Winter Carp?

[GreenMtn]

I have a stellar large pond scoped out in the SouthEast with some ginormous 30" carp just milling about waiting to be caught. Unfortunately the temperatures are in the mid 50s and nothing I've tossed at them so far has enticed any interest whatsoever. I've tried a #10 bead head wooly bugger, mini-cray, BH Hares Ear, san juan worm, red ibis (actually foul hooked one with a red ibis, it was like being hooked to a pissed off log. The scale that came off with my hook was the size of a silver dollar!). I'm about to try a #6 and #8 wooly worm in black and olive. Any other ideas for enticing these guys into eating in the colder months? I'm resisting the bread and corn flies and people don't feed them in this pond anyway so it's unlikely they'd even know what it was. None of them seem to be interested in surface feeding. At best they're tailing but more often than not they're just milling about in 1.5' of water.

 

[i want to catch fish]

we do catch alot of carp on in the river where we fish and we use anything that has yellow streamers and yellow bugs just give it a try and see

 

[Joni]

I have had the best luck with YELLOW also. Here are the two flies that always produced Carp.

I have not been to the river in some time so, I am thinking the carp are allot harder to catch this time of year. I will have to cruise over and check it out.

 

[GreenMtn]

That's the trick. Their feeding seems to have changed for the Winter. I suspect a lot of what I have tried will work in the warmer months. Things like popcorn, cottonwood, large nymphs etc.

 

[Midwest flyfish kid]

Why do carp eat cottonwood

 

[GreenMtn]

They eat the seeds which are probably high in protein and carbs. They're also easy to catch and in huge numbers. Unfortunately it's a few months to go before spring.

 

[Joni]

You guys got me real curious now. However a friend went to my Carp hole and said they were gone...I just have to check it out for myself now!

 

[Midwest flyfish kid]

They eat the seeds which are probably high in protein and carbs. They're also easy to catch and in huge numbers. Unfortunately it's a few months to go before spring.

Thanks. I was wondering that when i saw a carp eating some and then I saw a fly imitiating cottonwood and I was thinking "Why posses a carp to eat that?"

 

[BigCliff]

In general, when they're just milling about is the time they're least likely to eat. I'd try to use a warmer afternoon to find them tailing or obviously feeding in the shallows.

 

[GreenMtn]

I figure they have to eat sometime. With the days barely topping 56 at best, it's tough to find a warm afternoon. Do they go into fast mode and stop eating for a few months?

 

[BigCliff]

Warm is a relative term here. In your case seek out a 'warmer' afternoon.

While its true that they do have to eat sometime, keep in mind that they are cold blooded critters whose metabolism slows down as the temperature drops as well.

 

[GreenMtn]

Went and hit the local lake yesterday and not a single fish in sight. Weird. It's like they're hiding out in the middle where I would have expected it to be even colder.

 

[fishdoc]

I have had success in winter and other times by throwing small dry flies to carp cruising in shallows. I think they can't pass up the opportunity for a quick meal...thinking it is come small bug. Have to let the take it well before setting hook... missed several before I figured it out.

 

[Uncommon Carp]

Went and hit the local lake yesterday and not a single fish in sight. Weird. It's like they're hiding out in the middle where I would have expected it to be even colder.

Remember the thermocline, sometimes it is much warmer down deep in the winter than you expect.

Sunning and milling carp are very difficult to catch, put something in front of their nose and twitch it if you can not pass the fish up. Sometimes you will get an aggressive stirke. Otherwise, walk a bit and find a warmer bay or backwater and find feeding fish.
If it is a local park pond, try a bread fly!