhead! The camp fires were soon extinguished. A few hours passed and neither of us saw, or heard, any carp action before us.
We decided to wind in our lines, check the baits and cast them out again. I went again with one rod on the popped up sweetcorn but switched the other from the squid and octopus to a pair of NGT white chocolate 16 mm boilies topped with a 12 mm fluro pink pop-up – a real mouthful for the local carp. My logic being “bigger baits = bigger fish” – which certainly has not often proven to be the case.
It was just after 9pm.
The white chocolate had barely been in the water for five minutes when the Delkim bite alarm screamed with a fast take, run lights flickering brightly into the dark. The battle was on! Line peeled off against the drag and the fish took a good fifty yards before slowing from that initial powerful run. In the darkness I found it difficult to see the angle of the line to water which made bringing it back in harder than I had expected. Only in the dark do you appreciate how many visual clues you rely upon when playing a fish.
Early into the fight I could tell this was a good sized fish for Chatfield, though I was not 100% certain it was actually a carp; in the back of my mind I was thinking, it’s a channel catfish. The run was straight out from the bank with very little sideways action. Carp at this venue are notorious for kiting to the side and then straight into the bank, the shallows, gravel and rocks.
After about five minutes I had the fish in close and Ron waded out with a net. We could finally see those welcoming carpy scales glittering in the torch light – moments later the fish was in the net. We placed the carp in the cradle and could at last see this was a good common carp capture for Chatfield. The average carp from this venue runs around 10 to 11 pounds with both commons and mirrors. There are many nice mid to upper doubles and more rarely a 20. This was a very long, slender, healthy looking male. He weighed in at 24 lbs, 8 oz on the Heaton scales and was an impressive 36” in length.
This was one angry fish. I am not certain if it was just annoyed at being brought form the darkness into the light of our lanterns, or was simply having a bad carp day. It took quite a while to finally calm down in the cradle. A few other anglers and beach goers stopped by to admire our capture, many had not seen a carp before, let alone, a 20+ lb fish. I took the opportunity to talk to them about carp and carp fishing. I use every opportunity I can to showcase the species to others in a positive light. Carp have a bad reputation in Colorado, deemed responsible for every and all ill that befall any body of water. Attitudes towards them are changing slowly though, in their favor. For me the past few years have been a project of one angler educated at a time, and in turn, one more potential catch & release carp fisherman for the future!
With some video footage taken we returned the fish to the water in a retainer sling. We continued to fish into the early hours of the morning but no more carp were to grace our nets. Tired, a little damp and cold, we called it a night around 2am and packed up, heading back to the car park for the long drive home.
We had learned much from our first night of fishing. We were well organized in advance of darkness falling. We had a plan on what to do when we hooked into a fish and knew where we were going to land them. The cradle setup, nets and sling were ready, bucket for water nearby. The swim was kept clear of obstructions with nothing underfoot to be tripped over – given we also had a gas lantern, last thing we wanted was to step atop it and start a fire.
I learned that though we had lanterns galore I still did not have enough, or appropriate, light for filming. I also totally forgot to take any still photos of my capture, in the all elation of the seeing that 20 in the net. This had been my first carp capture at night. To say I was a very happy man, is an understatement. The memory of my first carp, landed in the darkness, will stay with me for many years to come.
As I think about it now, a few weeks later, it had not simply been the safety issues that had discouraged me from fishing into the night, or an irrational “Fear of the Dark”. It was the lack of experience, or more importantly, confidence, in adapting to the new conditions and challenges the darkness would bring. In the end, everything worked out well. It was a good session, a fine carp was banked and I once again got to spend time on the bankside with a friend.
Will I fish again at night? For sure, I am already planning the next trip … this time, with more lighting, and hopefully, more fish!
I highly recommend, if you haven't tried night fishing, give it a try …
You can also watch the CarpQuest episode for this article here, or on youtube,
The 1000 like/fan mark was reached overnight for CarpQuest on Facebook.
www.facebook.com/carpquest
A "victory" coffee moment for sure !
Thank you ALL for your support, encouragement and feedback !
Please don't forget to subscribe to the youtube channel to keep up to date with latest CarpQuest videos as they are released.
