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| Name | Details | Map It |
Mid Week Session
Avg. Rating: 5
# Reviews: 6
Views: 3568 | Haverhill, Massachusetts
4/14/2010 - 4/15/2010
Fish have been plenty for us at Blackstone Carp this season. Most days see fish, though we do have the occasional blank session. Spring is an interesting time to fish, what with heavy rains, floods, winds and sporadic temps you never know just what will happen out on the banks. Finding fish, getting them onto your feed and then mastering the elements to bank them can be extremely rewarding. many carp still have a good amount of "winter" weight but without all the sluggishness of cold water.
The past weekend saw some great fish but I had a good deal of frustration working through snags, blank session and all around junk that made me crave a do-over so to speak.
I decided to sneak away to the banks mid week to see if I could turn my luck around. Don't get me wrong, with a 20 pound mirror and a 25 pound common to the banks already this year, plus a good amount of fish under 20 I have had a good start to the season. The weekend just left an unfinished feeling with me that I wanted to change.
My maple banana maize has really been producing so I made sure to pack extra of it, as well as a mix of trout pellet Pescaviva and tuna sweet corn. The Dat food boilies were present of course, Scopex this time as well as plain jane chick peas rounded out my bait packing.
I decided the time was now to up my hook size from the size 8's to the 6's as the M'mack fish have been much more aggressive as the water has warmed. Keep the hook length short but the hair long, I decided upon a semi-fixed safety rig with a bit of tubing and anti-tangle to smooth it out. I like to work in colors of sand/gravel and weed to help it blend with the bottom. Though to be honest if someone made a "shopping cart" color that would probably work as well, heh.
With the rigs and the bait all set to go I packed food away. PB and J sandwiches to keep things simple, a few Twinkies and Turkey Hill iced tea would suffice. Of course we packed the grill and coffee supplies as well. No need to get fancy right now, as long as Liz and I had enough to keep up fed then we were happy.
I got everything together, packed the car up, except for my rods which have to get strapped to the roof racks in the morning. After it was all settled I headed to bed...morning couldn't come soon enough.
With a quick breakfast and attaching of the rods to the roof Liz and I were off. My imagination danced happily as we drove along 290 and 495 heading to our destination. As the sun crested the mountains and glimmered off the Merrimack I knew it was going to be a good day..I just didn't know how good yet.
Check out the movie of this amazing session at our site blackstonecarp.com by folloing this linky:
http://www.blackstonecarp.com/index.php?option=com_hwdvideoshare&task=viewvideo&Itemid=75&video_id=76
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My new PB...
Avg. Rating: 5
# Reviews: 5
Views: 6874 | River Bend Farm Uxbridge, Ma
3/18/2010
Might not be what your expecting. It isn't very big and it isn't a carp, but it is quite a fish. Let me explain.
I've been fishing a bunch, as usual, though with the heavy rains recently the rivers have been flooding. Thankfully the canals and lakes have been thawing and I have had some great action in the last weeks of winter. This trip will take a look at a recent try at the canal.
It was Thursday March 18th. I was excited as we pulled up to the River Bend Farm, the water steamed just a bit as it had stayed warmer then the air over night. This is a good sign, I had fished the day before and come up empty.
I know I know, but it happens to us all right ? Anyway I had taken the chance to feed a few spots around last night and was glad to see the water temperature staying steady. It has been in the 43-50 degree range depending on sun. Still a bit cold but getting there.
I unloaded and hiked the gear into our swim. Started getting the rods and pod set. Put the batteries in the alarms, got the pod steady and in a good location. Set all of my bait out and open the tackle box. I rigged the first rod with 3 pieces of sweet corn treated with obsession, the second with a maple and maize combo.
I had just turned my back to finish unloading when I heard the faint beep that was followed by a louder string of beeps. I turned back to my rod, saw the line darting and took it in hand.
Fish on!
After a few moments I gained dominance and began to gain line on the fish, a nice mirror carp roughly 8 pounds. As I got it to within 10 feet of shore ,my second alarm started to beep. I got the net under the first carp and quickly unhooked it. Leaving the carp in the net and the net in the water I took up the second rod.
