How I ended up swimming today

[MichaelAngelo]

This is not ice fishing related .

The past day or so I've been out on the rivers in search of suckers. In my hand - my brand new ultralight combo spooled with 4lb line.

Today I found myself plopping my worm and splitshot around from the vantage point of a small bridge. I hadn't gotten any bites.

After about an hour or so at this spot, I began to notice movement under the surface. Behold, a pod of carp had moved in.

Sounded like a good idea....

Was NOT a good idea.

I had a carp hooked within minutes of spotting the pod move in. The fish was the boss of me and ran under the bridge into who-knows-what of a few log jams immediately downstream.

I backed off on the drag in hopes of keeping the line in one piece as I gingerly coaxed the fish back through the jams. It wasn't happening. 20 minutes later I had managed to gain a small crowd of bystanders and not an inch of line.

It dawned on me that I wouldn't be able to accomplish much with my rod pointing straight down, pinned to the side of the bridge. I would have to get under the bridge somehow and find the fish. And so I went, half of me submerged to crawl under the bridge. Down the river I went, for about 20 feet. I cleared the line off of a log and the fish appeared from beneath it.

Another tussle ensued in the open water. The fish then decided to swim back into the logs, despite my best efforts to put pressure in the opposite direction that I wanted him to go.

And the line gave up.

There is my story of the day. I couldn't have wished for more excitement, but it would have been nice to get a picture of the fish that got me swimming.

[MuskieBait]

I hope your shoes dry out quickly enough. Don't wear them next time we go fishing

Sounds like a lot of fun on the UL rod...but the rod may not have enough backbone to put enough opposite pressure on the fish to make it move away from the snag.

[MichaelAngelo]

(04-04-2013 07:24 PM)MuskieBait Wrote:  I hope your shoes dry out quickly enough. Don't wear them next time we go fishing

Sounds like a lot of fun on the UL rod...but the rod may not have enough backbone to put enough opposite pressure on the fish to make it move away from the snag.

It's the muddy shoes theory in action once gain... LOL

I concluded that an UL isn't enough for river carp in snaggy areas and current... maybe in big open water it would be OK. I don't even think the carp I hooked was particularly big... but I had absolutely zero control over it. edit: I was fair hooked.

[Giuga10]

Man that would have been awesome if you landed it!

[MuskieBait]

(04-04-2013 07:32 PM)MichaelAngelo Wrote:  

(04-04-2013 07:24 PM)MuskieBait Wrote:  I hope your shoes dry out quickly enough. Don't wear them next time we go fishing

Sounds like a lot of fun on the UL rod...but the rod may not have enough backbone to put enough opposite pressure on the fish to make it move away from the snag.

It's the muddy shoes theory in action once gain... LOL

I concluded that an UL isn't enough for river carp in snaggy areas and current... maybe in big open water it would be OK. I don't even think the carp I hooked was particularly big... but I had absolutely zero control over it. edit: I was fair hooked.

A UL rod is too soft to drag a carp out of cover...not to mention using 4lb test...but it's fun for other things

Stick around and maybe you can join Eli and I fishing for American Shad and Grass Pickerel with the UL rods.

[zippyFX]

Sounds like a fun time only another fisherman would understand! To bad one of the bystandards couldn;t take a picture or a video of the action and send it to you; or post it on you tube as a Carp fail )

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(04-04-2013 08:02 PM)MuskieBait Wrote:  Stick around and maybe you can join Eli and I fishing for American Shad and Grass Pickerel with the UL rods.

Ken, I have my Shad trip booked as well and I look forward to trying out my new ULl. I just got some shad darts off of ebay delivered yesterday. Should be fun!

Were are you guys going Montreal? Carillion?

[MuskieBait]

(04-04-2013 09:01 PM)zippyFX Wrote:  Sounds like a fun time only another fisherman would understand! To bad one of the bystandards couldn;t take a picture or a video of the action and send it to you; or post it on you tube as a Carp fail )

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(04-04-2013 08:02 PM)MuskieBait Wrote:  Stick around and maybe you can join Eli and I fishing for American Shad and Grass Pickerel with the UL rods.

Ken, I have my Shad trip booked as well and I look forward to trying out my new ULl. I just got some shad darts off of ebay delivered yesterday. Should be fun!

Were are you guys going Montreal? Carillion?

Got my bus ticket booked to Montreal.

[OldTimer]

(04-04-2013 07:09 PM)MichaelAngelo Wrote:  Sounded like a good idea....

Great story........ hilarious.

It seems all the tales of the misadventures we have begin with your words above.

Or............"I've always done it this way"........or "You got a better idea"........... or "Oh-Oh"....................smile

OT

[Freshwater]

Oooh... I can see this turning in the "You'd should've seen the size of that carp that dragged me into the river under the bridge!!" story

[MichaelAngelo]

(04-05-2013 09:01 PM)Freshwater Wrote:  Oooh... I can see this turning in the "You'd should've seen the size of that carp that dragged me into the river under the bridge!!" story

... it already has... LOL