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When I once again picked up rod and reel, after an almost 25 year hiatus, carp fishing in Colorado was something many did in secret, or alone. Our beloved species was looked upon with disdain by the majority of local anglers, hunting organizations and even the local Parks & Wildlife commission. Rarely did anyone share their endeavors, knowledge or captures a public forum.
Thus my CarpQuest began with one anglers journey to learn more about carp fishing in a foreign land, with very different venues and hostile attitudes towards the species I loved from my homeland of England.
Carp are quickly becoming the “big fish” species that many desire to catch here in Colorado. Anglers both young and old, seasoned or new to the sport, are pursuing carp with passion and enthusiasm, from the bank, from boats, euro style, ledger, with bobbers, spinning lures, fly rods – all are deployed to catch that “Golden Ghost”, or “Rocky Mountain Bonefish”, as some call them here.
In but two short years carp fishing in Colorado has now seen an explosion in popularity. Local Outfitters offer catch & release "euro style" or "fly" fishing carping trips. Carp are on the "game fish" list which offers them at least a modicum of protection, though we still have no bag, slot or creel limits.
Catch & Release for carp is growing in popularity and quickly becoming the norm, rather than the exception. Some fish are taken for sustenance (carp were introduced to North America as a food source in the late 1800s) yet many are still killed by hunters for sport. As attitudes continue to change hopefully we will see regulations change in favor of carp in the future.
I would like to take a moment to thank a few people – sheesh, I feel like I am doing an “Oscar’s Speech!”
-My wife Alisa for her tremendous support and patience.
-My brother Peter, for the amazing “CarpQuest” video titles and his extensive social media skills.
-The Carp Anglers Group (CAG), whose members so willingly shared their knowledge and advice - Robert Hogan, when are you going to get out fishing again? www.carpanglersgroup.com.
-All the guys FishExplorer who embraced the “UK Madman” and allowed me to share my stories and promote carp fishing so well here in Colorado. www.fishexplorer.com
-Big Carp Tackle whose assistance has allowed me to share my quest with many more anglers upon the bankside than I would otherwise have been able. David Moore, you’re da man! www.bigcarptackle.com
-Brian Wingard (bwingy!) – a scholar and a gentleman, supportive, helpful, encouraging and gracious. www.youtube.com/user/bwingy
-Finally, I would like to thank my Uncle Frank, who in 1978 took a young 9 year boy out fishing with him for the first time, on the River Trent. I caught my first fish that day, a chub. Though he is no longer with us, I know he is still looking down upon me from above and likely smiling.
I was out fishing yesterday morning, had not been at the lake long, when I could hear thunder in the distance. A few minutes later a flash of lightning lit up the sky, no rain had fallen at my location yet. I was fishing with my usual long 13 ft rods. I decided that it was not worth the risk and packed up for the day and headed home. I was disappointed to only have gotten in a brief few hours yet safety must always come first.
Next to me was a family, 2 adults, 2 young kids. They continued fishing as the storm closed in. I was at a loss for words in the sanity of their actions. Perhaps they wisely also decided to call it a day and seek shelter after I had left ? Lets hope so.
Lightning strikes kill on average a hundred or so people each year, time times that number survive, leaving many with lifelong injuries and disabilities. Colorado is a hot spot for lightning and two tourists were recently killed in RMNP.
Lightning can strike 10-15 mile from the storm. If you can hear the thunder, or if you can see the flash and the bolt, then you are within range of any lightning the storm produces – simple as that !
If you are out on the water, and you are hearing thunder, that should be an indicator to head to land and shelter.
Do not wait for the lightning to be blasting around you before you decide to call it quits – by then, it could be too late!
If you are caught out in the open on land.
-STOP fishing
-Avoid open fields
-Stay away from tall isolated trees.
-Get away from the water
-If your car is nearby, take shelter, avoid touching the metal.
-A tent, BIVVY, umbrella, is not a safe shelter
(I have sheltered under my umbrella in the past, not smart!)
If you are caught out on the open on water in a small open boat.
-Drop anchor and stay as low as possible
-STOP fishing and waving those lightning rods about!
Wait at least 30 minutes until the last roll of thunder before considering it safe to be back outside in the open if you must continue to fish.
