Carp Season? (Summer?)

[FishTech]

:help:Looking to target some carp on the Columbia and wondered when the best time was for all that fun. Have heard plenty of European enjoy it. Plus I've been out a few times with a 5wt. I've paddled around scapoose bay a bit and have sighted them. Any Times and Places I could target around Portland.

Boardman - Yep, Got that GPS.
Bybee / Smith - Heard they got some too.
:shrug: Others?

[steel_beaver]

I've caught them at rooster rock (by the ramp), but they should ba all over he shallow bays right now since they are spawning. good luck

S_B

[12244]

I am becoming interested in flyfishing for carp, or maybe a little archery when it warms up. Have you checked out OregonCarp? Andy is a ifish member, he can tell us where to go?
I know Hebb Park on the Willamette has a few.

[Stonedfish]

I saw lots of active carp in eastern washington lakes this past weekend. All the shallow bays had fish in them. We caught them on 6 wts using large black hares ears, girdle bugs, wooley worms and small crawdad patterns. Lots of fun. Nothing huge, with the largest being 6 lbs or so. Northwest bonefishing at its best.
Brian

[Mojo]

I have caught many carp in the Snake River and it's impoundments on the fly. It is decent now, and will get better all year till the water starts cooling ans they go deep in the fall. Nymphs, crawdad and wooly buggers in green and brown seem to work best for me. A 5 wt is pretty light. I broke my 8wt on a 34 pounder last summer.

[john montana]

i've been catching carp all spring, but the columbia hasn't really heated up yet. any day now it should be really good. any slough or flat will have fish moving in there.

caught this one the other day, 16 lbs, good fish for around portland.

http://www.westfly.com/photo/photoGallery/jKMw7fotip_new.jpeg

I just broke my 7 wt on a 10 lb fish the other day...have to go down to a 6 wt for a while.

[Chug]

What kind of lures yea use, for catching Carp... Other then Flinging arrows.

[AndyK]

What kind of lures yea use, for catching Carp... Other then Flinging arrows.

There are books available:

http://karamanos.us/Fishing/carp.jpg

Cabelas sells the book with a carp fly assortment!

http://karamanos.us/Fishing/carpflies.jpg

I need to trade John a trip for carp for a Springer trip!

[john montana]

just say when andy...the carping is getting good. i can put you on some nice fish. i'd love to catch a springer on the fly...did land one chinook on the sandy last year on the one day i spent salmon fishing! neat fish, but it was old and beat up.

i use much more "trouty" type of stuff than cabellas is selling. general nymphs along with some crayfish patterns are my staples.

[Stonedfish]

John,
Nice fish! That thing hasn't missed to many meals.
Brian

[fishlipper]

I was on the willamette the other day out of Cedar Oaks Park, and there is some back water right next to the ramp, we were out looking for bass, and the entire backwater was full of Carp all suspended in about 2 feet of water. We saw 100's of them in big groups, some well over 10 lbs and a couple of brutes that had to go 20! This might not be a secret place, but easy to access, so I thought I would mention it.

[wheredafish]

what about around the salem area? has anyone fished there? I have always heard carp can be a blast on a fly rod...

[FishTech]

i've been catching carp all spring, but the columbia hasn't really heated up yet. any day now it should be really good. any slough or flat will have fish moving in there.
caught this one the other day, 16 lbs, good fish for around portland.
I just broke my 7 wt on a 10 lb fish the other day...have to go down to a 6 wt for a while.

Sweet 16lbs...probably need to up the rod weight from 5wt.
I agree with John..."trouty type" fly's with legs seem good...plus easy to tie.

Great thread guys...Looks like I'm not alone in the search for carp.

I'll check out the blogs/sites for hints. Then hopefully hit the spots.

[ODSKid]

Over the past few years, I have noticed that the carp I've been catching have been quite a bit smaller than the ones I used to catch about 5 years ago... I'm not sure if its just me, but thats the way it seems. I used to catch 'em 15lbs and up (on worms, though), now I can barely get any over 15 inches. Usually I just catch big suckers. Haha! They are fun to fight, however.

[steel_beaver]

Over the past few years, I have noticed that the carp I've been catching have been quite a bit smaller than the ones I used to catch about 5 years ago... I'm not sure if its just me, but thats the way it seems. I used to catch 'em 15lbs and up (on worms, though), now I can barely get any over 15 inches. Usually I just catch big suckers. Haha! They are fun to fight, however.


Suckers don't really fight as hard as Carp... they just pull for a few seconds and then they just lay there....

Have you guys tried to make a pattern that looks like a cottonwood seed (the white puff balls that fly everywhere in May)? Back in Europe I've seen many carp take those (kind of like dry flies) when they fall in the water, but I was never smart enough to figure out how to imitate it (I was 13). Plus fish are way spookier there... has anyone notice carp taking those around here?

S_B

[Mojo]

Steel Beaver,
I use a white humpy pattern to imitate those cottonwood puffs. Works great. A green wooly bugger or marabou mess works great when the fish are feeding on moss. Most of the time nymphs work great as do small crawdad patterns.

[ODSKid]

Suckers don't really fight as hard as Carp... they just pull for a few seconds and then they just lay there....

S_B

YOU have obviously never fought some of the suckers that I have!

[john montana]

there aren't many freshwater fish that fight as hard as carp. i've seen my backing more carp fishing than all other fishing combined...gotta love the golden ghost!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwmn7WManLM

http://media.putfile.com/carp-on-the-fly

[Steelie Mike]

http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=7106

Here is another video of a run for you all.

I got my first of the year last weekend and maybe my second today.

[moefish]

Growing up I caught lots of them purpously on corn on the snake and smaller tribs. allways thought it would be fun to fly fish for them, So my question is do you sight fish them while waiding the flats,that is about the only way I think you could do it with a fly.

[Stonedfish]

Moe,
You got it. Sight fishing just as you would with bonefish, except carp are way easier to see, LOL.
Brian

[FishTech]

Hey who needs a fly must less a rod for carp...whoa!

Wild Jumping Carp On Illinois River

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb8OmEr7VqI&mode=related&search=

Flying Carp...gotta love those videos of crazy flying fish.

[jfsfish2]

Sounds like a blast!!! Do you guys fish with your pontoons? If so, where are some protected areas? The Columbia would not work to well!!:crazy: Been thinking about trying to hook into a carp.
jfsfish2

[Steelie Mike]

I have been fishing for carp from my drifter and a skiff. We use a troller to get around at times and fish a byway of the Columbia River. It is not that difficult to sneak up on fish. Good fun on a Echo II five weight.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/SteelieMike/4-07068.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/SteelieMike/4-07073.jpg

[john montana]

nice! i got out today, saw a bunch of fish but they were all sunning, no feeders at all. hoping to get into some more fish this coming weekend. my buddy caught a massive buffalo in MN yesterday:

http://fishingandthinking.blogspot.com/

[fool4fishin]

I have been to the Snake River and camped at Farewell Bend Campground during the early summer months. The carp spawn across the river in the shallows. From the campground the spawning fish constantly splash the water all day long. I've seen some hogs come out of the water there. Not hard to find them. Camping area is super with a great boat ramp and nice wide river.:bigshock: We fished for the big cats.