The fish came to the surface almost immediately and I saw that it was small, only about 1.5-2 pounds. Not a carp at all in fact but a wild goldfish. We have these here, quite a few in fact and they look similar to carp but their mouth is to the front and they have no barbels. This one was a nice brassy colored with a slightly darker and browner dorsal area. Nothing huge but interesting anyway...world record is only around 6 pounds for these if I recall.
It was a quick fight as my poles were really out geared for that fish. I got it to the net, unhooked it as well and brought both fish to the mat for video and photos before releasing them.
The next fish would come along almost an hour later. As I saw the line start to dart I reached for the rod just as the alarm started to sound. I had this one rigged with a Halibut pellet and a sweet corn. As I put pressure on the fish it turned quickly and came to the surface...just like the other goldfish had. That is when I saw it, it was indeed a goldfish, but nothing like the first one.
Watch the video to see all the action:
http://www.blackstonecarp.com/index.php?option=com_hwdvideoshare&task=viewvideo&Itemid=75&video_id=71 |
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Blackstone Carp where are you? or Winter Edition 2010
Avg. Rating: 4.3333333333333
# Reviews: 3
Views: 5201 | Spillways at the Bend in the River
1/18/2010 - 2/20/2010
We have been here, fishing a lot all through winter and producing some great carp through the cold season. With over 40 fish to banks this winter we have been fortunate to have some great action and sessions even in the coldest of days! I'd like to share a bit of the experience from our last outing Feb. 20th
Anyway, geared up for a fantastic day out on the banks with a friend this weekend, with temps hitting 40-45 F I was excited. We have had some mild temps and weather for the past week and it was finally time to get to fishing again!
I hit the banks around 7 am. got everything set and my friend Frank showed up round 730. By 8 we had all 4 rods in the water and were talking bout this and that. by 830, I had the first fish to the banks! much like the others it was a beautiful fish, sitting in the 6 pound range. Time rolled on and we started getting into em. Feeding this area all winter has really payed off. By noon or so I had about 4 to the banks, Frank had 1..all with an average of 8-10 pounds.
We hit a slow next few hours with no sign of carp.
Round 330 Frank got a big run, surprising for the time of year and exciting! this signaled a renew and by 5pm we had a total of 11 fish to banks! I have had an amazing winter, and I really didn't think things could get any better. We've been getting some really great fish, all in the 8-12 pound range, consistently and regularly.
We started packing everything up. Frank got a rod put away, I got a rod put away, Frank got a rod put away..I picked up my last rod and was just about to reel when line started darting off. Apparently I was in for one more fish.
It ran hard to the left toward an underwater tree and I thought, "Gawd no..I don't wanna end on a lost fish..." I worked the rod a bit and turned it's head just enough to swing it back toward the current. As it ran down river a bit I tried to get a feel of the fish...it felt nice, a bit heftier then the fish we had all day. It slowly turned back and started swimming up river again. It stayed low and headed from one point of cover to another over the next 15 minutes. It has been a long time since i had a fish this determined not to be caught. Around this time it started slowing, and I could feel the weight start to rise.
Slowly a small gold form appeared, then it grew..and grew...and grew till it was a big gold carp breaking the surface. A big smile crossed my face. Then i realized I could see my hook...and it was just inside the corner of the mouth, looking as though it would drop at any moment or wrong turn. Now my heart started skipping just a bit, I closed my eyes and asked any carp gods listening to take mercy and let the hook hold just a bit longer.
I tried to bring it in, ever so softly. It was tired yes, but it was also watching, waiting for the next chance. 1 minute passed and I couldn't gain much, 2 minutes...the tension built, round the third minute my friend Frank said screw it, stepped in about a foot of freezing water to bring the the net under the fish.
"Not letting that one get away" He said with wet feet and a smile.
Thanks Frank, I owe you one!
Check out the video here:
http://www.blackstonecarp.com/index.php?option=com_hwdvideoshare&task=viewvideo&Itemid=75&video_id=64
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4 Days
Avg. Rating: 4.6666666666667
# Reviews: 6
Views: 4298 | Blackstone River
1/14/2009 - 1/17/2009
I took full advantage of the great weather we had over the past week to get out on the banks. I spent four days fishing a couple of spots along the Blackstone in hopes of landing some great fish.
It started on Thursday, with Frank itching to get out as well and catch his first winter carp. We decided to start at a familiar area and settled on the bend in the river at the farm. I had some luck but the day left Frank without a fish.