This simple blog does not even cover flash flooding, for all those who love to fish our rivers and streams. Given recent weather here in Colorado, consideration should be given not only to where you are fishing, but what the weather is doing upstream/river from you – many miles away!
We all love fishing, we all love being outdoors, but please, do so safely.
In the 1951 book, “Between Planets”, by Robert A. Heinlein, the phrase, “Pay it Forward’s” was popularized. Sixty years later I try to live by this philosophy in my fishing endeavors.
When I first returned to fishing, a few years ago, there were many who gave to me their personal time and shared their wisdom and knowledge so that I might be more successful in my endeavors. Never did they ask for anything in return except that I post a few pictures of my carp captures for them to see and in turn share the knowledge with others when the opportunity presented. Often all I needed was but a pointer in the right direction and a virtual "pat" upon the back when things went well.
Just recently I have had the honor of taking others with me on my “Quest for Carp”. The only thing I’ve asked of them is that they take what they have learned and “pay it forward to some other brother who needs it". Thus the knowledge and passion are shared and the legacy continues and spirals outward.
We all have valuable insight, wisdom, experience and knowledge, from the novice angler to the seasoned professional. None of us want to give up that favorite honey hole or irresistible bait, nobody expects you to (well, perhaps some do!). However, take a just minute from your busy day to help someone with their angling passion, a hint, a tip, a bit advice or simply just some words of encouragement – you have probably spent longer already reading this blog!
It has been many months since I was able to get a session in on the bank with Chris (C-DOG). Our last trip together, to Pueblo Reservoir, had ended with a spectacular dust storm, 50 mph winds and the destruction of my new HD camcorder from dust in the internal mechanism's. Tumbleweeds were flying through the air and we finally had to take cover behind our car to avoid injury!
We both had an afternoon to spare and decided once again to head back down to Pueblo to see if we could finally get some fish on action together!
We drove down to Pueblo in my new car; well, not so new, it's a 1999 4-runner that has been heavily modified for "expedition" and "off-road" use.
The banks around this venue can be steep, rock strewn with many deep ruts. Previous drives across this terrain in my wife's Lexus RX300 likely contributed to it's downfall !
Arriving just before noon Pueblo was a packed madhouse of people, cars, boats, jet-ski's, off leash dogs and children splashing in the water. This was "father's day" weekend and it should have been no surprise to us that our usual fishing spots were taken.
Driving around the edges of the reservoir we were finally able to find a clear spot. The area looked good being just on the inside edge of a sheltered bay with the wind blowing in towards us.
There was a "fence" to our right and no other anglers close by to our left.
Whilst setting up the gear I was curious when "carp dog" Raven was suddenly obsessed with in a nearby stick She was almost touching it with her nose - tail wagging happily! I had walked past that "stick" a few minutes earlier, likely almost stepped on it with my bare feet in but a pair of crocs. On closer investigation, to my horror, I realized "that's no stick", it was a rattlesnake !!!
I removed the serpent from our area. Thankfully Raven and I avoided being bitten. So darn close to total disaster. If Raven had not been on a short leash to me, I would not like to imagine the outcome of this encounter!
We finally finished setting up and took a brief respite beneath the sport-brella; it was a hot and sunny 90F with a warm wind blowing in. No sooner had my backside touched the chair when we observed Park Ranger boat heading directly towards us.
The inevitable doom occurred, though I tried to 'wave" the boat away from our lines it did no good. The boat came right into the shore, parked up to our right, the prop sucking in both my lines and spooling off a good 50+ yards of line before the engine was cut. I was fortunate the bait runners were on lest my rods had followed the line into the prop of "death" and been sliced to bits!
Our fishing licenses checked, a few unhappy words with the officials, and they were back on their way - well, on their way after I helped cut the line from their prop and pushed them back out into open water as they were literally "beached" in the shallows!
The carp "gods" favored me mid-afternoon and I was rewarded with 3 captures, in just over an hour, a 15'6 common, a 9'10 common and finally an feisty 8 lb common.
Sadly Chris was not so fortunate. It appeared that the carp were travelling into the bay from that right hand edge and encountering my baits first. We did swap sides towards the end of the session but it was too little too late. A powerful storm front moved into the area with winds gusting to 40+ mph or more. With flashes of lightning in the distance it was time to pack up and head home.
