Sorry I haven't posted in while but I've been really busy with the holidays n all, but I finally got into a bunch this December. I'm not quite sure, but the last time I went fishing, which I'll show some pics of the trip, was 5 days before Christmas.
Before I get into my latest trip, some of yall want to know specifics on what type of gear I buy, and any new types of rigs I've came up with. To be honest, I've been mostly using the same rigs posted on the blog, with a few minor adjustments.
Equipment:
1. A Spinning type rod/reel combo that's already loaded with 12 LB or higher fishing line. You can find one at Wal-Mart, Fred Meyers, or Dicks Sporting Goods ranging between 20-40 bucks.
2. A wheel of 8 LB Fluorocarbon. This line will be used as your leader fishing line.
3. I used to recommend size 2 circle hooks, but I wouldn't go that high on carp averaging 7 lbs. Size 2 circle hooks with hair rigged bread balls are more better for 15+ LB carp. Size 4 circle hooks are great for carp ranging from 1-10 LBS.
4. For swivels, you should use barrel swivels that are at least large enough to easily tie your preferred fishing knot on with your 12 LB fishing line from your rod/reel combo.
5. Some wire is needed in order to hold the bread for the hair rig. This type of bending wire can be found in any arts/craft section at your local grocery store like Wal-Mart or Fred Meyers.
6. I like to use half ounce to 3/4 ounce sliding sinkers because any one of those can be wrapped with a slice of white bread and it would stay on pretty good when casting. If I ever wanted to cast farther, all I would have to do is add another one of those sliding sinkers to my rig if need be.
Here is a re-post on how I make these hair rigs that are suitable for white bread:
Above is a picture of my rig that I've been using lately. The rest of the pictures below will basically show what I used for this rig.
Above is a pic of the rig without the slice of bread wrapped around the sliding sinker that is furthest from the hookbait. I wrap the bread on the sliding sinker furthest from the hookbait because the other sliding weight is right next to the swivel, and I don't want that to have any bread which would defeat its purpose. Also, having the bread on the furthest sinker rather than the other would have less pressure on the bread when casting because having it on the middle sinker while casting will more likely have the slice come off. The reason why I use two half ounce sliding sinkers instead of one big sinker is because the slice of white bread can't be wrapped around a giant sinker firm enough for casting. I know you can buy or make method type mechanisms on the internet such as large spiral wires or large plastic thing-a-ma-bob with holes on it, but that would just increase the chances of the rig getting tangled when fighting a fish. A lot of these places I fish here in Oregon are not man-made and carp aren't even supposed to be in these waters, so there are a TON of snags. Of course I could just use one half ounce sinker, but the reason why I am using two is for distance and the place I've been fishing has a respectable amount of current.
Above is just a close up on what the hair rig looks like. Keep in mind that the bread I am using on all these pictures are wheat bread, BUT I NEVER USE WHEAT BREAD ONLY WHITE BREAD. The hook I am using is a size 4 circle hook that a friend of mine bought for me on my birthday, along with the sliding sinkers so SHOUTOUT TO THE WYRM!
Above is a pic of the whole rig without any bread at all.
And lastly, above is a close-up on the "hair rig" part without the bread ball.
I got a couple of "fishing" type gifts from the holidays:
Above is a chocolate Christmas bass lol
Now time to try this fishing rig out a few days before Christmas:
First off, I know that some people don't really know what the word "method" means in carp fishing. Basically a "method" is just a mechanism that keeps a large amount of chum on your rig that stays near your hookbait, thus putting more taste, flavor, and freebies around your hookbait in order to attract more carp or whatever you are fishing for.
So at the start of the fishing trip, I started with size 6 hooks and the same rig that I described above with the method. All I caught in about 2 hours were 5 crawfish and a bunch of awkward bites that were hard to decipher.
Although I wasn't catching carp, these little buggers were entertaining because every time I would take one out of the water after being tangled on my rig, they would chase me for a good 5 minutes regardless of anything. The picture above is just one of those buggers chasing me. After about 5 minutes, they would crawl back to the water after giving me their temper tantrum.
So I decided to switch one of my hooks on one of the rods for a size 4 instead of the size 6. After landing 5 carp on THAT CERTAIN ROD, it became clear that the hook was the problem. So I decided to switch all the hooks out for size 4 hooks. Very quickly my swim got demolished by carp. There were actually several occasions where I almost had a carp on all three rods. In "carp" or "fishing" language, it would've been called a triple. I would land a fish in the net, and at the same time, another rod would start bending, then I would reel that one more quickly than the first, and the third rod would ring, but wouldn't stick. So I ended up having that happen 5 times which landed me 10 carp. Definitely a #worstbehavior worthy instagram post.
So I ended with 15 carp, and 5 crawfish. The carp weight average was around 6-8 LBS I believe?
If you look closely in the pic above, you can see that the size 4 hair rigs have done their jobs. The first 5 carp I caught, bent the wires straight so I had to rebend them
Here is a pic of something I shouldn't try doing again...
I'm going to find time to edit my blog and change the background to something different since the new year is coming up.
anyways, MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS, HAPPY NEW YEARS, AND KEEP YOUR LINES TIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BYE BYE 2013, AND WELCOME 2014!!!