Friday we headed down river to the Stanley Woolen mill area in hopes of catching some of the great 15+ pound carp that frequent that stretch. It was instant interest though no carp would take the bait solid enough to get a hook up. A slow day that ended fish-less.
Frank had things to do so his quest for a winter carp would have to wait...Liz and I headed to Lincoln RI. I like this stretch near the Kelly house because it is a much tougher water to pull fish from. With no chumming and no corn the field is already stacked in the carps favor. The air temp reached over 45 degrees that day and the sun shone through-out. I had a great time although I saw no fish.
This brought me to Sunday. I packed up my kit and headed out solo. I thought to try Rice City Pond and hiked my gear about a mile into the bush. I set up and fished a few hours but something in my gut kept saying " No, this is not the place." Round lunch time I packed and hiked out...returning to my old faithful, the bend in the river. With two blanks behind me I wanted, no needed to catch something. As I set up I noticed small bubbles along the far shore line, something I haven't seen since last summer. I placed a Dat Food obsession boilie on my hair, trimmed the sides to let the flavor leak better and cast to the bubbles...would it be enough? Watch and see!
http://www.blackstonecarp.com/index.php?option=com_seyret&task=videodirectlink&Itemid=64&id=69 4 Days |
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Cold Day, New Year
Avg. Rating: 4.25
# Reviews: 4
Views: 2890 | River Bend Farm Uxbridge, Ma
1/9/2010
My first trip of 2010. I wanted to get out earlier but I will be honest..the warmth of my apartment got the better of me. It was hard trying to tear myself away from the computer and hit the banks.
Got my new bivvy though and that was motivation enough to get outside. In the winter I am predictable. I hit the few spots I know that will produce fish, or have at least produced in years prior. This puts me at the bend in the river in Uxbridge quite a lot. Ease of access unfrozen water and of course lots of carp ranging from 5-26+ pounds.
When I arrived I took a moment to figure the wind out, then scouted a small grove of trees to angle the bivvy near. Staking anything into the ground is pretty much out fo the question, so having a good set of trees to attach to was key. Of course having the bivvy actually block the wind instead of facing it was important as well.
Once that was out of the way I tossed the grill on to get coffee started and set about getting my rods in the water. Normally I would do this first but it was cold and I really wanted the shelter up quickly.
Today I went with the standard bait set. A few DAT food flavors, some sweet corn, night crawlers, a dough/paste and some ground bait.
The first few hours saw me settle in, have some cup o noodles, drink some coffee, half doze off. In other words, it was slow going. I started thinking to myself;
"Maybe I'll make this a short day."
The right pole, twitched. The twitch became a bend, signaling me to quit thinking about home and start catching that fish!
check out the video here:
http://www.blackstonecarp.com/index.php?option=com_seyret&task=videodirectlink&Itemid=64&id=68 |
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A short December session
Avg. Rating: 4.75
# Reviews: 4
Views: 3040 | River Bend Farm Uxbridge, Ma
12/19/2009
Well I haven't been going as much and was getting a little withdraw. I had an order come in on Friday with an early x-mas gift for me! A new Fox Eclipse Rod Pod. I had been making due with a couple of tri-pods and some PVC pipe all season so this was exciting.
Now I had to try it out. The weather has been mean lately and I wasn't too hopeful. I mean carp in winter is tough enough...carp in 20 degrees with a wind that makes it feel like 2 degrees is down right hard. I was determined to see my new toy on the banks though and I started packing.
I slept in on Saturday, no sense in running out there before the sun has come up right now. I arrived on the shores around 9 am, once the morning chill had a chance to vacate. There was a bit of frost and snow in the area and a large piece of ice floating here and there in the current of my swim.
I set up my poles, both with the finally repaired Daiwa reels on them sporting 12 pound test mono. I used a 2 ounce weight and some ACE gravel colored, coated braid hooklink. I stripped a bit of the coating off to make the hair and hook move more natural but kept the majority of the 6 inch length stiff.
After setting up the pod it was down to business. My right pole got the choice of 3 Dat Food flavors (Tuttie Fruittie, Obsession or Omega). I went with Obsession to start, this is a great dark flavor and attractant developed by Wacker Baits..combined with Blackstone Carp's Dat Food mix it is a mean combo. I placed this one near a small grouping of low tree branches and old weed beds.
