Big Carp

[new2yaks11]

Anyone know of any spots locally to catch big carp? I used to bowfish for them but they were in full spawning mode and not eating. Would like to find an area where they might be staging pre-spawn and try to hook into some for a great sleigh ride. These are incredibly strong fish and on medium tackle and on a yak, has to be a blast.

[DOGFISH]

There are always a lot of carp below the spillway at Tuckahoe and below the spillway at Wye Lake. You can see them swimming aroud.

[chex]

Chimo hooked a big one in Mattawoman, so there's at least one in there.

[Backwater]

Rocky gorge reservoir right in scott's cove was loaded last year, the resi just opened too so they haven't seen a corn niblet in a few months. Unintentionally caught a giant one there last year and they were everywhere. The WSCC used to do a contest and each pound of carp weighed in at the brighton dam visitors center gave you one ticket for a raffle or something along those lines. I think they were trying to lower the carp population and needed to give people an incentive for removing them. I have only ever C&R them though. I used to fish for them quite a bit on 8lb braid with a med action ugly stick... totally sick fighters. I always have found that a small hook with a few corn niblets of the canned variety always works for them. Don't be afraid to chum quite a bit because you won't overfeed them they are really gluttons and tend to stick around, the sound of corn hitting the water seems to tease them in as well. Good luck.

Edit:

Here's a pretty nice one from a few years back.

[chimo]

I saw quite a few over by where the Carnival Cruise ship docks in the Harbor Hospital Area this fall and saw a bunch right in front of Harbor Hospital a few weeks ago. They were up on the mud flats sunning themselves.

Rocky gorge reservoir right in scott's cove was loaded last year, the resi just opened too so they haven't seen a corn niblet in a few months.

I thought Rocky Gorge and Tridelphia weren't scheduled to open until April this year Guess I'm going to have to look into that!


Chimo

[Meadeo]

Four Mile Run in arlington is full of 20-30 lb fish.

Meadeo

[Capt Brady Bounds]

Carp

Nice run of carp at the head of Breton Bay near Leonardtown Md and up into McIntosh Run.

[Rockaction]

Carp in Breton bay

That's where I fish. I snagged a carp last year with a beetlespin(a fluke)and it took me for a ride in my kayak. I'd like to try to catch more. What do you recommend for bait and rig?

[Ahab]

I spotted several big fish catching air on my way back to Tidings after trolling around the flats for stripers this past Friday.

They weren't right next to me, so I can't be sure, but they seemed to have the bronze coloring of a carp, so that was my guess.

I also saw a lot of carp late last spring in the waters in and around Mariner's Point launch.