# My 1st carp outing (ever) at Pymatuning... kinda long



## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

Howdy All...
Thursday noon saw me picking up my children, Daniel and Donna (both 9) from their last day of school and off we headed to Pymatuning Lake. We went to Pymatuning State Park and camped at site #57. This site offered me two things I was looking for. One was a lakeside camp site and the other was fish able water that looked like I could "chum" carp to it easily enough and as quick as possible, kids get bored too easy LOL
There was a long finger of a cove that I am sure carp used and with the wind blowing down the shoreline, into the cove then around out to the main lake it was looking better every minute.
I made chum the day before which was shucked field corn, boiled, with vanilla extract added after. Not sure how long I should boil the corn I simply let it come to a boil then shut it off till it absorbed as much water I thought it could hold then I would shut it off till it cooled some and replaced the lost water and brought it to a boil again. Stuff was softer then a rock but not by much LOL
I also made dough ball bait. One was 2 cups corn meal 1 cup flour and strawberry jello... The other was with ground beef, wheaties crushed and vanilla extract... I used these both mainly as chum too...
My main bait was canned corn which worked great!!! Now on to the fishing... I chummed with the field corn, about 1/2 5 gal pail Thurs eve and off we went to do our camping stuff, Kids you know...
I woke up around 4:30am Fri and looked out to see a super looking cool morning. As I sat on the shoreline and the sun rose I noticed fish breaking water now and then... A closer look and I in fact knew they were carp!!! My surprise was only subdued by my reaction to grab rod and real. Baiting with canned corn I cast out. It was not long before I got my 1st hit, one of those bait grabbing fast hits... very fast hits one after another... I could not hook a fish... hmnmmn I thought bluegill or something small was stealing my corn I thought. I was thinking of carp as slow to hit the bait and short pulls something like catfish so the hits I was getting were not carp in my mind. After an hour of this, I was using corn, dough ball and sponge soaked in vanilla extract but still no fish. I re-baited once more with corn and "POW" I knew I had a HUGE carp on!!! After a fight which lasted some 10-15 min I had the fish in net... It was HUGE!!! I had nothing to measure the fish with except the handle on my net which only went to 24 1/2 inches. This carp was longer then that and my guess is it was 32" long or better. I could not let this fish return to the water without showing my kids... I opened the tent and woke them up and their eyes were hugs!!! Up now I let my son fish next and then after he'd catch a fish I would take a turn. My daughter wanted nothing to do with fishing after seeing the pain in my son's face trying to real in his 1st carp which was larger then mine. I had to hold up his rod tip with one hand and the net down in the water with the other. He was funny to watch trying to real and not getting a single turn of the real handle, I say son real him in and he'd say Dad I can't hahahaa... I caught one other huge carp and my son caught 3-4 huge fish with one being the biggest of the trip!!! We caught carp on almost every cast till around 10am where I started to cook breakfast... 
Most were in the 3-4 lbs range with many in the 10-15 lb class. I knew from photos that we had caught some mirror carp but I really do not know what the others were at all... I'll have to learn... I caught most fish on canned corn and some on dough ball or sponge soaked in vanilla extract. Corn was the real winner and it is what I preferred to use.
Sat there was a shift in wind and the fishing was slow. We caught a few fish but nothing like the day before. The kids went to the play ground and I kept fishing, getting 2-3 fish an hour but nothing really huge and not as often as the day before. I asked my daughter to hold my rod while I went in the tent for a minute. When I came out I asked if she had a hit and she said no... As the words were coming out of her mouth I watched her rod tip go down as she now said "YES"!!! hahahaa... She caught a nice fish that went over 24" and now my son was interested again. They both caught a few fish switching turns after each catch. I would only use one rod at a time fearing tangled lines with 2 out.
We left after the weather turned and it looked like rain. I did not want to spend anytime with them camping in the rain then packing all the gear into my small car... Vans broke and it does not look good to get it fixed anytime soon...
I'll need to learn more about carp fishing and look forward to spending time on the bank with a few members form here to learn more!!! 
I also need to learn to bring a camera... I have lost forever except in my mind seeing my son with the HUGE smile on his face trying to hold that HUGE carp for me and his sister to see...


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## TimJC (Apr 6, 2004)

And now it starts...

So when do you plan on getting euro gear  That's a good story, and as you now know carp are a hard fighting fish. 

Your next step might be to start using a hair rig and a fixed weight of at least 2oz (with corn or even boiled maize). This will increase your hookup rait and allow you to loosen the drag and set the rod aside for the fish to do the work. I know how unnerving it can be sitting with a rod clinched tightly, anticiapating a strike.

As for boiling the maize, I don't. I have boiled small quantities (like a pound for hookbait) for 30-45 minutes. Then remove from heat, add flavoring, put lid on and allow to cool and swell. The corn should begin to split, that is how you know it's done.

To learn more "secrets" first-hand, you might want to try to hit an outing. I don't know where you live but we have a southeast carp-in scheduled for Dillon lake in August. There is also an OGF outing at Tappan in two weeks and I know that some carpers will be there and will be eager to bring to the darkside. Oh yeah, and then there is CAG, the place where our demented minds hang out when we are not here  The forums can be found here.


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

Sounds like a great time...Yes a camera is a must!


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## catking (Apr 5, 2004)

Very nice story !!! Really enjoyed it. Thanks ............. CATKING


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