As i was trying to decide between chick peas or Pescaviva for my second pole I heard the Beep (pause) Beep, then nothing. I looked a moment and a few seconds later a light tap on the end of the pole and a single Beep let me know that something was hungry. I walked over and waiting for another tug and a beep then I struck.
As I raised the pole up I felt a slow, lumbering tug from the other end...the carp was slowely starting to understand what was happening, now it had to shake off the chill of the water in order to get away. I got it turned from the branches when it suddenly shot toward the spill ways to my left. I fought with it through the current for a few moments before it was gone. Disheartened I reeled my tackle in and examined the hook and hair.
Too long I thought, I am using something that would work great on the Merrimack in the summer..but too easily spit out now.
I took a few moments to shorten the hair on both rods before tossing them out again. A boilie back to the same location and a few chick peas off the the left toward a sunken branch that was breaking the current.
If you'd like to see what all happened check out the video here:
http://www.blackstonecarp.com/index.php?option=com_seyret&task=videodirectlink&Itemid=64&id=65 |
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Blackstone Carp : Fall Edition
Avg. Rating: 4.5
# Reviews: 2
Views: 6215 | Haverhill and Uxbridge
10/11/2009 - 11/21/2009
Our fall edition covers most of October and November. Our team has gotten into some great fish from both the M'mack and the Blackstone. With some real monsters coming in as of late. Many say the season is closing, I say you just need to change tactics a bit and wear more layers!
One of our latest ventures put me on the road by 4 am, which means I made great time heading to Haverhill since I was all but alone on the roads. I arrived well before anyone else and decided to use the time to scout around a bit. Our normal spot was still giving up great fish...but I felt..something.
I headed up the road a bit looking around for a reasonable looking area to head into the bush. Once I spotted what seemed like a nice section I found parking, hit on the head lamp and took off on foot. As i crossed the street, climbed over the rail and through the grass and trees, I came to a concrete walkway sitting above the water. I looked from left to right and thought, yes..this was it. Great access, still water moving silently out in front of me. I knelt down and stared at the river before and I knew..somewhere out there was what I was after.
I headed back to the car, text Simon and told him we were moving...apparently he hadn't left his house yet, so I decided to go grab some breakfast.
I got back and met up with Frank, and we chatted while we waited for Simon to show up. After we all arrived I told them of my plan, and we moved to the new location.
Everything started out well, we set up and got our poles in the water, an hour in and Simon's alarm went screaming...
He brought the pole up and his line was peeling off. After a minute ior so he gained control and began to move the fish where he wanted it. It would be a few minutes before it was ready for the net...I got the camera, took some photos, and film. Grabbed some coffee then the net. I saw a splash maybe 15 feet from shore and headed in that direction.
That is when I saw it. A flash of gold against the surface. A large carp, very large. I saw it flap a tail; larger then my hand and knew we had ourselves a fish here..
The next moments are always the worst for me. With large fish these close quarters battles can be tense as one wrong pull while they dart can snap line in a heart beat. I mean we are only using 12-15 pound test currently..and landing 20 pound fish on average.
Finally I saw it's head break the surface and I knew it was tired..I brought the net around under the beast and then it was done for. When I finally got it close enough to lift, I had to double take. This thing was big, well over 20 and quite possibly over 30.
We got it to the mat and we were all smiles, this was a fine looking fish and everyone was excited. Most of all Simon..especially after we got the scale on it and it was a new PB for him..sitting at an amazing 30 pounds and 7 ounces.
Anyway I won't ramble too much...
Please check out all the great footage from the past few months though..
Episode 19:
http://www.blackstonecarp.com/index.php?option=com_seyret&Itemid=64&task=videodirectlink&id=61 part 1
http://www.blackstonecarp.com/index.php?option=com_seyret&Itemid=64&task=videodirectlink&id=60 part 2
http://www.blackstonecarp.com/index.php?option=com_seyret&Itemid=64&task=videodirectlink&id=59 part 3
and the Official Fall edition
http://www.blackstonecarp.com/index.php?option=com_seyret&Itemid=64&task=videodirectlink&id=62
as well as trailer
http://www.blackstonecarp.com/index.php?option=com_seyret&Itemid=64&task=videodirectlink&id=63
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